7.14 Fostering Placement and Matching Policy

This chapter was added to the manual in July 2023.

Scope
Consultation
Placement Request – Office Hours
Out of Hours Placements
Identification and Approval of Placement
Placement Planning

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 it 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, health care professional, Children’s Guardian; IRO (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 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, making 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 those carers who are identified as being able to meet the child’s needs.

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 the 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 the carers ability to meet them, these should also 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 in 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 hours 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 complete the 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 the age and stage of the child, information and an 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 best to 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 & 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 completed 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 Caring plans, 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.

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