Private Fostering An introduction for all staff working in Children’s Services START.

Private Fostering

An introduction for all staff working in Children’s Services

START

Awareness of Private Fostering

Introduction

Who’s responsibility is it?

What is in place to safeguard these children?

Why is it so important?

END

Knowledge Check

Frequently Asked Questions

Procedures

The statistics

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IntroductionMany children who are privately fostered are not known to the services, institutions or people working with them. Privately fostered children are much more vulnerable because of their ‘invisibility’, and because services do not always record and report information about them.

Under new regulations, identifying, recording and reporting children who may be privately fostered is everyone’s responsibility - the responsibility falls on all those people or agencies who come into contact with children and young people in their work.

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Private Fostering – A Definition

“A private fostering arrangement is essentially one that is made privately (that is to say without the involvement of a local authority) for the care of a child under the age of 16 (under 18, if disabled) by someone other than a parent or close relative with the intention that it should last for 28 days or more... The period for which the child is cared for and accommodated by the private foster carer should be continuous, but that continuity is not broken by the occasional short break.”

(National Minimum Standards for Private Fostering DFES 2005)

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What does that mean?A privately fostered child is:

•a child or young person •looked after by someone other than a parent, step-parent, sibling, aunt, uncle or grand parent •who has no parental responsibility•for a period of more than 28 days.

AND

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A private fostering arrangement is only legitimate if:

•The parent gives informed consent

•The local authority knows about and agrees with the arrangement

NB. For some older children, especially

teenagers approaching 16, parents know of their

whereabouts but whilst not ‘consenting’, choose not to intervene. Effectively, this may be classed as Private

Fostering

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What it isn’t…

Children can live with and be cared for by their aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters or grandparents without outside involvement. This is not classed as Private Fostering.

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Examples of Private Fostering Arrangements

• Children sent to this country, for education or health care, by parents who live overseas.

• A teenager living with a friend's family because they don't get on with their own family.

• Children living with a friend's family because their parents' study or work involves unsociable hours, which make it difficult to use ordinary day care or after-school care.

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Examples of Private Fostering Arrangements

• Children staying with another family because their parents have separated or divorced.

• A child from overseas staying with a host family while attending a language school

• Students at boarding school who stay with a host family during the holidays.

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The Statistics – Key facts(Based on year ending march 2008)

1330 children were reported as being cared for and accommodated in private fostering arrangements in England (this is an increase on previous years)

70% of privately fostered children were born in the United Kingdom (an increase of 2% on 2007)

The number of privately fostered children born in Africa dropped from 10% in 2007 to 6% in 2008

Source: www.dcsf.gov.uk

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The StatisticsNew Private Fostering Arrangements by Place of Birth

NB: Other includes Middle East, Oceania, Canada & USA, Central & South America


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The StatisticsNew private fostering Arrangements by age

(year ending March 2008)


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Privately fostered children are often made more vulnerable by their living circumstances, and by their status not being identified and reported to the local authority.

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Victoria Climbie

• Victoria was brought to the UK in April 1999 from the Ivory Coast, via France, by Therese-Marie Kouao, her great-aunt.

• Therese-Marie Kouao offered Victoria's parents the chance of a good education for their daughter.

• She had been brought into the UK in a private foster agreement.

• On 25 February 2000 Victoria died.

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Victoria Climbie• The Home Office Pathologist found

128 separate injuries on her body and stated that it was “the worst case of child abuse I've encountered”

• In his inquiry into her death, Lord Laming highlighted concerns about arrangements for children who are in private foster care.

• Subsequent guidance has emphasized the duty of local authorities to safeguard privately fostered children.

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Whose responsibility is it to report private

fostering arrangements?

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It’s the responsibility of It’s the responsibility of everybodyeverybody who comes who comes

into contact with into contact with children through their children through their

work to report instances work to report instances of Private Fostering.of Private Fostering.

That includesThat includes you!!

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What safeguards are in place to protect privately

fostered children?

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National Minimum Standards for Private Fostering

All local authorities (meaning schools, social care, other services for children and their families) have a duty to assess the suitability of a private fostering arrangement

All privately fostered children will have a named social worker and will be visited regularly by their named social worker

The parent of the privately fostered child retains parental responsibility during a private fostering arrangement

All services have a duty to :• promote awareness of private fostering• actively identify and report privately

fostered children and arrangements• act to safeguard and support privately

fostered children and arrangements

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Procedural Guidance

Private Fostering-

Procedural Flowcharts

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Receive notification Receive information of Arrangement.

“Going to look after a child/place child with private

foster carers.”

“We are looking after the child/my child is already with

private foster carers.”

Does the Local Authority need to exercise other duties under the Children Act to determine if the child is in need?

YES

Initial Assessment.

NO

If the Child moves in after the date of the notification and the

completion of the Arrangements Assessment a

visit to the child must take place within 7 calendar days

of the date the child moved in.

Private Fostering Assessment of Arrangements completed within 7 days of date of

Notification/Arrangement. The child must be seen and spoken to as part of the Assessment. The social worker

will notify the fostering service before the end of the Assessment.

Letters must be sent out to professionals,

other agencies, parents and carers

confirming the outcome of the

Private Fostering assessment of Arrangement.

The Fostering Service will gather the information for the statutory checks and

references and commence processing. All adult

household members will have CRB checks.

Regulation 8 Assessment Visits to the placement and see and speak with the child within every 6 weeks. If the child moves in following the Assessment a visit must take place within 7 days of the date when the

child moved in.

REMEMBER:Visit within every 42

calendar days for the first

year, then 84 calendar days for subsequent

years.

At the end of the Assessment of

Arrangements the fostering service starts the

Assessment of Private Foster Carer(s).

To be completed within35 days of the end date

of the Assessment of Arrangements.

The Fostering Service willensure that the statutory

checks are processed and returned.

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Concerns eg relating to the statutory checks, references

or placement.

Continued

Does the Local Authority need to exercise other duties under the Children Act to determine

if the child is in need?

YES NO

Inform the Monitoring Manager for Private Fostering

Regulation 8 Assessment Visits

Initial Assessment

Strategy Discussion to include decision of whether the Prohibition procedure

should commence. Start the Core Assessment and continue the Regulation

8 Assessment Visits.

Commence Core Assessment and continue the Regulation 8 Assessment

Visits

Wherever a child is living with Private Foster Carers the

Statutory visits under Regulation 8 must continue

within timescales in all circumstances - even if the

child is subject to assessment as a child in

need or has a Child Protection or Child in Need

Plan

If the child moves out of Lincolnshire

either with the private foster

carers, or back to parents, or to

another address, notify the other

local authority by letter within two working days of

the child moving.

Frequently Asked QuestionsIs it my role to enquire about the status of a child?

I know of a child in this situation but everything seems fine, do I still have to report this to the Local Authority?

But my organisation doesn’t gather information about a child or young person’s living circumstances, isn’t that Children’s Services’

responsibility?

Where do I go for more information and support?

What if the Local Authority knows about the arrangement but the living situation changes?

I know of a Young person who is living in a Private Fostering arrangement but if I inform the Local Authority I will be breaching the confidentiality.

What do I do?

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Is it my role to enquire about the status of a child?

Yes, absolutely!

You should check that the parent of any child that you come into contact with

consents to their living arrangements.

Report private fostering arrangements to the local authority.

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FAQ

It is everyone’s duty to identify, verify, record and report any circumstances which may be private fostering, and to promote this with the children and families concerned.

Victoria Climbié died because individuals, teams, agencies and systems failed to gather and share information.

Children’s Services are responsible for assessing the suitability of the arrangement and visiting the child regularly.

But my organisation doesn’t gather information about a child or young person’s living

circumstances, isn’t that Children’s Services’ responsibility?

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FAQ

I know of a child in this situation but everything seems fine, do I still have to report this to the Local Authority?

Yes, you do need to report this.

No one can assume that everything is fine without checking.

The local authority has a duty to assess the suitability of the arrangement and ascertain if the parent has actually given permission for the living arrangement, before anyone can accept that the child has been safeguarded.

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FAQ

What if the Local Authority knows about the arrangement but the living situation changes.

Do I need to tell the authority?

Private foster carers should tell the local authority about significant changes during the private fostering arrangements within 48 hours.

Significant changes include:– A change of address; – Someone joining or leaving the household; – If any member of the household has court convictions,

disqualifications from fostering or limits on how many they can foster;

– The child leaves the private foster carer’s address;– If the privately fostered child dies.

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FAQ

I know of a young person who is living in a Private Fostering arrangement but if I inform

the Local Authority I will be breaching the confidentiality. What do I do?

You must tell the Local Authority. You will not be breaching confidentiality by notifying Children's Services- you will be ensuring that the child/young person is safeguarded.

You should also tell the child/young person that you intend to inform the Local Authority. Back

to FAQ

Where do I go for more information and support?

www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/privatefostering

or

to notify Local Authority of a Private Fostering arrangement, or possible

arrangement

Customer Service Centre on

01522 782111

Back to

FAQ


Introduction




END

Knowledge Check


Procedures

The statistics

Knowledge Check

Shaira is 12. She has been spending a lot of time with her friend Kelly’s family because her mum and dad are going through an unpleasant divorce and she finds the arguments upsetting.

Shaira has asked that she live permanently with Kelly and her family. Shaira’s mum and dad think that this is a good idea as the disruption is starting to affect her school work.

Will this be a Private Foster arrangement?

Yes No

Knowledge Check

Stephen is 5. His mum went into hospital to have a major operation. The doctors have advised her that she would not be able to look after Stephen while she was recovering and that it could take up to 2 months for her to fully recover. Stephen is staying with his grandmother until his mum is well enough to look after him again.

Is this a Private Foster arrangement?

Yes No

Knowledge CheckBaako is 15 and has come to the UK to help him learn

English. His parents have arranged that he will be studying at school and living with an English host family for the duration of his schooling. He plans to visit his family every 3 weeks.

Yes No


Knowledge CheckCarrie is 17 and has a mild learning disability. She has

decided that she wants to spend more time with her boyfriend. She tells her parents that she is going to move in with him and his family. They agree that it is fine for her to do so.

Yes No


Correct!Because Shaira will be staying with

someone who is not a close relative and the arrangement is likely to last for more

than 28 days, this would be a Private Foster arrangement.

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Correct!

Because Stephen will be staying with a grand parent this arrangement would not

be a Private Fostering arrangement it would be Kinship Fostering.

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Correct!Even though Baako will still be seeing his parents at intervals of less than 28 days,

this is still a Private Fostering arrangement because “continuity is not broken by the occasional short break”

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Correct!

Even though Carrie is 17 this would still be a private fostering arrangement

because she has a disability.

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Maybe you need to re-read that part of the presentation.

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Introduction




END

Knowledge Check


Procedures

The statistics

Private Fostering An introduction for all staff working in Children’s Services START.

Documents

Transcript of Private Fostering An introduction for all staff working in Children’s Services START.