3.4.4 Regulation 24 - Care Planning, Placements and Case Review Regulations (England) 2010 - Temporary Approval of a Connected Person as a Foster Carer

RELATED PROCEDURES

Regulation 24 - Care Planning, Placements and Case Review Regulations (England) 2010 - Temporary Approval of a Connected Person as a Foster Carer

Introduction
Undertaking a Connected Person Assessment for Immediate Placement
Procedure for Setting Up New Carers in ICS and ContrOCC
Undertaking a Kinship Fostering Assessment

Appendix A: Process Flow Chart for Unapproved Carers

Appendix B: Regulation 24 Assessment Forms

Appendix C: Regulation 24 Temporary Approval Form

Appendix D: Practice Note - Undertaking a Connected Person Assessment

Appendix E: Pre-Panel Approvals

1. Introduction

The term ‘kinship’ refers to relatives, friends and other people with a prior connection with somebody else’s child who are caring for him or her full-time. For example, special guardians, family and friend foster carers and residence order holders are all considered to be ‘kinship carers’.

The key issue is the legal status of the child and the role of the Local Authority in the making of the placement.

If a Looked After Child is placed with family/friends by the Local Authority, the Care Planning Regulations (England) 2010 apply.

Regulations 24 and 25 of the 2010 Regulations set out arrangements for the temporary approval of a connected person as a foster carer to allow an immediate placement.

If an immediate placement is made with a connected person and the plan is for the placement to continue, the carers must undergo a full assessment and be approved as foster carers within 16 weeks.

2. Undertaking a Connected Person Assessment for Immediate Placement

The Local Authority must be satisfied that the placement is the most suitable means to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare, and that the placement cannot wait until the full approval process can be completed. Other than that the approval is made on a temporary basis, a person approved under the 2010 Regulations is in all respects a Local Authority foster carer in relation to that particular child.

Prior to placement the Local Authority must ascertain as much information set out in Schedule 4 of the 2010 Regulations as is possible, to satisfy themselves that this placement is the most appropriate way to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare in the circumstances.

The child’s social worker will need to visit the prospective carer’s home and interview family members.

During the visit information will be gathered as required in the Regulation 24 assessment forms, and signatures should be obtained from the prospective carers. An application form for a Criminal Record Disclosure (CRB check) should also be completed.

In order to ensure that the carers understand what the fostering assessment will entail, a social worker from the Assessment and Kinship Team will accompany the child’s social worker on this visit.

The child’s social worker should then forward the signed Reg 24 assessment forms to the Assessment and Kinship Team Manager, who will pass them to the Authority’s Decision Maker i.e. Director of Children’s Social Care, Ian Smith for authorisation. The case should also be presented to the Care Planning Panel at the earliest opportunity.

Once authorisation for the placement has been given, these forms, along with the PIR referral, will enable the carers to be set up in ICS and ContrOCC for payment. The carers will need to supply their bank details on a BACS form in order for payments to be made appropriately.

3. Procedure for Setting Up New Carers in ICS and ContrOCC

See Appendix A: Process Flow Chart for Unapproved Carers.

The Assessment and Kinship Team Manager emails CSC_Finance_Extras@lewisham.gov.uk with the details of main carer and child(ren) who are to be looked after by the carer, requesting that they are set up.

The Assessment and Kinship Team Manager passes the hard copy of Regulation 24, and all other paperwork, to the Business Process Team.

A Business Process Officer creates the carer on ICS.

The Business Process Officer passes the BACS paperwork to the Finance Process Team.

A Finance Process Officer requests set up on Oracle and creates the record on ContrOCC.

The Finance Process Officer links the ICS and ContrOCC carer records.

The Finance Process Officer emails Placements to let them know that the carer is now set up and ready to be entered on the PIR.

4. Undertaking a Kinship Fostering Assessment

See:

Once the placement has been made and the carer is set up, the Assessment and Kinship Team Manager will allocate the case to one of the social workers in the Assessment and Kinship Team who will undertake the full assessment for Fostering Panel.

In Lewisham the report is completed jointly between the child’s social worker, who provides information about the child, and the assessing social worker who considers the potential of the carers to meet the child’s needs.

The completed report is presented by both social workers to the Fostering Panel, and the applicant carer(s) will also be expected to attend.