Solihull MBC - Connected Person’s Assessments
Table of Tasks.
Stage 1-(Viability assessments)
Task / Average time taken / Details of visit / Comments / Variable factors
Read all documents and reports / 1 hour (If referral mtg held) / Need longer if referral meeting not held / May take longer if several children/complex case
Referral meeting / 2 hours / Could be telephone discussion if CIN team holds little info on applicants.
Start statutory checks / 2 hours / Initiate medicals and DBS / Supported by Admin to monitor, track and chase. / Per adult in household. Explaining process and discussing issues. Applicants often have many concerns about work/ ex partner references and this needs explanation.
Send letters/ assessments to carers to complete / 30 minutes / Individualising standard letter and sending out appendices
Minimum of 2 x Visits to carers / 4 hours (plus travelling time) average 1-2 hours / May need more visits if necessary.
May need 2 workers if applicant is unknown/ risky? / Travelling time may vary considerable. i.e. Devon, Ireland Scotland etc.
Write report and analyse / 5 hours / If saying no that likely to take more time. Some may pull out and some will go through to stage 2. / Depends on workers skills and experience. If same worker doing stage 2 less time needed. If different worker then write up and supervision needed. May need a turning down visit, to try and keep family on board to support child.
Supervision / 1 hour / If borderline more supervision will be required to discuss issues. –Use Signs of Safety?
Time- Minimum
17 .5 hours.
Maximum time approx. 30 hours / Some stage 1 assessments can take 5 visits, prior to agreeing to take to stage 2. / If borderline or turning down at stage 1 likely to take longer. Better use of resources to fully analyse at this stage rather then move to stage 2.
Plus if Reg 24 placement
Information sent to service manager for decision / 1 hour / Discussion with managers re decision and any risks
Statutory visits / 1 hour per visit plus write up 30 minutes / See child and record visit / Average 3 visits if stage 1 takes 3 weeks / Traveling time will vary.
Time - Average
if Reg 24
22.5 hours
Much of this time is duplicated if different workers undertake the stage 1 and stage 2 parts of the assessment. However even with the same team undertaking these, it is unlikely the same worker can undertake the stage 1 assessments and then always undertake the stage 2 assessment, due to capacity and the unpredictable nature of the work.
If it is likely to be a positive assessment this could be passed more quickly to a worker to undertake a full assessment. However the more complex/ borderline assessments should remain with the worker undertaking Stage 1 whilst the evidence is gathered. This will save resources in the longer term.
If undertaking several stage 1 assessments for the same child, need to have some agreement as to which should be the priority. Consideration should be given to undertake a Family Meeting to try and reach a consensus with the parents and wider family.
Stage 2(full assessment)
Tasks / Average time taken / Details of visit / Comments / Variable factors
Read viability assessment and all reports regarding child / 3 hours / i.e. core assessment/ stat review report to gain an understanding of the child’s needs and family circumstances. / May be more if large sibling group?
Attend referral meeting with child’s social worker and ATM’s from both teams. / 2 hours / Can cause difficulties in arranging due to diary pressures. This can cause delay.
Attend Midway meeting with child’s social worker and ATM’s from both teams. / 2 hours
Attend statutory review if in time frame of assessment / 2 hours
Start checks / 2 hours - / explain to carers -DBS- can take over 12 weeks. 60 days with police. / Chase throughout process. / Only applicant can chase DBS after 60 days, not the LA
Medicals / 1 hour / Chase throughout process / - can cause major delays.Issue of pay
Stat checks
References from jobs/ schools/ health visitors/ probation? - / 3 hours / write letters and chase up
Visits
References from 3/5 people. / 4 hours per visit on average / Need to prepare, visit and write up. / Average of 12 visits per assessment to other people NOT applicant. / Distance of visit?
Visit all children in household. / Need to prepare, visit and write up. / This could be several?
Visit adult children. / Need to prepare, visit and write up. / Can be several adult children?
Visit ex-partners- / Need to prepare, visit and write up. / Could be several partners for each applicant.
Visit parents of child/ren / Need to prepare, visit and write up. / May need another worker
Unannounced visit to applicants / Need to prepare, visit and write up.
Visit to applicant to show report and make changes.
Visit child/ren in placement and see carer. / Need to prepare, visit and write up
Plus may need to observe contact between applicant and child?
ASSESSMENT SESSIONS / Time- 10 sessions of 2 hours average,
Could take 6/10 sessions. Less if OOB as would undertake longer visits. / i.e. family history, eco-map, parenting history, career history, views of fostering, relationship with child/ parents/ other family members, health and safety questionnaire/ dog questionnaire/ networks/ needs of individual child. / Includes challenging, discussions and some training issues.
30 minutes preparation, plus 1 hour write up plus 1 hour travel (30 minutes each way) / 45 hours plus 5 hours contingency.
Training of carers / Total 2 hours / Worker must explain process of LAC- i.e statutory reviews, visits, expectations of the system.
Worker must explain and then ensure applicants understand and meet fostering regulations and minimum standards
i.e. safe caring policy. Delegated authority.
Explain panel process and approval and court process – / Total 2 hours / SGOs and ROs / Realities of fostering- positives and negatives (Skills to Foster training- 6 sessions)
If REG 24- / Plus 5 hours / Support carer with child and do assessment- Link worker role in addition to assessment.
Write assessment
and organise documents / 20 hours (average) / Have ATM quality assure assessment and Panel advisor / Give to panel / 2 weeks prior to panel.
Attend panel with carers and prepare. – / 2 hours
Supervision on case.- / 3 hours
Total hours per assessment
Average- 140 hours
Plus ATM time-
Attending referral and midway meetings- 4 hours
Quality Assurance of reports- 3 hours
Supervision- 3 hours
Varying factors
The timescales of assessments will depend upon the details of the applicants.
Applicant need time to reflect and consider impact of fostering on their own family- difficult to rush this and can lead to problems in future. Research suggests that people take 3 years on average to consider becoming foster carers prior to applying.
For example, applicants who have 4 children each and 2 ex-partners will require more visits than an applicant with no children and no partners.
Travel- Distance and location needs to be taken into account or applicants, referees, parents of child and any other person who needs a visit.
All Visits will need to be made around applicants’ jobs, Children, and any other commitments, need to fit visits in own diary. This is all based on applicants attending every session and no DNA’s.
Need to factor in Social workers A/L - and any sickness for applicants or worker.
Anna Stephens
Family and Friends Assistant Team Manager
Fostering Team