Private Fostering Tasks by Job Title

  1. Duty and Advice Team

If a Notification of a Private Fostering arrangement is received by the Duty and Advice Team, they will create a record for the child, (a contact record) and send the notification to the relevant cluster Social Work Team (via Frameworki / Mosaic / Mosaic).

  1. Cluster Team Manager

If new information is received on an open case (child in need or child protection) of a planned or existing private fostering arrangement, the cluster social work Team Manager will discuss this with the allocated social worker and make a decision whether it is a private fostering arrangement.

If a notification is received from Duty and Advice on a new case, the cluster social work Team manager will:

  • Allocate a Social Worker to the Privately Fostered Child on the date the referral is received from the Advice and Duty Team. Do not wait 28 days.
  • Check whether the Social Worker knows the Private Fostering Procedures and refer them to the online procedures which providefurther details of their required tasks.
  • Advise the allocated worker that a statutory Private Fostering Visit must be made within seven working days of the Date of Notification.

With both open cases and new cases, the Team Manager will:

  • Advise the allocated Worker to create a ‘Significant Information on an Open Case’ on Frameworki / Mosaic with requests for the following episodes to be outcome by the Team Manager:
  • Private Fostering Assessment – to be allocated to the Kinship Care Team;
  • Private Fostering Visits – to be allocated to the allocated social worker.
  • If, at any stage of the private fostering arrangement information is obtained which suggests that a child already placed with the private foster carer may be a Child in Need, the area Social Work Team Manager may authorise services under a Child in Need Plan and/or a further assessment to be carried out alongside the assessment of the foster carer.
  1. Child’s allocated Social Worker

The allocation Social Worker for the child will:

  • Create a Frameworki / Mosaic record for the child, the parents and all members of the private foster carers’ household.
  • Create a ‘Significant Information on an Open Case’ on Frameworki / Mosaic with requests for the following episodes to be outcomed by the Team Manager:
  • Private Fostering Assessment – to be allocated to the Kinship Care Team.
  • Private Fostering Visits – to be allocated to the allocated social worker.
  • Create a non LAC legal status and enter the starting date of the arrangement.
  • Create a personal relationship record indicating the child is in a Private Fostering Arrangement.
  • Make contact with the Kinship Care Team to arrange an Initial Private Fostering Visit to the Child within 7 working days of the Date of Notification.
  • Consider whether a Child and Family Assessment is required.
  • Together with the Private Fostering Officer conduct an initial private fostering visit to the child within 7 working days of the Date of Notification. The child must be seen and spoken with alone and their wishes and feelings recorded.
  • Record the details of the Initial Private Fostering visit within a Private Fostering Visits episode (never within a case record). NB. If the child is deemed to be a Child in Need the visits must be recorded both as a statutory Private Fostering Visit and also as a statutory Child in Need Visit.
  • Advise the Private Foster Carer to ensure that the child is registered with a GP, dentist and, if necessary, optician.
  • Ensure that a school place has been arranged for the child if of school age.
  • The child’s Social Worker will also complete the following tasks within 7 working days of the date of notification:
  • Speak to and if possible visit the parents. Ensure they are involved in planning for the child and explore whether the child’s needs may be more appropriately met by providing services to the child and parent at home. Try to obtain a written agreement between the parent or person with parental responsibility and the Private Foster Carer. Ensure the parents have fully informed the private foster carer of the child’s medical history and any current need for on-going professional monitoring and medication, and have handed the child’s personal child health records to the foster carer. Ensure the parent provides the foster carer with a written general consent to cover any necessary medical treatment and that a copy of this consent is given to the GP, dentist, and optician and a copy retained on the child’s file.
  • Ensure that the purpose and likely duration of the private fostering arrangement is understood by and agreed between the parents and the private foster carers. Advise the parents that any carer who looks after someone else’s child for 3 years or more is able to apply to the Court for a Child Arrangements Order in respect of that child. The parents should also be advised to seek independent legal advice regarding this issue prior to the child remaining with the private foster carer for such a period of time.
  • Notify the relevant health and education agencies of the private fostering arrangement including the health visiting service where appropriate.
  • Ensure that any necessary links are or will be established with other agencies for example because of the child’s disabilities and/or special educational needs.
  • In situations where the CSDM is unable to agree the suitability of the private fostering arrangement, the child’s Social Worker will then advise the parents of the reason why alternative arrangements will have to be made for the child. In the event that the parents decline to make alternative arrangements or where the parents cannot be found, the Social Worker should consider whether any action may be required by the local authority to secure the child’s safety under Local Safeguarding Children Board Inter Agency Procedures and legal advice should be sought as necessary, regarding the need to initiate care proceedings or for accommodation of the child.
  • Complete the consultation document for the annual review of the private fostering arrangement and ensure that the child’s views and wishes are recorded for the review.
  • Conduct and record the outcome of statutory visits. After completing the initial Private Fostering Visit, subsequent visits must be made at intervals of no more than six weeks during the first year of the arrangement and at intervals of no more than twelve weeks thereafter.
  • When a Private Fostering Arrangement ends the child’s Social Worker will record the date the arrangement ceased as the end date on both the Frameworki / Mosaic legal status and Private Foster Carer-Privately Fostered Child relationship status.
  • If an open case already allocated to the social worker becomes a private fostering arrangement the SSPF must be notified immediately and the above procedures implemented.

4.Private Fostering Officer (Kinship Care Team)

The Private Fostering Officer in the Kinship Care Team will:

  • Be proactive in contacting the child’s Social Worker to arrange the Initial Private Fostering Visit within 7 working days of the Date of Notification. Then together with the child’s Social Worker conduct the Initial Private Fostering Visit. During the visit complete the following tasks:
  • Give copies of the One Minute Guide on Private Fostering and the Private Fostering and Information for Carers leaflet to the Private Foster Carer and record onFrameworki / Mosaic that this task has been completed.
  • Explain the assessment procedure to the private foster carer and the tasks required of them;
  • Obtain the written consent of the private foster carer and all members of the household over 18 to checks being made with schools, their GP and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and ask the private foster carer for the name of one personal referee. Complete the Private Fostering First Assessment Visit Form.
  • Advise the private foster carer of the need to notify CSWS in the event of:
  • A change in household membership within the private fostering arrangement.
  • The date the private fostering arrangement ends and the name and address of the carer with whom they are now living.
  • Where the child has already been placed, ensure that the child’s development in all aspects is satisfactory, that the standard of care being given to the child is appropriate and that the child’s needs arising from his or her religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background are being met;
  • Where the child has already been placed, check that the financial matters are in order. Establish the plans for contact between the child and his or her parents and whether they are working;
  • Check the suitability of the accommodation.
  • In the event of a refusal of any person to cooperate with the making of the necessary checks, the Private Fostering Officer should advise the child’s Social Worker and the foster carers that the foster carers cannot be recommended as suitable. The child’s Social Worker will then advise the parents of the reason why alternative arrangements will have to be made for the child. Any action required by the local authority to secure the child’s safety should be considered and legal advice sought as necessary;
  • If the initial visit takes place after the child’s placement, the Private Fostering Officer should also, using the Written Agreement in respect of a Private Fostering Arrangement pro forma, encourage the private foster carer to draw up a written agreement with the parents as to their respective expectations and responsibilities in relation to the private fostering arrangement including financial arrangements and the child’s contact with his or her parents and other significant family members.
  • The Private Fostering Officer will start the following task(s) within 7 working days of the date of notification:
  • Send a Private Fostering Important Information for Parents leaflet to the parent and record the completion of this task.
  • The Private Fostering Assessment of the suitability of the private foster carers (to be completed within 30 working days of the date of notification).Consider the parenting capacity of the proposed carers, including their ability to promote the child’s physical, intellectual, emotional, social and behavioural development. The whole household must be seen on at least one occasion and this must involve some discussion on the perceived impact of the fostering arrangements. Upon completion of the assessment send a task on Frameworki / Mosaic to the Kinship Care Team Manger requesting the assessment is outcomed and a recommendation and the assessment forwarded to the CSDM for a decision.
  • DBS, Safeguarding and Frameworki / Mosaic checks in respect of the Private Foster Carer and any member of their household over the age of 18 years.
  • Obtain the name of one personal referee, undertake a meeting with the referee and make a written record of the reference obtained.
  • When a CSDM decision has been made. Send out a decision letter to the Private Foster Carer.
  • Provide ongoing supervision and support to the private foster carer. Complete the annual review of the Private Foster Care Arrangement.

5. Kinship Care Team Manager

The Kinship Care Team Manager will:

  • Complete a daily check of private fostering assessment referrals on Frameworki / Mosaic.
  • Check the weekly private fostering statistics to identify whether any further referrals have been received via a different route.
  • Allocate any outstanding Private Fostering Assessments to a Private Fostering Officerwithout delay, to ensure statutory tasks can be completed within appropriate timescales.
  • Complete a daily check for outstanding Frameworki / Mosaic tasks. Read thenoutcome the completed PF assessment. Then forward the assessmentwith a recommendation about the suitability to the CSDM for a decision.
  • Check the weekly Private Fostering Statistics to identify any outstanding Team Manager outcomes or CSDM decisions. Follow these up by sending a Frameworki / Mosaic task to the CSDM and additional reminder emails if the CSDM decision is not received within a week of the date the original CSDM task was sent.

6.Children’s Service Delivery Manager (CSDM)

Children’s Service Delivery Managers for cluster social work will conduct a daily check on Frameworki / Mosaic for task requests regarding CSDM decision regarding Private Fostering Assessments. N.B. CSDM decisions are required within 42 working days of the Date of Notification of a private fostering arrangement.

Completed assessments are sent to the CSDM by the Kinship Team Manager and a decision re suitability is required.The decision should be conveyed back to the Kinship Team Manager and where negative, alternative arrangements for the care of the child may need to be made.

Delays in decision making are audited annually by central government.

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