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Contents

1. Consultation
2. Placement Request
3. Identification and Approval of Placement
4. Placement Planning
5. Notification of Placement
6. Support and Monitoring of Placements
7. Ending of Placements

1. Consultation

At the point that it is determined that a placement may be required, and throughout the subsequent process of identification, planning and placement, the social worker must consult and take account of the views of the following people:

1. The child;
2. The child's parents;
3. Anyone who is not a parent but has been caring for or looking after the child;
4. Other members of the child's family who are significant to the child or who have a Contact Order in their favour in relation to the child;
5. The child's school or the education service;
6. The Youth Offending Service, if the child is known to them;
7. Any other relevant person, e.g. nursery, health care professional, Children's Guardian.

The views of these people should be given by them, in writing, or should be recorded by the social worker. If the child’s wishes are not acted upon, the reason should be given.

2. Placement Request

Where a decision has been made that a child requires a foster placement, the child's social worker should request a placement by contacting the Duty team at the Children's Placement Service.

In making this request, the social worker will be asked to provide information about the child, the type of placement sought, the Care Plan, the date by which the placement is required, the likely length of time for which the placement is required and the expected level of contact between the child and parents. The social worker should also outline any risks associated with the placement.

The duty social worker in the Children's Placement Service will check whether an in-house placement is available that appears to be appropriate to meet the child's needs. If such a placement is available or if there is a possibility of a placement by the required date, the social worker will be advised accordingly.

If no appropriate in-house placements are available and the child requires a placement without delay, the duty social worker in the Children's Placement Service will obtain the agreement of the Children's Placement  Service Manager to make enquiries with independent fostering agencies to identify a suitable placement.

Where there is a child already in the proposed foster placement, contact should be made with the social worker for that child and where the child is from a different local authority, the consent of that child's local authority should be sought by the duty social worker in the Children's Placement Service.

3. Identification and Approval of Placement

The identification  process should consider the child's needs especially regarding the following key areas:

• The child’s education;
• The expectations around contact with relatives and friends;
• The child’s identify/race/culture;
• The child’s history;
• The child’s behaviour;
• The child’s health;
• The focus of the placement.

The matching process should also consider the carer's availability and:

• Their experience;
• Their strengths;
• The family composition;
• The distance from the foster home to the child’s school;
• Other children in the placement;
• The foster carer's children.

Once a potential placement has been identified, the child's social worker will liaise with the foster carer's supervising social worker (who may be from an independent fostering agency) to agree arrangements for the placement. At this stage, the social worker will also discuss the child with the prospective foster carer and, in particular, share any risks associated with the placement with the foster carers and the supervising social worker.

Wherever possible, the child's social worker should visit potential carers and as required consult with other professionals, prior to a decision about the appropriateness of a placement being made.

Where the proposed placement is an in-house placement, it will then be presented to the social worker's manager for approval.

If the placement is outside the foster carer's terms of approval or an exemption is required, see Fostering Exemptions and Extensions Procedure.

If the proposed placement is with an independent fostering agency, the Designated Manager (External Placements) must approve the placement and a written agreement must be drawn up with the fostering agency setting out the precise terms and conditions between the local authority and the agency in relation to the placement.

If the relevant manager approves the foster placement, the placement planning process can start - see Section 4, Placement Planning. 

The social worker may then arrange an introductory visit to the proposed placement, with the child (if old enough) and parents (if appropriate).

4. Placement Planning

Before the child is placed, the child's social worker will arrange a Placement Planning Meeting after liaising with the foster carer and the foster carer's supervising social worker (who may be from an independent fostering agency). The meeting will usually be held in the new placement. See also Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings Procedure.

Participants will include:

• The parent;
• The child (if appropriate);
• The foster carer;
• The supervising social worker;
• Any other relevant professionals, e.g. a representative from the child's school;
• Anyone else considered appropriate or who will have a role in the placement.

The purpose of the first Placement Planning Meeting is to finalise the Placement Plan (which will be recorded on the Placement Information Record). This will involve a discussion of the child's needs to ensure careful matching, including the child’s personal history, religious persuasion, cultural and linguistic background and racial origin, as well as the child’s health and education needs and how these are to be met. It will also include the arrangements for registering the child with local health professionals (GP, dentist and optician).

The meeting also provides an opportunity to ensure that the foster carers have a copy of any relevant court order and that full information is shared with them about the child's needs and any behaviour management issues.

Except in emergency placements, the Placement Planning Meeting should be held before the placement.  Where this is not possible, it should be held at the latest within 72 hours of the placement.

The child's social worker will complete and arrange for the circulation of the Care Plan and Placement Information Record to the child, parents and foster carers before or at the latest, within 72 hours of the placement.

At the time of the placement, the foster carers should also be given any additional information about details of the child's day to day needs which are not covered by the Placement Information Record but are important to ensure that the carers are in the best possible position to help the child settle in the new placement, for example any particular fears at night-time or the child's favourite toys.

The child's social worker must provide the child and the parent with written information about coming into care, including information on using the Complaints Procedure.

In addition, the social worker should ensure that any other information about the placement that is available for the child is obtained and given to him/her.

In all cases, the child should be accompanied to the placement by the social worker and helped to settle in.  Suitable luggage should be used and a child's belongings should never be transported in bin-bags or other inappropriate containers.

5. Notification of Placement

The child's social worker will update the child's electronic records with the details of the placement and ensure that notification is sent to the finance section so as to trigger payments to the foster carer.

Notification of the placement will also be sent by the child's social worker to the Designated Nurse for LAC, the education service, the relevant local Children's and Young People's Services if the placement is in the area of a different local authority and the child's GP.

The child's social worker will notify all family members consulted and involved in the decision-making process of the placement.

The child's social worker must also notify the allocated Independent Reviewing Officer or, if it is the first placement, the Safeguarding Children Service of the placement.  This notification will trigger the appointment of an Independent Reviewing Officer if it is the first placement, and the setting up of arrangements for a Case Review.

These notifications must be made in writing, advising of the placement decision and the name and address of the person with whom the child is to be placed.

The child's social worker should also notify - preferably in writing but it may be verbally - all those involved in the day to day arrangements for the child, including nursery/school and any health professional or YOT worker actively involved with the child.

It will be necessary for the foster carer or the child's social worker to ensure the child is registered with a GP, Dentist and Optician, either retaining practices known to him or her (which is preferable) or in the area where they are placed.

In relation to a first Looked After placement it will also be necessary for the social worker to liaise with the Designated Nurse for LAC to arrange a Health Care Assessment.

The social worker requesting the Initial Health Assessment must open the BAAF IHA form on the Team template and completing pages 1 and 2.

• IHA-C for children birth - 9 years;
• IHA-YP for young people 10+.

The social worker must send the IHA form and signed consent to the Child Protection Coordinator at Bexley Care Trust

By email - joby.briggs@bexley.nhs.uk
By fax - 020 8298 6020
By post - 221 Erith Road, Bexleyheath, DA7 6HZ
For further advice you can call 020 8298 6186

CONSENT must be sent with the request.

Placement Plan Part 1 (PPP1) must be  forwarded including page 6 signed by the parent

If the young person is subject to a court order this can be accepted if recorded on headed paper and signed by the Senior Social Worker.

HEALTH ASSESSMENTS will be delayed or not carried out if signed consent is not provided.

The social worker must  contact the Designated Teacher at the relevant school or, where the child does not have a school place, the Looked After Children Education Team( LACE) with a view to the completion of a Personal Education Plan.

The social worker and the Designated Teacher will arrange the date and venue of the meeting, usually at the school. Other contributors to the PEP should be informed of the meeting by the social worker.

For any new placement, every effort should be made to enable the child to remain at the same school unless there are reasons which would be detrimental to his or her well being.

6. Support and Monitoring of Placements

The child's social worker must visit the child in the placement within one week of the placement and then, at a minimum, every six weeks during the first year, thereafter every three months - see Social Work Visits Procedure.

The foster carer will also receive support and supervision from their supervising social worker (for in-house placements) - see Supervision of Foster Carers Procedure - and from the independent fostering agency (for external placements).

Where there are concerns in relation to the progress of the placement, consideration should be given to seeking additional resources to assist the carers.

Where there are any changes to the type of placement or to the child's legal status during the placement, the child's social worker must update the child's electronic records.

7. Ending of Placements

When the placement ends, the child's social worker must update the child's electronic records and notify the finance section so that payments to the carer/provider will cease.  The social worker will also send copies to those notified when the placement was made.

All written information on the child, which the foster carer holds, should be transferred to the supervising social worker for transfer to the child's social worker.

In appropriate cases, the foster carer should be asked to complete an end of placement report.

Where the placement ends in an unplanned way, consideration should be given to holding a Disruption Meeting - see Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings Procedure.

End