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SALLY HODGES
CORPORATE DIRECTOR
PO Box 32 Council House
Solihull West Midlands B91 3QY
Tel: 0121-704 6777
Fax: 0121-704 6910
Email:@solihull.gov.uk
Please ask for:
Date: 2013
MICHAEL HAKE – DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL SERVICES
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Dear
Re:
As you may be aware, Solihull MBC is currently planning the long-term care arrangements for ……….[name/s of child/ren]. The Authority has a legal duty to consider long term options regarding where …………………[name/s] should live in the future, if it is not possible to return to his/her/their parent(s) care. As part of this legal duty, the Authority mustcontact any other family members and friends to find out if they wish to be considered to care for…………………..[name/s]
[Parents’ name] has given us your details as someone who may wish to be assessed to offer full time care for…………. [name/s]. Should you wish to do so, this will involve completing a Form C (Connected Persons) Assessment on you and all members of your household. This is done in 2 parts. Stage 1,which usually takes around 3 weeks, to determine if your circumstances are suitable to progress to Stage 2. This is the full assessment which usually takes approximately 10 weeks, to look at your suitability to either become a foster carer or special guardian for …………….[name/s] or whether a Residence Order should be made in your favour. The differences between these options will be explained to you by your assessor.
The Fostering Regulations 2011 (which set out the legal criteria for these assessments) require the Authority to undertake a number of statutory checks including a health assessment from your GP and Disclosure Barring Service(DBS) checks on all applicants. DBS checks are to identify any criminal convictions and/or cautions you and any other adults in your household may have. It is important therefore you disclose all criminal cautions and convictions at the initial stage, as certain offences may prevent you from fostering children. Please refer to the attached eligibility criteria for further information.
If the assessment concludes the best option to care for………………… [name/s] is Family and Friends Foster Care, the Form C Assessment is then presented to Solihull Fostering Panel (which you would need to attend)to make a recommendation on your suitability to be a Family and Friend’s Foster Carer. This is overseen by an Independent Decision Maker who makes the final decision.
If at any point during the course of the Assessment it becomes apparent you are unable to offer a suitably matched placement for ……....[name/s] a brief report will be sent to you, setting out the reasons for this. This will also be submitted to the Fostering Panel for a recommendation on terminating the assessment. You would have the opportunity to make written representations regarding any such proposal to the Fostering Panel.
Attached is a leaflet explaining more fully the eligibility criteria for Connected Persons care and a sample Foster Carer Agreement,which you would be expected to sign if you are approved as a Family and Friends’ Foster Carer for Solihull MBC.
If you are assessed for a Special Guardianship Order or Residence Order,an additional financial assessment would be undertaken, to determine whatpayments are available.
Children should have the right to grow up in their own families wherever possible. Caring for a child who is not your own is both rewarding and challenging. It is important to consider at this stage your life will change significantly if you take on this role. You may need to be off work when they are unwell orif temporarily excluded from school. So you will need to consider what arrangementsyou would make for their care in such circumstances. You will also be expected to attend meetings and training (especially if approved as a Foster Carer). It is important for you to consider whether you are able and willing to do this in the best interests of the child/ren you are offering an alternative home.
You will also need to consider how good your staying power is and ability to manage complex family dynamics, including helping the child/ren understand you are not their parents and why they cannot live with them. Also parents frustrations at not being able to care for their child/ren, which can be very emotionally challenging.
The paperwork for Stage 1 of the assessment is enclosedfor you to consider. If you wish to be considered as a permanent carer for ……………..[name/s], please complete the form and return it to me in the self addressed envelope provided by …………..[date]. A home visit will then be arranged to discuss your request further. All assessment sessions will be arranged in consultation with you and at a mutually convenient time.
It is essential you respond as soon as you receive this letter because if court proceedings are started, the Court’s stringenttimescales may mean they do not grant a further opportunity to assess you at a later stage. Therefore, if you do not reply by…………[date], it will be assumed you do not wish to be assessed.
If there are court proceedings your stage 1 assessment, and if you progress to a full assessment, these will be filed with the court. This means that the judge and all other parties will see this assessment including parents and anyone else with Parental responsibility.
In the event that is the case, it is important we check out whether there are any other family members who may be able to care for ……..[name/s]. I would therefore ask you to consider if there is anyone else in the family who may wish to be considered andprovide us with theirdetails or ask them to contact me direct. This is to ensure any assessment can be completed as soon as possible to prevent any delay for ………….[name/s].
If you have any queries, concerns or wish to discuss this request further, please do not hesitate to contact me on the above number.
Yours sincerely,
Children’s Social Work Team
For More Information:-
Special guardianship, kinship care and private fostering :
Family Rights Group :
Encs:Part A Stage 1 Assessment
Eligibility CriteriaSample Foster Care Agreement