Placements with Family, Friends and other Connected Persons

1. The Care Planning, Placements and Review Regulations 2010 allows for a child or young person to be placed with a Connected Person who is not an approved foster carer for a period of up to 16 weeks. Such a placement must only be made in the following circumstances:

   1. The person is a relative, friend or other person connected with a child. The latter is someone who would not fit the term ‘relative or friend’, but who has a  pre-existing relationship with the child. It could be someone who knows the child in a more professional capacity such as (for example) a child-minder, a teacher or a youth worker;
   2. The provisions of Regulation 33 (a) are satisfied, i.e. that the placement is the most suitable way of performing the duty of the local authority under section 22(3) or 61(1)(a) and (b) of the Children Act 1989. Under section 22 or 61 the Local Authority is required:
      1. To safeguard and promote his welfare; and
      2. To make such use of services available for children cared for by their own parents as appears to the authority to be reasonable in his case.
   3. It has been agreed by the Service Manager that such a placement is necessary for the child's welfare;
   4. The Connected Person has been interviewed by the social worker and the home must be inspected and information obtained about other members of the household.
      
      There is also an obligation on the placing authority to work with other agencies (e.g. housing) to mitigate against the carer’s limitations to look after the child;
2. A written agreement must be obtained and signed by the Connected Person. The areas to be covered by the written agreement are:
   1. To care for the child as if he were a member of that person's family;
   2. To permit any person authorised by the local authority of (if different) the area authority, to visit the child at any time;
   3. Where regulation 7 (1) or (2) applies (termination of placement), to allow the child to be removed at any time by the local authority or (as the case may be) the area authority;
   4. To ensure that any information which the foster carer may acquire relating to the child, or to his family or any other person, which has been given to him in confidence in connection with the placement is kept confidential and is not disclosed except to, or with the agreement of, the local authority; and
   5. To allow contact with the children in accordance with Section 34 of the Act (parental contact etc in relation to a child in care), with any court contact order and with any arrangement made or agreed by the local authority.
3. The social worker must be satisfied that nothing is known which suggests that the Connected Person is not a suitable person to be entrusted with the child. This will involve undertaking a Police check, and making enquiries with the local health trust, probation and the Children Protection Plan List;
4. The wishes and feelings of the child/young person should be sought (subject to age and understanding) and must be ascertained and recorded. Wherever possible, an opportunity must be provided for the child to visit the home before the decision;
5. The views of their parents (or other person with Parental Responsibility) should also be obtained;
6. A report should be completed by the social worker and submitted to the Area Manager, in the relevant Safeguarding Team and a copy sent to the Fostering Team Leader;
7. Immediate placements are only intended to be used exceptionally, in unforeseen circumstances. For example, when contingency plans could not have been made for an admission to care, and it would clearly be advantageous to the child to be placed with or remain in the care of a familiar figure in reassuring surroundings;
8. It is important that the local authority guards against inappropriate use of the powers in the Regulations. Whenever possible, steps should be taken to approve a Connected Person as a foster carer, prior to placing the child in a planned way;
9. Where the child is to remain in the placement for longer than 16 weeks, an immediate referral must be made to the Fostering Team so that the assessment of the Connected Person as a foster carer can start. (See the Assessment and Approval of Foster Carers Procedure).

Potential carers should be provided with information and support about the assessment and the potential placement.

1. When approval has been given, the Connected Person should be provided with all of the information needed to care for the child, by the social worker;
2. The child’s introduction to the new fostering arrangement should take account of the fact that, whilst the child may know the carer well, the carer’s role in the child’s life is now changing. This should be explained to the child, and the carer should be provided with the support they need to manage this transition;
3. A medical in respect of the child should be arranged by the social worker within 48 hours of the placement, (or 72 hours if placed over a holiday period). When this took place and the outcome should be recorded;
4. A Placement Plan must be completed and copies sent the LAC Health Team and Education Programme Worker;
5. Upon placement the following information must be given by the designated Social Worker to the child's family or those with Parental Responsibility unless their whereabouts are unknown;
   1. The date of the placement;
   2. The name and address of the foster carers unless this is not in the child's best interest;
   3. Any arrangement made for contact, which should take into account the carer’s, parents’ and child’s views about contact before the start of the placement, or as soon as possible afterwards, and puts in place appropriate supports to help manage contact;
   4. Other appropriate information relating to the care and welfare of the child including the Placement Agreement.
6. Financial and other support is provided to all foster carers according to objective criteria that do not discriminate against foster carers that have a pre-existing relationship with the child. A change of circumstance/payments notification form should be completed by the designated social worker/Administrative Section and forwarded to Finance. Delaying completing this form may result in delayed payment to the carer;
7. The events form should be completed by the designated Social Worker / Performance Team;
8. The Fostering Team Manager should be notified of the immediate placement by the designated social worker;
9. If the placement is located outside of East Riding of Yorkshire, the local authority in whose area the foster are lives must be notified of the placement;
10. The placement may last no longer than 16 weeks and the child must be visited by the designated Social Worker at least weekly until the child's first Looked After Review and thereafter at intervals of not more than 4 weeks during the period of the temporary approval;
11. The temporary approval can be extended for up to 8 weeks (if it is likely to expire before the assessment is completed) or until the outcome of the review (if the outcome of the assessment is that the Connected Person is not approved and seeks a review). Otherwise the placement may only continue beyond 16 weeks if during that period the Connected Person is approved as a foster carer. If approved, the procedures relating to 'placing a child' will apply;
12. Before deciding whether to extend the approval, the Local Authority must consider if the placement is still the most appropriate placement available, and it must be considered by the Fostering Panel;
13. Connected Person carers should have access to training available to other foster carers, but the fostering team should also offer training that addresses the particular needs and circumstances of such carers. They should have access to support groups that meet their particular needs;
14. Supervising social workers who are supporting Connected Person foster carers should have training in the particular needs and circumstances of this group;
    
    It is the responsibility of the Fostering Support to ensure that, where it is intended that the child remains in the placement, the relative or friend is approved as a foster carer under the approval procedures. This approval will be achieved through a Viability Assessment prepared by a social worker from the Fostering Team. This should be shared with the child's social worker, potential carers and appropriate legal representatives. If the arrangement is to be continued a full Form C assessment carried out by the Fostering Team under the Assessment and Approval of Foster Carers Procedure will be pursued and presented to the Foster Panel.