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3.10.10 Making a Referral to the Fostering Assessment and Kinship Team

AMENDMENTS

This chapter was updated in June 2011 in regard to change of title as the Adoption Service no longer undertakes these assessments.  The forms have been revised.

Contents

  1. Referring an Assessment to the Fostering Service
  2. Timescales for Assessments
  3. Assessment Referral Form
  4. Application to be assessed as a potential carer


1. Referring an Assessment to the Fostering Service

The Assessment and Kinship Team undertake viability assessments of family members, kinship ("family and friends") assessments for presentation to Fostering Panel and/or court, and Special Guardianship reports.

Regulation 24 assessments can also be completed jointly with the referring social worker in cases where children are placed in an emergency with a 'Connected Person'.  See Placements with Family and Friends Carers Procedure.

The  "Assessment Referral Form" should be completed and sent to the Team Manager, Assessment & Kinship Team, and the  "Application to be assessed as a potential carer" should be sent to the prospective carer to sign and return. 

Cases will not be allocated until both forms have been received.


2. Timescales for Assessments

Viability Assessments

The timescale for a Viability Assessment is 6 - 8 weeks from the date a signed consent form is received from the prospective carers. When cases are in court proceedings, it is helpful for the lawyer to prepare a Letter of Instruction.

Special Guardianship

Before any application is made the potential carer must give notice of their intention to apply for a Special Guardianship Order to the Local Authority. This notice must be given three months before the application is made. When a Local Authority receives such notification they will undertake a Special Guardianship assessment and provide a report to the Court within 12 weeks.

Family and Friends

If an immediate placement is made and the plan is for the placement is to continue, the carers must undergo a full assessment and be approved by Lewisham Fostering Panel as foster carers within 16 weeks.

3. Assessment Referral Form

DETAILS OF SOCIAL WORK TEAM:

Social Worker's name and extension number

Team Manager's name and extension number

Lawyer's name and extension number

Date of referral

DETAILS OF THE CHILD/CHILDREN:

Please give the following information for each child

Full Name
Date of birth
Ethnicity
Nationality (Immigration Status if relevant)
Language
Religion
School
Legal Status (dates of relevant Court orders, if any)
Current Address (Details of placement)

DETAILS OF PARENTS

Mother

Full Name
Date of birth
Ethnicity
Nationality (Immigration Status if relevant)
Language
Religion
Occupation
Address

Father

Full Name
Date of birth
Ethnicity
Nationality (Immigration Status if relevant)
Language
Religion
Occupation
Address

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CASE

Case Summary
Reason for this referral
Type of assessment requested
Timescales for the assessment

Is the child already living with the carers under Regulation 24?
Has there been a Family Group Conference?



Details of any parallel planning

DETAILS OF THE PROSPECTIVE CARER/S

Please give the following information for each carer being referred for assessment on a separate form.

Full name/s (if prospective carer has a partner living at the same address, please give their details and ensure that this person signs the consent form)
Date/s of birth
Ethnicity
Nationality
Language
Religion
Address and telephone numbers (home and mobile)
Occupation/working hours
Relationship to the child and current level of contact

Has there been any previous assessment of the prospective carer(s)?
Has this referral and its legal framework been discussed with them?
Date consent form sent


4.Application to be assessed as a potential carer

The Fostering Service undertake Viability Assessments of family members, Family and Friends assessments for presentation to Fostering Panel/court, and Special Guardianship reports. 

In order to proceed with your application, please complete this form in block capitals and return it to:

Lewisham Fostering Service
Assessment & Kinship Team
London Borough of Lewisham
Laurence House
1 Catford Road
London SE6 4RU
Telephone: 0208 314 6655


WRITTEN CONSENT TO OBTAIN INFORMATION

I am writing to confirm that I am aware that the Assessment & Kinship Team have been asked to undertake an assessment regarding the possibility of my caring permanently for:

_________________________________


If you are applying as a couple, please give both names

Full Name/s  ........................................................................

..........................................................................

Any other names used including maiden name................................

Dates of birth   ............................................................................

...........................................................................

Address  ............................................................................

............................................................................

Post Code  ............................................................................

Date moved into this address...................................................

Daytime Telephone number..........................................................

Mobile telephone number..........................................................

 

Children in Household

 

Full Name/s         .............................................................................

Date of birth   .................................................................................

 

Full Name/s         .............................................................................

Date of birth   .................................................................................

 

Previous Addresses

I confirm that these are my previous addresses in the last 10 years:

Date from        Date to          Address______________________________

 

If you brought up your children at a different address or addresses prior to the last  10 years, please also provide this information on a separate sheet.

In order that the assessing social worker can obtain the information that they need to complete the assessment, I am aware that they wish to contact and share information with the following people/agencies:

  • My GP in order to obtain information regarding my physical, emotional and mental health
  • The Police and Probation authority in order to complete a full police check
  • Any professional or agency who has been identified as having relevant information regarding myself
  • The school, education authority, GP and Primary Care Trust and of my child/ren
  • Housing Department
  • The local authorities where I live currently and previous local authorities where I have lived

 

I am aware that this information will be used for the purpose of completing the assessment and I give my consent for the above agencies to be contacted to provide relevant information.

 

Signature..........................................................Date....../...../......

 

Signature..........................................................Date....../...../......

End