DONCASTER CHILDREN’S SERVICES TRUST

PRIVATE FOSTERING SERVICE

ANNUAL REPORT

2014 - 2015

Florence Jurua Joseph

Private Fostering Co-ordinator

1Introduction:

1.1A private fostering (PF) arrangement is essentially one that is made privately (i.e. 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. A person who is a close relative under the Children Act 1989 i.e. a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt (whether of full blood or half blood or by marriage) or step-parent will not be a Private Foster Carer. However, a Private Foster Carer may be a cousin, great aunt, friend of the family or parent of a friend of the child. 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.

1.2This annual report gives an overview of activities in relation to privately fostered children in Doncaster from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015. The report details how Doncaster Children’s Services Trust has discharged its duties and functions in relation to Private Fostering and how the welfare of privately fostered children is satisfactorily safeguarded and promoted in the 12 months period. The report outlines the activities which have been undertaken to promote awareness of the notification requirements regarding children who are privately fostered.

1.3The report outlines the national context and comparison with regards to private fostering. It provides a summary of the private fostering returns (PF1 Return) for Doncaster covering the last two years for comparison purposes. The PF1 Return highlights the numbers of new notifications, arrangements and visiting patterns.

1.4The report compares the number of private fostering arrangements in Doncaster with those of the neighbouring authorities in South Yorkshire.

2Legislation

2.1Current arrangements for the regulation of private fostering are influenced by the tragic

death of Victoria Climbie’ in 2000 and subsequent government enquiry by Lord Laming in

2003, which brought new attention to the practice. Victoria was privately fostered by her

great aunt Marie-Therese Kouao who was not classed as her close relative, and her aunt’s

partner Carl John Manning who was a stranger to her. Victoria died following months of

abuse and neglect from her great aunt and the partner.

2.2The principal legislation relating to private fostering arrangements is set out in the Children

Act 1989, as amended by section 44-47 of the Children Act 2004, which came into effect in

2005. This then follows the Children (Private Arrangement for Fostering) Regulations 2005,

which sets out the duties of local authorities in their arrangements for private fostering and

the NMS for local authorities were published in 2005.

3 The Local Authority’s Arrangement for Carrying Out its Duties and Functions:

3.1 In accordance with the Private Fostering Regulations 2005 and the NMS 2005, a Private

Fostering Co-ordinator is in post to undertake the private fostering activities. The PF Co-

ordinator is currently based within the Fostering Team.

The role of the PF Co-ordinator includes:

  • To undertake assessments of private fostering arrangements in accordance with the Private Fostering Regulations 2005 and the Private Fostering National Minimum Standards 2005.
  • To undertake awareness raising activities in accordance with the Private Fostering Regulations 2005, on the legal requirements to notify private fostering arrangements to Doncaster Children’s Services Trust with: internal Social care staff, all partner agencies, voluntary and non-voluntary organisations, faith and community groups.
  • To work with the Policy and Performance Team to ensure accurate data reporting for the monthly performance booklet, and the end of year PF1 Statistical Returns as required by the Department for Education.
  • To be the named person within the Doncaster Children’s Services Trust (DCST), whom social workers and other professionals can contact for advice regarding private fostering.
  • To work with the line manager to ensure that DCST discharges all its duties and functions in relation to the private fostering service.

3.2 The Fostering Service Manager who is also the Lead Officer in the DCST has line

management responsibility for the private fostering service and oversees overall activity, including authorising private fostering assessments within the required time. A key responsibility of this role is to ensure that the DCST discharges its duties and functions in relation to private fostering.

3.3 The Assessment and Child Protection Service has case-holding responsibility for all children and young people who are privately fostered, some of whom are also considered Children in Need. The allocated workers have a duty to continuously monitor the suitability of the private fostering arrangements through Statutory Regulation 8 visits and/or Child in Need plans. Regulation 8 visits are completed at least six weekly in the first year and twelve weekly in the second and subsequent years as per the Children (Private Arrangement for Fostering) Regulations 2005.

4.Procedure:

4.1A review of the Private Fostering Policy Procedure document was undertaken in November 2012 and also March 2014 by the PF Co-ordinator and Tim Clayton (Fostering Service Manager). A further review of the document has been undertaken in December 2014 by the PF Co-ordinator and Sue May (Fostering Service Manager). This is currently being further reviewed by Richard Fawcett (Head of Service – Safeguarding and Standards) for updating onto the Procedures Manual on Tri-X. This document should be read in conjunction with the Private Fostering Statement of Purpose, which was last reviewed in February 2014 by the PF Co-ordinator and can be found on the Manual. This reviewed document will also be made available on the internet.

4.2A review of the private fostering flow chart process has been undertaken in December 2014 by the Pf Co-ordinator and Sue May (Fostering Service Manager). The PF Co-ordinator provides this document to the area team social workers to assist them in ensuring that they are clear about their monitoring role and the timescales required for the monitoring visits.

4.3The PF Co-ordinator undertakes annual reviews of the private fostering arrangements. This is attended by the child, carer, child’s SW and parent (when possible). There are no minimum standard requirements for formal reviews, but the Service’s good practice standard is that private fostering arrangements are reviewed once a year.

5. Private Fostering Staff Development:

5.1Nationally:

5.1.1The British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) has a special interest in Private Fostering. There are five groups in England, and Doncaster is linked to the North Regional group. Members of the group include BAAF staff, representatives from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), Ofsted, member agencies and stakeholder groups with personal experience of private fostering. In the past, the group had supported members by providing materials such as Private Fostering DVDs as information guides to professionals, young people and their carers.

5.1.2BAAF co-ordinates an annual national publicity campaign for Private Fostering. This gives opportunity for co-ordinated awareness raising within local authorities in England. Doncaster Children’s Services Trust participates in this campaign. Last year’s campaign commenced on 13th to 17th July 2014 (see appendix 1 – completed communications plan). The next national private fostering awareness week is scheduled to take during the week beginning 6-10 July 2015.

5.2Regionally:

The PF Co-ordinator is a member of the North Region Private Fostering Special Interest Group (PFSIG) which meets four times a year, in Leeds. The members consist of Social Workers and Service Managers responsible for private fostering services within their local authorities. The meeting is chaired by a BAAF Consultant and it is where up to date private fostering information based on research, law and practice is disseminated and shared. The group members use the forum for information exchange, seeking advice and sharing good practice with regards to dealing with cases, awareness raising, policies and procedures, and Ofsted inspection. The group also provides a forum to put forward queries electronically via email and invites members to respond and advise. This is a key development and support area for all Private Fostering Practitioners regionally.

5.3 Locally:

The PF Co-ordinator is a member of the South Yorkshire Private Fostering Network Group, which has been in existence since 2011. The group members include Private Fostering Practitioners from: Barnsley, Sheffield and Rotherham Local Authorities, and Doncaster Children’s Services Trust. The members meet quarterly to share good practice and experiences, and provide support for each other.

6.Practice Development:

6.1A PF Flow Chart has been reviewed in December 2014 (see appendix 2)

6.2Private Fostering information has been included in the DCST website.

6.3Following a private fostering Survey Monkey conducted in the last reporting period, the PF Co-ordinator has reviewed the awareness raising strategy and re-focused on visiting internal teams and partner agencies to raise awareness on on-going bases. Some of the targeted areas include schools and health.

6.4Privately fostered young people viewpoint survey was undertaken at the beginning of March 2015. This was an opportunity for the young people to express their views about their care and contribute to the ways in which the service might improve. However, the number of responses received from the young people was very low and not considered representative of the overall views of young people in the private fostering arrangements. Only two responses were received from the eight young people who were sent the survey. Both young people who responded said everything was going well where they lived. One of the young people would like her allocated worker to keep in touch with her by phoning, and the other would not like to have a social worker involved in the future.

6.5The PF Co-ordinator has met with the Family Group Conferencing Co-ordinator and

discussed working in partnership. Families considering family group conferencing will also

be made aware of private fostering service if this will provide an area of resolution to any

family issues involving the care and welfare of children and young people.

6.6The training courses designed for mainstream foster carers are also made available for private foster carers. In this reporting period one carer attended five training courses and another attended just one.

6.7The PF Co-ordinator has continued to work in partnership with:

  • Referral and Response Team (R&R Team): The PF Co-ordinator routinely gives advice regarding private fostering criteria and guidance. PF Co-ordinator attended a team meeting in March 2015 and gave private fostering briefing to the staff members.
  • Assessment and Child Protection Service (ACPS): The PF Co-ordinator liaises routinely with the allocated workers in the area teams to ensure statutory regulation 8 visits are undertaken within time scale. The PF Co-ordinator sends private fostering information to team managers from time to time to cascade to members of staff.
  • Doncaster Safeguarding Children’s Board (DSCB): Private fostering has been embedded in the DSCB safeguarding training programme. Awareness raising information is included as part of Level 3 training. A DSCB Lunch Time Seminar on private fostering has been scheduled on 1 June 2015 for professionals. This will be facilitated by the PF Co-ordinator. The DSCB website hosts information about private fostering and all board members are requested to promote the understanding and reporting of Private Fostering within their own agencies.
  • Doncaster Admissions and Pupils Services: Information about private fostering ‘'Looking after Someone Else's child' and a question about the carer’s relationship to the child are included in the Doncaster Council Transfer Request Form and also the School Nursery Application forms. The PF Co-ordinator liaises with the Principal Admissions Officer and advises the officer to ensure that completed application forms received are checked for potential private fostering arrangements. Advice has been given that where the carer’s relationship with the child is described as an ‘Aunt or Uncle’, this relationship would require to be further explored to ensure that the aunt or uncle is indeed closely related to the child.
  • Education standards and Effectiveness Service: The PF Co-ordinator liaises with the Lead Advisory Officer Safeguarding and Education who helps to raise private fostering awareness within the Education settings through Whole School Safeguarding training delivered to all Designated Safeguarding Teachers/Officers in Doncaster. Private Fostering is on the agenda for the Designated Persons Network meetings. In addition, PF Co-ordinator sent requests to 18 secondary schools in Doncaster to raise awareness of private fostering. 12 out of 18 Schools responded and the PF Co-ordinator undertook private fostering briefings with the Designated Safeguarding Officers in the 12 schools.
  • Early Years and Child Care Service:Private Fostering is included in the ‘Refresher in Safeguarding Children Training’ pack delivered annually to all Private Nursery Managers in Doncaster.
  • The Family Information Service (FIS): Private fostering information is included on the FIS Website and Facebook. The contact details have been updated with the new DCST links and contact details. The service also supports the private fostering service by raising awareness of through their social media during Annual National Private Fostering Week. PF information has been cascaded to staff members in March 2015 as part of on-going awareness raising.
  • Children’s Quality - Doncaster CCG: The PF Co-ordinator liaises with Head of Children’s Quality - Designated Nurse for Safeguarding and Looked After Children (LAC) through which PF information is forwarded and disseminated to representative members of the Local Medical Council e.g GPs and other health professionals. Private Fostering was discussed at the Safeguarding Network Group in March 2015. In addition, PF Co-ordinator has undertaken private fostering briefing with the health visitors and school nurses area teams.
  • The Cusworth Gateway: The PF Co-ordinator liaises with the Cusworth Gateway Head teacher re private fostering awareness raising. Recent briefing was undertaken in March 2015 and information was shared at the staff team meeting.
  • The Interfaith Group: The PF Co-ordinator liaises with the Chair of Unitarian and Free Christian Church to raise awareness of private fostering with the faith groups.
  • Doncaster Women Centre: The PF Co-ordinator liaises with the Women Centre Manager and the Lead person for the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) with regards to promoting awareness of private fostering. Private fostering information leaflets in English and five other languages (i.e Polish, Czech, Slovak, Nepalese and Farsi) have been displayed at the Centre. Awareness raising has been undertaken in March 2015 at the Doncaster Women Centre and the Quaker Meeting House on the 5th and 6th of March 2015 respectively during the International Women’s Day events.
  • Ethnic Minority, Travellers and Achievement Service (EMTAS): The PF Co-ordinator liaises with the Lead Practitioner and the Bilingual Support Assistants Co-ordinator to raise private fostering awareness with the staff.
  • Doncaster Ethnic Minority Regeneration Partnerships: This is a charitable company which helps all BME groups with advice, support, training, IT skills and guidance. The PF Co-ordinator liaises with the Centre Manager regarding private fostering awareness raising within this group. Private fostering information is displayed at the Centre.
  • South Yorkshire UK Border Agency: The PF Co-ordinator liaises with the Chief Immigration Officer to promote partnership working focusing on risks to young people from potential trafficking being identified and responded to appropriately and timely.
  • Doncaster Council for Voluntary Service (CVS): Private Fostering information circulated through the service’s newsletter, which is accessed by the local communities and all voluntary services in Doncaster. Private fostering information has been included in the March 2015 newsletter.
  • Doncaster Keepmoat: Private fostering information cascaded through the club’s welfare officer.
  • Fostering Team: The PF Co-ordinator gave private fostering presentation at the team’s Development Day in March 2015.

7.Number of Children in Private Fostering arrangements and visiting figures submitted

for the PF1 Return:

The Private Fostering Return (PF1 Return) is required to be submitted by all local authorities by the 31st May each year. The national figures gathered through the Private Fostering Return are collated and published in the Department of Education (DfE) Statistical First Release (SFR) for the year ending 31 March in each year. The SFR also includes information on the percentage of arrangements where visits were made within timescales.

7.1National context 2014:

7.1.1The number of new notifications has increased nationally but not consistently in all areas –

3,300 notifications were received by local authorities in the year ending 31 March 2014, the

highest over the past 8 years and an increase of 9.3% from the previous year. Figures

regionally varied however with 5 of the 9 regions recording a reduction in new notifications, in the North East the number reduced by 25% from 80 in 2012/13 to 60 in 2013/14.

7.1.2An increase has also been noted nationally with the number of new arrangements starting

in the year; overall the number of new arrangements has been steadily increasing over the

past 8 years from 1,420 in 2007 to 2,880 in 2014. In 2013/14 nationally the number of new

arrangements starting increased by 15.2%, however again regionally figures varied, with 4 out

of 5 regions noting a decrease. In the North East the number of new arrangements reduced by

14.3%.

7.1.3The number of children in PF arrangements nationally at 31 March each year have

fluctuated in the past 5 years, however the number of arrangements at 31 March 2014