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Contents

1. Scope
2. Consultation
3. Placement Request – Office Hours
4. Out of Hours Placements
5. Identification and Approval of Placement
6. Placement Planning
7. Notification of Placement
8. Support and Monitoring of Placements
9. Ending Placements
10. Permanent Foster Placements

1. Scope

This policy applies to any placement of a looked after child with foster carers, who are assessed and approved by Manx Care.

2. Consultation

At the point that is determined that a placement may be required, and throughout the subsequent process of identification, planning and placement, the social worker must consult and take account of the views of the following people:

• The child;
• The child’s parents;
• Anyone who is not a parent but has been caring for or looking after the child;
• Other members of the child’s family who are significant to the child or who have a Contact Order in their favour in relation to the child/residence order/special guardianship order;
• The child’s school or the education service;
• The Youth Justice Team, if the child is known to them;
• Any other relevant person, e.g. nursery, healthcare professional, children’s guardian; Independent Reviewing Officer (if currently looked after or subject to child protection planning)

The views of these people should be given by them, in writing, or should be recorded by the social worker.

3. Placement Request – Office Hours

Where a decision has been made by a Group Manager that a child requires a foster placement, the child’s social worker will request a placement by contacting the Family Placement Service outlining the child’s needs using the Family Placement Services referral form along with the most recent child’s NARRATES assessment and the associated Child Looked After appendix outlining the child’s needs when they become looked after.

Within these forms, the social worker will be asked to provide information about the child, the type of placement sought, the CLA Plan which should be available, the date by which the placement is required, the likely length of time for which the placement is required and the expected level of contact between the child and parents. The social worker should also outline any risks associated with the placement, for example as a result of the child’s challenging behaviour. Where there is concern about violence, aggression and/or sexualised behaviours a risk assessment should inform the placement plan. The more open and full information sharing is at this stage contributes to a better matching process and reduced risk of problems at a later date in the placement.

Referrals should be sent to familyplacementsservice@gov.im, which will alert business support, who will then inform the Fostering Team leader to allocate to a supervising social worker or a duty worker, depending on the timescale given.

The duty/supervising social worker at the Family Placement Service will identify suitable foster placements, make use of the SWOT analysis forms, which are available on the carers’ electronic file, under forms. All family efforts must be recording on the carers file and in the carers’ chronology.

The referral form, which identifies the needs of the child, will be shared with the child’s social worker and their team manager. The team manager will need to approve the link between the child and foster carer(s)

The duty/supervising social worker will share the SWOT analysis with the child’s social worker and their team manager. The team manager will need to approve the link between the child and foster carer(s).

It will be the responsibility of the child’s social worker to ensure that case recordings reflect the family finding efforts and decision making with regards to making of the placement. Any vulnerabilities identified must be recorded and transferred into the child’s Looked After Care Plan.

The supervising social worker must share the approved SWOT analysis form with the identified carers, and record the discussion with the carer on their electronic file. If the carers agree to care for the child, the supervising social worker must share the Welcome Book with the child’s social worker. Please refer to the Welcome Book policy.

If the SWOT analysis identifies additional support needs in relation to the child’s and/or their carers ability to meet them, these should be noted in the Placement Agreement with Delegated Authority Form (Appendix 1) confirming what support is in place to ensure that the carers’ are best placed to meet the child’s needs. Support needs should be reviewed regularly and the carers’ formal supervision with their supervising social worker and the Placement Agreement with Delegated Authority updated as necessary.

In the event that a child would be joining other children in the foster home, the interests of all children must be carefully considered and any additional supports identified. This will require consultation with the social worker and team manager as appropriate.

4. Out of Hours Placements

For out of hour’s placements, the Children and Families Out of Hours Social Worker will make contact with the Family Placement Service Out of Hours Duty Worker in order that arrangements can be made with foster carers who are available to receive emergency placements.

The child’s social worker is responsible for placing the child and obtaining relevant consent to medical treatment from those with parental responsibility.

A placement planning meeting should then be held within 72 hours of the child being placed in foster care, in order to completed Placement Agreement with Delegated Authority form (Appendix 1). The supervising social worker or the child’s social worker can chair this meeting and they must ensure that signatures from those who have parental responsibility are evident on the form, which is then uploaded to the carers’ file, along with a case note and added into the file chronology.

There they may be some circumstances in which the child/young person may be unable to stay with the emergency foster carer on a longer term basis. Therefore, family finding would need to commence on the next working day, via the Family Placement Service. Please refer to the above, placement request – office hours.

5. Identification and Approval of Placement

Other than placements that are required on an emergency basis, information from the prospective carers welcome book will be passed to the child’s social worker in order to share with the child in preparation for the placement. Depending on age and stage of the child, information and explanation of their circumstances should be given, so that the child is in a position to develop views and make choices. The child’s social worker will need to support the child through this process, particularly when there may be no other placements available to the child.

When a potential placement has been identified, the child’s social worker will liaise with the foster carer’s supervising social worker (or the duty worker) in order to agree arrangements for the placement. At this stage, the social worker will also discuss the child with the prospective foster carer and, in particular, share any risks associated with the placement with the foster carers and the supervising social worker.

When the proposed foster placement has the relevant approval, the placement planning process can commence. Please see Section 6, Placement Planning.

The social worker may then arrange an introductory visit to the proposed placement, with the child (if old enough) and parents (if appropriate).

The role of the supervising social worker will be to support foster carers throughout the linking process. Foster carers are likely to be provided with a lot of confidential information and will need support to make sense of this in relation to what the child needs and how the attributes of the carer can be best utilised when the child joins their family. Clear descriptions and detailed accurate information of the child is important to help foster carers understand the likely impact the child will have on their family and how to best respond.

6. Placement Planning

Before the child is placed, the child’s social worker will arrange a Placement Planning Meeting where discussions will inform the Placement Agreement with Delegation of Authority (see appendix 1). A Welcome Book for the child/young person must also be considered.

The use of a communication book must also be agreed at the Placement Planning Meeting. Please see Foster Carer Recording Policy.

It is a statutory responsibility for the supervising social worker, in conjunction with the child’s social worker to complete the Placement Agreement with Delegation of Authority, in conjunction with birth parents, the child (where appropriate), and the foster carers.

The social worker is responsible for ensuring the carers, child and those with parental responsibility have an updated Placement Plan and Care Plan.

The meeting is usually chaired by the child’s social worker or supervising social worker. The child’s social worker will confirm the decisions about the child’s day to day care and legal status. It is widely recognised that whilst there is no legal requirement for a placement planning meeting it is good practice in terms of information sharing, thus providing a better chance of stability and reduce the risk of placement disruptions. Please see Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings Policy.

Participants at the Placement Planning Meeting should include:

• The parent(s);
• The child (if appropriate);
• The foster carer(s);
• The supervising social worker;
• The child’s social worker;
• Any other relevant professionals e.g. Wraparound, Education and Health;
• Anyone else considered appropriate or who will have a role in supporting the placement and plan.

The purpose of the first Placement Planning Meeting is to update the child’s Placement Plan, which is competed by the child’s social worker. This will involve a discussion of the child’s needs, including health and education needs and how these are best met.

The meeting also provides an opportunity to ensure that the foster carers have a copy of any relevant court order, any other necessary documentation and that full information is shared with them about the child’s needs and any behavioural challenges that may present.

The resulting Placement Agreement with Delegated Authority, completed by the supervising social worker, will provide a means to agree clarity of roles and responsibilities in relation to the child between social workers, foster carers and other professionals involved. Some key information may be missing and may not be available at the time of the meeting therefore it is important to be clear who will follow up this information and the timescales around this being provided.

A Placement Agreement with Delegated Authority form will be completed for each child who is fostered, which will be informed by the child’s Placement Plan.

All foster carers will have prepared a Safe Care Plan as part of their approval process. When a child is placed the supervising social worker must support the foster carer to assess their existing safer caring measures and decide if this is adequate for the child being placed. Safer Care Plan, in principle, are a means of ensuring that everyone in the fostering household understands the rules of living together, helping a fostered child feel safe and managing the risks for everyone. Please see Safer Caring Policy.

For planned placements, the Placement Planning Meeting should be held before the placement. Where this is not possible, it should be held at the latest within 72 hours of the placement.

Within five working days of the placement planning meeting, the child’s social worker will share the following, signed documents with those with parental responsibility.

• Child’s Looked After Care Plan;
• Placement Agreement with Delegated Authority;
• The child’s Placement Plan;
• Personal Education Plan (when completed);
• Looked After Medical (when completed).

The supervising social worker is responsible for sharing all relevant documents with the foster carer(s) within that same time frame.

Foster carers should be directed to their Foster Carer Agreement, which is their contract with Manx Care with regards to confidential information, how it should be stored and to be supported by their supervising social worker in understanding how much information needs to be shared with their own children. Please refer to Foster Carer’s Recording for Looked After Children.

The child’s social worker must provide the child and the parent with written information about coming into care, including information on using the Comments, Compliments and Complaints Procedure. A copy of the children’s guide will be given to the child and this will provide essential information about coming into care.

In all cases, the child should be accompanied to the foster home by the social worker and helped to settle in. Suitable luggage should be used and a child’s belongings should never be transported in bin-bags or other inappropriate containers.

7. Notification of Placement

Within two working days of the child being placed in foster care, the child’s social worker will update the child’s electronic file with the details of the placement. This information will also show on the foster carer’s electronic file.

Within 24 hours, the child’s social worker must also notify the Designated Nurse for Looked After Children, the Education Service, and the child’s GP.

The child’s social worker will notify those with parental responsibility and any significant other family member, who have been involved in the decision-making process of the placement.

The child’s social worker must also notify the allocated Independent Reviewing Officer or, if it is the first placement, the Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Unit of the placement. This notification will trigger the appointment of an Independent Reviewing Officer if it is the first placement and the setting up of arrangements for a Looked after Review.

These notifications must be made in writing, advising of the placement decision and the name and address of the person with whom the child is to be placed by the child’s social worker.

The child’s social worker should also notify – in writing all those involved in the day to day arrangements for the child, including nursey/school and any health professional or youth justice worker involved with the child.

The child’s social worker should ensure that protocol is updated with all professional involvements so that invites to Looked After Reviews and network meetings can be sent out as appropriate.

It will be necessary for the foster carer or the child’s social worker to ensure the child is registered with a GP, Dentist and Optician, either retaining practices known to him or her (which is preferable) or in the community where they are placed.

In relation to a first Looked After placement it will also be necessary for the social worker to liaise with the Designated Nurse for Looked After Children. The social worker must also contact the relevant school or, where the child does not have a school place, the relevant education officer.

For any new placement, every effort should be made to enable the child to remain at the same school unless there are reasons which would be detrimental to his or her wellbeing.

8. Support and Monitoring of Placements

The child’s social worker must visit the child in the placement within one week of the placement and then, at a minimum, every six weeks during the first year.

In line with the Isle of Man minimum standards and the supervision policy within the Family Placement Service, foster carer’s will receive support and supervision from the supervising social worker prior to and following the placement being made.

Supervision will take place every 4-6 weeks as a minimum. Foster carers will be expected to work closely with their supervising social worker to ensure their needs are being addressed and supported in order to provide the child with the best possible start in placement. Please see Support and Supervision Policy.

Where there are concerns in relation to the progress of the placement, regular network meeting should take place where consideration would be given to seeking additional resources to assist the carers.

Where there are any changes to the type of placement or to the child’s legal status during the placement, the child’s social worker must update the child’s electronic file.

9. Ending Placements

When the placement ends, the child’s social worker must update the child’s electronic file. The supervising social worker will notify the administrator for the Family Placement Service with the date of the placement end and will notify the finance section so that payments to the carers will cease.

All written information on the child, which the foster carer holds, should be transferred to the supervising social worker for transfer to the child’s social worker. This information will be recorded on the child’s electronic file.

Consideration must always be given to convening a Disruption or Unplanned Ending Meeting in relation to children whose placement has ended abruptly or on an unplanned basis.

Where long term matched placement ends in an unplanned way, it is expected that a Disruption Meeting will be considered and if agreed should be chaired by an ‘offline manager’ – please see Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings Procedure.

10. Permanent Foster Placements

The decision to seek a long term permanent foster placement must be made at Legal and Permanency Decision Making Panel where all alternatives including placement with the child’s parent(s), other relatives or adoption have been considered as not to be in the best interests of the child.

Upon the child’s plan becoming permanence through long-term foster care, the child’s social worker will need to complete an updated Placement Referral Form and send it to the Family Placement Service within 7 working days of the permanency panel taking place.

Within two working days, the Fostering Team Leader will need to allocate the child(ren) to a supervising social worker, who has not been involved in the child’s care planning process.

The supervising worker (in the role of family finder) will need to arrange a Linking Meeting with the child’s social worker, their team manager and the Fostering Team Leader. The supervising social worker will need to share foster carer profiles/pen pictures of any potential poster carer(s) that are available to offer long term care.

The Fostering Team Leader will chair the Linking Meeting and its purpose will be to determine which foster carer(s) to share with the Placement Referral with. The supervising social worker must share the Placement Referral with the identified carer(s) within two working days.

Within three working days of the placement referral being shared, the supervising social worker must seek the carer(s) feedback and confirm if they wish to be considered for the match. A review Linking Meeting, chaired by the Fostering Team Leader, will need to be held to set timescales for social worker visits, a Matching Meeting and dates for the Child’s Permanence report (so to be completed.

Minutes of the Linking Meeting and review will be taken and recorded on the carers file, by the supervising social worker. The child’s social worker is responsible for uploading these minutes to the child’s file.

This information would need to be collated at a Matching Meeting, which is chaired by the Fostering Team Leader and recorded on the Matching Matrix Report. Please see appendix 2. A Matching Matrix Report will need to be completed for each child and each viable carer that has been considered. Ideally, there should be no more than 3 potential carers.

Once completed, the report will need to be shared the child’s social worker and uploaded to the child’s and carer’s electronic file. The outcome would need to be verbally shared with the carers, via their supervising social worker, within 24 hours of the meeting being held.

From the Matching Meeting, an action plan will be agreed with the professionals present in order for it to progress to Fostering Panel and a date set for the match to be presented.

Prior to panel, the proposed long-term foster carer(s) would need to have completed, read and signed the following:

• Foster carer feedback;
• Annual review Report (including Pet Questionnaire, Health & Safety Checklist, Safe Care Plan);
• Child’s social worker feedback;
• Child’s feedback (if over the age of 4 years);
• Birth child feedback (if applicable);
• Child Permanence Report(s);
• The child(s) recent Looked After Review Minutes;
• The child(s) recent Personal Education Plan;
• The child(s) recent Looked After Medical;
• Matching Matrix;
• Permanence Matching Report.

Please see panel process.

Where the child is in an existing foster care placement, it may be that the carer (where appropriate) and the child want the existing foster placement to be considered as the permanent foster placement, via a Matching Meeting. This will mean that the carer(s) will be considered alongside other identified potential long term carers.

The existing relationship between the child, the foster carer, the wider foster family and the community and the length of time in the placement should all be taken into account. Consideration should also be given to the progress the child has made in placement, which will be recorded through the Looked After Children review process.

The placement of a child for permanence with long term foster carer should be comparable to that of adoption in terms of information sharing. It should be detailed as to the support services which will be needed to ensure the placement is stable, secure and meets the child’s needs in the longer term.

Where a child’s proposed placement with a foster carer is to achieve permanence or the plan is for the existing placement to become permanent and the foster carers are not already approved as long term foster carers, it will be necessary for the Family Placement Service to conduct an annual review to obtain such approval for a change of category. This can be presented alongside the match.

Where a permanent placement has been formally agreed by the Agency Decision Maker (ADM), the child’s social worker should notify those parental responsibility and the child, verbally, within 24 hours and a formal letter will be sent by the ADM within five working days.

The supervising social worker for the carers will also need to be notified, as above.

The normal care planning process should ensue but consideration should be given to issues such as reductions in visiting frequency by professionals as well as reductions in family contact, which will have to be established through the court process and any reduction of child contact would only be considered if current contact frequency was not beneficial to the child.

End