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Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Recruitment of Respite Foster Carers
3. The Placement of Children with Respite Carers
4. Ending of Link Agreements

1. Introduction

Short breaks provide opportunities for disabled children to have enjoyable experiences which help them become more independent and form friendships outside their family. At the same time their families get a regular break from the demands of caring for a child with disabilities.

The allocation of number of nights for short break care is determined by a Family Support Assessment undertaken by Children with Disabilities Service. This allocation is dependent on the child's needs and the family circumstances, and is reassessed annually.

To achieve a successful experience for the child/young person and the short breaks foster carer, the placement will be planned with an opportunity for the foster carers to meet the child/young person and their family beforehand, and for the child/young person to have visited the foster carer's home.

At any stage during the introductory process and indeed afterwards either the short breaks foster carer, the family and the child/young person has the right to refuse the placement either starting or continuing.

Each child /young person is matched to one carer only who will provide all of their short break care.  Parents and carers exchange contact details at the beginning and they are mutually responsible for contacting each other and making arrangements and booking the short break dates.

Short Breaks is intended to be a planned service, not an emergency service. Therefore parents need to book their dates in advance, rather than contacting carers at short notice.

The short breaks foster carer will be offering any child placed with them and their family shared care, as a service provided under the Children Act 1989.

The short breaks foster carers will work in partnership with the child/ young person and their family. Planning the placement will have enabled them to get a sense of the child/young person's needs, likes/ dislikes and routines, to enable them to offer the same pattern of care as received at home and/or school.

The Children Act 1989 requires that parents who retain their Parental Responsibility, should be involved in all planning for their children and should be kept informed of significant changes and developments. Where a child/young person is to be 'looked after' under voluntary arrangements, the Local Authority should agree all aspects of the arrangements with the parents.

At all times the welfare and safety of the child or young person remains paramount and child protection measures will be taken where necessary.

2. The Recruitment of Respite Foster Carers

Please see the following Chapters:

Assessment and Approval of Foster Carers Procedure

Fostering Panel Procedure

Annual Review of Foster Carers Procedure

3. The Placement of Children with Respite Carers

The process of placement of children with short breaks foster carers differs from other placements.

When a short breaks carer has a vacancy for a short break placement, the Supervising Social Worker will discuss with them their matching requirements. This will involve looking at their approval category from the fostering panel, and discussion with the carer in relation  to their availability, i.e. weekends only, school holidays or a combination of both. As well as this, the supervising social worker will talk to the carer about their areas of expertise/interest/confidence with regards to different disabilities and children's needs.

The Fostering Supervising Social Worker will then go through the referral forms of the children waiting for this service and identify all the children who would be potentially suitable for the carer. Those classed as being the highest priority will be sent to the carer for consideration first. If the carer does not feel able to meet the needs of the children with the highest priority, then children's referrals from a lower priority will be sent.

Once a carer has decided they would like to meet a particular child with a view to setting up a short breaks placement, the Fostering Supervising Social Worker contacts the Children's Disability Service  to inform them of this. If there is not an allocated social worker for the child, the SSW will liaise with the family support co-ordinator.

The Fostering Supervising Social Worker sends the child's social worker a brief profile of the carer, including the area they live, who lives with them, how long they have been a short breaks carer and details of their experience of caring for children.  

The child's social worker or the Family Support Co-ordinator then contacts the child's parent/s to inform  them that a carer has become available who would like to meet them with a view to providing  short breaks for their child. The child's social worker then gives the parent the information about the foster carer.

Initial Meeting

When the match is agreed, there will be an initial meeting between the Parent, the short breaks foster carer, the child's Social Worker and the Supervising Social Worker.

Depending on the Parent's views the child can be included at this early stage. Care should be taken to be mindful of the child/young persons ability to be involved as far as possible in the selection and matching process, with due regard for the wishes and feelings of the child/young person.

This initial meeting is usually is usually held at the child's home, since this is the environment where the child will be most relaxed and at ease in.  No paperwork is completed at this stage, as this meeting is just an opportunity for the parent, child and carer to begin to get to know each other and ask each other any questions they may have.  At this meeting a second date will be fixed for all parties to meet again, this time at the carer's home. The SSW and the child's social worker will liaise with parent and carer  following the initial meeting to confirm that they both want to proceed. 

At the second meeting a written agreement will be completed which is the contract for the short breaks arrangement. No short breaks should take place until this has been typed up and given to all parties.  Also at this meeting a consent to medical treatment form should be completed and a medication chart.  The carer should show the parent and carer around their home and decisions will be made about any furniture or health and safety equipment,  that may need to be obtained

Reviews and monitoring of the placement

Three months after the link agreement is completed a progress meeting must be conducted including Parents, short breaks foster carer, child’s Social Worker, Supervising Social Worker and child. The Fostering Supervising Social Worker will arrange and chair these. Where the child is not in care to the Local Authority or no single placement lasts longer than 17 days or the short breaks do not exceed 75 days in total in any period of 12 months then the child will not ordinarily become looked after and so not subject to the LAC Review procedures.

The Fostering Supervising Social Worker continues to arrange and chair a progress review of short break arrangements every 6 months  unless the child becomes looked after.

Paying Carers

Short Breaks Carers are asked to fill a BACS form with their bank details once they are approved.  They are then sent claim forms to fill in each time they provide a period of respite care.  They will send these to fostering BSO who process them and they are then paid directly into their bank account.

Short Breaks carers are paid a daily rate which is a pro rata version of the mainstream foster carer allowances. 

4. Ending of Link Agreements

Short breaks care arrangements will come to an end for a variety of reasons. When it is known in advance that a placement is coming to an end, then this will be discussed during the child’s progress review and plans will be made for the foster carer, parent and child to say goodbye to each other and plan a final short breaks session. 

In cases where there is  no prior notice of this then it may not be possible to plan the ending in this way, however every effort will always be made to ensure that a child has the opportunity to say goodbye in a way which is meaningful for them.

This Social Worker will arrange for an 'End of Link' Meeting, inviting all relevant persons.

The meeting will look at the reasons why the link needs to end, and how this change will affect the child or young person, parents and carers.

Notes of the meeting will be taken, with a copy going to all present within 2 weeks of the meeting.

Letter confirming the link has ended will be sent to those concerned within 2 weeks of the meeting. 

End