3.1.2 Requesting a Foster Placement

AMENDMENT

This chapter was updated in March 2012, the main changes are in regard to placements with external providers, see Section 1.8.

This chapter should be read in conjunction with the Protocol for The Management of Independent Sector Residential and Foster Care Placement Contracts for Looked After Children.

Introduction
Placement Planning Meeting
Child's Health Assessment
Personal Education Plan (PEP)
The Review of the Child's Care Plan
Visits to the Child
Changing the Main Display Address

1. Introduction

Subsequent to an assessment having been made, the procedure identifies the process for the placement planning meeting and the ongoing assessments for addressing the Child's Health Assessment and Personal Education Plan. If there is a Child's Care Plan involving a Core Assessment, the practical implications of gaining a Looked After Status (or Looked After Child) are addressed.

1.1	Following authorisation of the assessment by the Team Manager and Head of Service, the child's social worker will: Notify the 'placement duty desk' to request a placement; Confirm any additional information that is record on the child's record that is relevant to the request but not fully contained within the most recent assessment, for example a psychologist report.
1.2	On receipt of the notification the fostering service duty will contact the child's social worker by telephone to discuss the case and read the child's record in particular: The Chronology; The most recent assessment that identified the need to accommodate; The child's core person details; The child's plan; Any other relevant information as directed by the practitioner making the request.
1.3	The role of fostering service duty desk is to match the needs of the child to a carer(s) that is able to meet the needs.
1.4	The social worker will commence the recording of the Placement Plan on the Placement Information Record.
1.5	The fostering service duty desk person will identify the appropriate carer/placement and: Record the details of the Placement Plan within the Placement Information Record on the child's record; Record evidence of the matching within case notes in the child's record using a heading 'placement matching'; Complete the placement record with the start date of the placement and fax/email to finance.
1.6	The fostering service duty person will send a notification to the foster carer(s)' supervising Social Worker of the placement before the start of the placement, wherever possible, or within 5 working days of the details of the placement being entered into the child's record.
1.7	The fostering supervising practitioner will: Read the child's record (The chronology, the most recent assessment that identified the need to accommodate, the child's core person details, the child's plan and any other relevant information as directed by the fostering service duty person); Record the reading of the child's record in case notes in the child's record; If necessary contact the Lead Social Worker of the child to discuss the circumstances and record the discussion within case notes on the child's record within two working days of the discussion; Complete the health and safety checklist and put copy of child's record and carer's record. Record that it has been completed and any action within the case notes of the child's record within two working days of the completion of the checklist; Complete the risk assessment for a child looked after in foster care and put a copy on the child's record and carer's record within two working days of the change in legal status of the child. Record that it has been completed and any action within the case notes of the child's record within two working days of the completion of the assessment.
1.8	If a placement with an external provider has been authorised by the Head of Service, the Fostering Duty Officer will consult appropriate providers, identify possible placements and liaise with the Social Worker about their suitability and they should arrange for a copy of any brochure or written material that is available for the proposed placement, including Form F to be sent to the Social Worker. It is important that the service area notifies the Children’s Commissioning Team of their intention to place a child or young person in an independent sector placement, so that they can work with the service area to identify an appropriate provider and ensure a professional decision on the best placement for the child is made. At this stage initial discussions will be held with the providers as to the appropriateness of the referral, time-scales for vacancies and the basic costs of the placement. It is essential that at least three potential providers are contacted, and when one is finally selected an Independent Sector Placement Approval form CS2/255 (which can be located in Children’s Services Core Forms on George) must be completed and signed by the relevant Head of Service. The form must detail which providers have been contacted and the rationale for choosing the selected one. A copy of the form must be sent to the Children’s Commissioning Team. The social worker may then arrange visits to the proposed placement, with the child (if old enough) and parents (if appropriate). The Children’s Commissioning Team will establish whether the selected Provider currently has a contract in place with LCC. Where no contract is in place the Children’s Commissioning Team will complete the necessary quality assurance checks to confirm the providers’ suitability and send out a contract for signature. Refer to the Protocol for the Management of Independent Sector Residential and Foster Care Placement Contracts for Looked After Children for further information. As long as no concerns have been raised in relation to a proposed external placement, the social worker may then arrange visits to the proposed placement, with the child (if old enough) and parents (if appropriate) and undertake the following: The Social Worker will complete the Out of County Paper-work; Complete Notification of Placement to relevant authorities; The provider’s admissions procedure will then be followed.

2. Placement Planning Meeting

2.1	This will be held prior to the placement and any additional field within the placement information record completed by the Lead Social Worker. This will involve a discussion of the child’s needs to ensure careful matching, including the child’s personal history, religious persuasion, cultural and linguistic background and racial origin, as well as the child’s health and education needs and how these are to be met. It will also include the arrangements for registering the child with local health professionals (GP, dentist and optician).
2.2	The following will be invited to attend: Supervising practitioner for the foster carer; Foster carer(s); Child's social worker; Child/young person; Parent(s)/carer(s) of the child/young person; Other involved professionals.
2.3	Business support will assist in the setting up of the meeting as requested by the Lead Social Worker. Assistance will include: Confirming with the child's social worker what arrangements need to be made and within what timescales; Contacting the foster carers to confirm the date/time and venue; Booking the venue if necessary; Sending out invites; Distribute notification letter that the child is looked after to those involved (school, GP, health visitor etc.) and record in case notes that the notification letters have been distributed.
2.4	The meeting will confirm any information that is missing from the placement information record and identify any needs of the corporate parent.
2.5	The fostering supervising practitioner will complete the Risk Assessment for a child looked after in foster care and this can be completed at this meeting. The fostering supervising practitioner will record any relevant information onto the child's record.
2.6	In addition the placement planning meeting will consider the type of introduction process required, for example whether arrangements should be made for the child, parents and the social worker to visit the foster home and/or whether it may be appropriate to have an introductory overnight stay. Children should be able to visit the foster home and talk in private with the carer. If this is not possible, arrangements may be made for the carers to visit the child and parents; or for information about the foster carers to be sent to the child and/or the parents, for example about routines in the foster home, bedtimes, meals, visitors, pocket money, school, privacy and the overall expectations in relation to the child’s behaviour within the home.
2.7	The child's social worker: Will enter the information into the child's record within one working day of the meeting. Make any changes to the child's plan. The needs of the corporate parent should be added to the Care Plan once it has been created; Inform business support of the completion of the placement information record and child's plan and request distribution.

3. Child's Health Assessment

3.1

This will be completed prior to the change in the child's legal status. Where appropriate the parent/carer of the child should be encouraged, and if necessary assisted, to attend the health assessment appointment.

3.2

The details will be recorded in the child's record in the health section - medicals sub section, select 'add medical' and select 'pre-placement medical.

3.3

The child's social worker will:

Send the request for a Health Assessment to the Local Heath Co-ordinator who will administer the process;
Confirm with the parent/carer of the child the date of when this is to take place;
Record any needs, service provision as identified in the health assessment within the child's plan within two working days of the receipt of the health assessment

4. Personal Education Plan (PEP)

See Personal Education Plans (PEP) Procedure.

4.1

The Personal Education Plan should be initiated as part of the Care Plan before the child becomes Looked After (or within 10 working days in the case of an emergency placement), and be available for the first Looked After Review meeting.

4.2

The child's social worker will:

Ensure that a social care practitioner attends the meeting with the teacher and child;
Record the needs that are identified in the PEP into the child's care plan prior to the first review being held, or if the review is held within the 20 days record the needs within 10 days following the date of the first review;
Enter relevant data onto the completed and review date of the PEP onto the child's record.

4.3

The social care worker will arrange the PEP meeting, the social care worker will:

Set up the meeting within at least three working days of the placement commencing;
Check the child's core person's details for the relevant education information;
Contact the school to set up a date/time when the meeting is to be held;
Enter the date and time of the meeting into the social care worker's e-diary.

5. The Review of the Child's Care Plan

5.1	The first review will be held within 20 calendar days of the date that the child's legal status changed to become looked after.

6. Visits to the Child

The statutory requirement is for the child's social worker to visit the child within 7 calendar days of the placement occurring and every 6 weeks within the first year, thereafter every six weeks (three months if the placement is intended to last until the child is 18). See Visits to Children Procedure.

The first visit to the child will take place within 7 calendar days of the date of the change in legal status which is the start of the placement.

7. Changing the Main Display Address

The Lead Social Worker will change the main display address to that of the placement address after 28 calendar days of the date of the legal status of accommodated. The change will be made within two working days of the 28th day.

End