Fostering Service Statement of Purpose

Recruitment, assessment and approval

The responsibility for recruiting, preparing and assessing prospective mainstream foster carers and supported lodgings providers, and the assessment of connected foster carers lies with the Family Placement Recruitment and Assessment Team.

We aim to place children within the Borough and within their own communities unless it is determined this is not in the best interests of the child or young person.

We promote the need to place children with carers who best reflect and manage the child's assessed needs in terms of emotional, ethnic, racial, cultural, linguistic and religious needs, as well as any needs relating to disability, gender or sexuality.

We are committed to ensuring that children and young people are securely attached to carers capable of providing them with safe and effective care for the duration of their childhood, and as far as is consistent with their welfare, to promote the upbringing of children and young people within their own families.

In situations where placements are not available to meet all the needs of the child or young person, support and information is made available to the carers to help them develop their skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the children.

Recruitment strategy

Throughout our recruitment strategy we aim to use, wherever possible, the services of existing experienced foster carers and supported lodgings providers as ambassadors by, for example, attending information sessions. The voice of birth children of foster carers and children in our care will be integrated within our recruitment activity, for example, using testimonials and social media.

Recruitment takes place on three levels:

1) Nationally - Linking to national events (e.g. Foster Care Fortnight) and working in partnership with relevant national bodies (e.g. The Fostering Network).

2) Regionally - Working in partnership with neighbouring Local Authorities to produce joint advertising and recruitment campaigns. This helps achieve synergy from broader consistent messaging, and allows more efficient use of resources, e.g. radio and television campaigns.

3) Locally - Specifically identifying placement needs to target recruitment campaigns at distinct groups.

Local recruitment activity is at four levels:

• continuous - with public information being circulated e.g. leaflet and poster format and digitally, on a regular basis to the public, e.g. health centres, leisure centres, libraries, local businesses, schools and colleges
• specific - for individual 'hard to place' children and young people
• targeted to need, i.e. adolescents, children with disabilities, age range and geographical areas
• within the kinship network of the children (connected person foster care)

Identification of need

Needs are identified in a number of ways:

• ongoing audit of placements available and placements needed
• via referrals shared at family placement team meetings as a standard agenda item
• annual foster care reviews
• information regarding placement disruptions

Recruitment journey

We aim for the recruitment of new foster carers to follow the most efficient path:

• advertising and marketing to result in initial enquiries
• information pack made available to enquirers
• monthly information sessions where general assessment criteria are outlined, and enquiries can move through an informal filtering process
• initial visits to enable prospective carers to progress their enquiry to Stage 1, where appropriate

The process of becoming an approved foster carer is governed by legislation and practice guidance.

Assessment of mainstream foster carers

Preliminary stage - seeking information

A potential applicant makes an enquiry with the Fostering Service online, by telephone or e-mail. A record is kept of all enquiries. An information pack is sent out within two working days of receipt of the enquiry. If the enquirer wants to go on to the next stage, they send back a 'Request for Initial Visit' form.

The Recruitment and Assessment Team manager will allocate the initial visit to two social workers from the team, who will contact the enquirer within 10 working days to make arrangements to visit and share information. A minimum of two visits will be undertaken to discuss further the contents of the information pack and answer any queries, focussing on the needs of looked after children and the role and expectations of the carer. The social workers will explore the family's circumstances, the home and its members and motivation to foster as well as give information about the application process.

The social workers will let applicants know at this stage whether or not what the enquirer may be able to offer is compatible with our recruitment objectives. Enquirers will also be advised whether there is anything about their circumstances that may affect future decisions about accepting an application.

Stage 1 process

A Registration of Interest Form (RIF) is given to prospective carers if it has been agreed that it is appropriate to proceed with an application. Notification will be given within 5 working days of receipt of the completed form whether the RIF has been accepted. The RIF includes consent for statutory checks for all relevant people in the household. Once the RIF has been returned and accepted, references are taken up with all relevant agencies as well as personal referees and current employer. In most circumstances contact will be made with previous partners who have shared a family relationship, adult children and previous employers where the applicant has worked with children or vulnerable adults. An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service application (DBS) will be made for all household members over the age of 18 years. Medical examinations are carried out by the applicant's doctor using the CoramBAAF Medical Form, and returned to Stockton's Medical Adviser for comments and a recommendation.

Applicants will be invited to attend a Preparation Training Course, which is the equivalent of four days' training. (Applicants can undertake the course during either Stage 1 or Stage 2 of the process.) Applicants are encouraged to attend preparation groups, however it is acknowledged that at times it may not be possible for all applicants to attend every session, therefore, this will be considered as part of the overall preparation process. The preparation group sessions can include the children of the family if they are of an appropriate age. Evaluation and feedback is completed by the applicants and training facilitators, which contribute to the overall assessment process.

Once all checks are returned, a decision will be made about whether to accept an applicant onto Stage 2 of the process and the applicant will be notified of the decision within 10 working days.

The Fostering Service aim to complete Stage 1 of the process within 8 weeks.

Stage 2 process

Stage 2 of the suitability to foster assessment is a complex and robust assessment, which focusses on the prospective foster carers' capacity to safeguard and meet the needs of any child placed in their care. The assessment consists of a minimum of six to eight sessions, including individual sessions for each applicant. The topics covered include personal background, history and experiences, parenting experiences, birth children's views, the home environment, health and safety (including pet safety) and the applicants' reflection and understanding of material presented from group sessions. In addition, interviews will be completed with two personal referees as well as former partners and adult children of the applicants.

When all the necessary material is available, the assessment report is completed by the social worker, using contributions from the applicants themselves at appropriate points. The report is quality assured by the Family Placement Registered Manager and is presented to the Fostering Panel, which normally meets every two weeks. Applicants are invited and encouraged to attend the panel meeting where the assessment is discussed. The Panel considers the report and makes a recommendation regarding the application. Panel can recommend that applicants are approved, not approved or defer for further information. The recommendation is then approved (or not) by the Agency Decision Maker (Assistant Director, Children's Social Care). Applicants are then notified in writing of the outcome of their application within 5 days of the decision.

If applicants are recommended as not suitable to foster, they then have 28 days from the qualifying determination made by the Agency Decision Maker to accept the qualifying determination, make representation to the fostering service or to apply to have their suitability to foster considered by the Independent Review Mechanism. The Fostering Service aims to have a decision on all applications within 8 months of application.

Assessment of connected foster carers

Definition of a 'Connected Person'

• a relative of the child, ie grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt, whether full blood or half-blood or by marriage or civil partnership or a step-parent, as defined in section 105 of the 1989 Children Act
• a friend of the child
• a person connected with the child who may be someone who knows the child in a more professional capacity such as a child minder, a teacher of a youth worker, who would not fit the term relative or friend but who may be an appropriate person with whom to place a child because of the pre-existing connection

Where consideration is being given by a child's social worker for the child to be placed in foster care with a connected carer, the social worker will undertake a Viability Assessment which should consider both the current and the anticipated future needs of the child and how viable it is for the proposed connected person, with the provision of appropriate support, to provide for this child's needs. The child's social worker will provide the connected person with written information about what to expect in the fostering assessment and the role and responsibilities of a foster carer in relation to working with the Local Authority. 

Where a Viability Assessment recommends that a full fostering assessment should be completed, the child's social worker will make a referral to the Family Placement Recruitment and Assessment Team, who is responsible for completing the suitability to foster assessment. The assessment will be completed in line with the process outline above, however, Stage 1 and Stage 2 will be completed concurrently. 

In some instances, it is necessary to place children with a connected person in an emergency; where this is necessary, a brief assessment will be completed by the child's social worker and agreement sought to place the child under Regulation 24 of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010. Where agreed, the connected carer will be given temporary approval as a foster carer for a period of 16 weeks (which can, in particular circumstances be extended for a further 8 weeks). It is the responsibility of the Recruitment and Assessment Team to complete the full suitability to foster assessment and present it to Panel and Agency Decision Maker within this period of temporary approval.

Assessment of supported lodgings providers

Supported Lodgings are a form of temporary supported accommodation for vulnerable young people who are not ready to live independently for a variety of reasons. It is expected that the Supported Lodgings Service will provide places for care leavers aged 16 to 21 years, for a period of up to two years. This can be extended depending upon circumstances. Young people placed on this scheme will have their own room in a family home and be given support by the adult, or adults, in the home. It is a requirement that Supported Lodgings Carers have the capacity to offer each young person a bedroom of their own that is furnished and maintained to a good standard. They will also be expected to offer support and guidance to the young person when required and to help him/her towards independence by assisting the young person in a variety of areas, for example to budget, cook, clean and access education or training.

Preliminary stage - seeking information

A potential applicant makes an enquiry with the Family Placement Team online, by telephone or e-mail. A record is kept of all enquiries. An information pack is sent out within two working days of receipt of the enquiry. If the enquirer wants to go on to the next stage, they send back a 'Request for Initial Visit' form.

The Recruitment and Assessment Team manager will allocate the initial visit to two social workers from the team, who will contact the enquirer within 10 working days to make arrangements to visit and share information. A minimum of two visits will be undertaken to discuss further the contents of the information pack and answer any queries, focussing on the needs of looked after children and the role and expectations of the supported lodgings provider. The social workers will explore the family's circumstances, the home and its members and motivation to offer supported lodgings as well as give information about the application process.

The social workers will let the applicant know at this stage whether or not what the enquirer may be able to offer is compatible with our recruitment objectives. Enquirers will also be advised whether there is anything about their circumstances that may affect future decisions about accepting an application.

Where, following a subsequent visit, the enquirer wishes to make an application and a decision has been made to accept it, the social worker provides the enquirer with an application pack.

Assessment process

A Registration of Interest Form (RIF) is given to prospective carers if it has been agreed that it is appropriate to proceed with an application. The RIF includes consent for checks and references. Once the RIF has been returned and accepted an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service application (DBS) will be made for all household members over the age of 18 years, a health report will be sought from each applicant's doctor and references will be taken up with two personal referees and current employer. Applicants are encouraged to attend preparation groups, however it is acknowledged that at times it may not be possible for all applicants to attend every session, therefore, this will be considered as part of the overall preparation process. The preparation group sessions can include the children of the family if they are of an appropriate age. Evaluation and feedback are completed by the applicants and training facilitators, which contribute to the overall assessment process.

The assessing social worker will aim to complete the assessment within a sixteen-week period and any necessary extension to the assessment period will be agreed by the assessment team manager. The supported lodgings assessment is a complex and robust assessment, which focusses on the prospective provider's capacity to safeguard and support the young person placed in their care. The assessment consists of a minimum of six to eight sessions, including individual sessions for each applicant. The topics covered include personal background, history and experiences, parenting experiences, birth children's views, the home environment, health and safety (including pet safety) and the applicant's reflection and understanding of material presented from group sessions. Where an assessment is being completed of a connected person to provide supported lodgings for a named young person, the assessing social worker will consider the applicant's capacity to meet the needs of that specific young person rather than the needs of any young person. The assessing social worker will liaise closely with the young person's social worker and complete at least one joint assessment session with the applicant in order to fully identify and explore the young person's needs and the applicant's capacity to meet them.

When all the necessary material is available, the assessment report is completed by the social worker, using contributions from the applicants themselves at appropriate points. The report is quality assured by the Family Placement Registered Manager and is presented to the Fostering Panel, which normally meets every two weeks. Supported lodgings does not come within the remit of fostering legislation, therefore, presentation to Panel in these instances are a matter of good practice, rather than legal necessity. Applicants are invited and encouraged to attend the panel meeting where the assessment is discussed. The panel considers the report and makes a recommendation regarding the application. Panel can recommend that applicants are approved, not approved or defer for further information. The recommendation is then approved (or not) by the Agency Decision Maker (Assistant Director, Children's Social Care). Applicants are then notified in writing of the outcome of their application within 5 days of the decision. If the applicant is not approved as a supported lodgings provider, they will be offered 28 days from the decision of the Agency Decision Maker to accept the qualifying determination or make representation to the Family Placement Service.