4.1.3 Friends and Family Care Policy |
Contents
- Introduction
- Values and Principles
- Family Group Conferences
- Legal Framework
- Information about Services and Support
- Private Fostering Arrangements
- Family and Friends Foster Carers - 'Connected Persons'
- Support
- Assessments of Family and Friends as Permanent Carers
- Complaints Procedure
- Useful Organisations and Information for Family and Friends Carers
Appendix A: Caring for Somebody Else's Child - Options
Appendix B: Other Useful Organisations and Information for Family and Friends Carers
1. Introduction
| 1.1 | Children may be brought up by members of their extended families, friends or other people who are connected with them for a variety of reasons and in a variety of different arrangements. |
| 1.2 | This policy sets out Ealing Council's approach towards promoting and supporting the needs of such children. It provides information about the assessments, which will be carried out to determine the services required and how such services will then be provided. |
| 1.3 | This policy also details the procedures to be followed by the Kinship Team when assessing family and friends as foster carers and permanent carers for looked after children. |
| 1.4 | There are separate policies covering private fostering, the assessment of children in need, family group conferences, temporary approval of foster carers, special guardianship, adoption and residence orders allowances. |
| 1.5 | The manager with overall responsibility for this policy is Carolyn Fair, Operation Manager of Placement Services. |
2. Values and Principles
| 2.1 | Children should be enabled to live within their families unless this is not consistent with their welfare. We will work to maintain children within their own families, and facilitate services to support any such arrangements, wherever this is consistent with the child's safety and well-being. |
| 2.2 | Where a child cannot live within his or her immediate family and the local authority is considering the need to look after the child, we will make every effort to identify potential carers within the child's network of family or friends who are able and willing to care for the child. |
| 2.3 | Keeping children as close as possible to their family and social culture reduces the likelihood of placement breakdown, reduces the anxiety in children of having to live with strangers in an unfamiliar environment and often results in better outcomes for the child |
| 2.4 | We will provide support for any such arrangements based on the assessed needs of the child, not simply on his or her legal status, and will seek to ensure that family and friends carers are supported to ensure that children do not need to become accommodated by the Local Authority or where accommodated do not have to remain looked after longer than is needed. |
| 2.5 | We recognise that family life will vary according to culture, class, religion, and community and assert the importance of ethnicity, culture and language being significant factors in shaping decisions affecting children. |
| 2.6 | Children, parents, family members and family friends should be involved in decision making and planning about child placements as collaboratively as possible. |
| 2.7 | We are committed to promoting permanency for children outside of the care system for children who become or are looked after by the Local Authority. We will pro actively support carers to apply for permanent orders if this is in the child's best interests. |
3. Family Group Conferences
| 3.1 | A Family Group Conference is a collaborative decision-making forum that brings together informal (family, friends, community) and formal (professional, agency) networks to discuss the plan for a child and make decisions for the child's future. |
| 3.2 | An independent Family Group Conference Co-ordinator convenes Family Group Conferences. S/he will help family members to devise a suitable plan to care for the child from within their own resources. |
| 3.3 | Family Group Conferences aim to promote the involvement of the wider family to achieve a resolution of difficulties for children in need, and may help to identify short-term and/or permanent solutions for children within the family network. |
| 3.4 | We will offer a family group conference or other form of family meeting at an early stage. If a child becomes Looked After, perhaps following an emergency, without a Family Group Conference having been held, then (where appropriate) we will arrange one as soon as possible. |
| 3.5 | The process is set out in the Family Group Conference Procedure |
4. Legal Framework
| 4.1 | All authorities have a general duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of Children in Need living within their area and to promote the upbringing of such children by their families. The way in which they fulfil this duty is by providing a range and level of services appropriate to those children's assessed needs. This can include financial, practical or other support. |
| 4.2 | A Child in Need is defined in Section 17(10) of the Children Act 1989 as a child who is disabled or who is unlikely to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision of services by the local authority. |
| 4.3 | Children in Need may live with members of their family or friends in a variety of different legal arrangements, some formal and some informal. Different court orders are available to formalise these arrangements. When a child is looked after the Local Authority has a responsibility wherever possible to make arrangements for a looked after child to live with a member of the family (Section 22 of the Children Act 1989). A child may be accommodated under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989 (with parental consent) or in care subject to a Court Order whereby the local authority shares parental responsibility for the child. |
| 4.4 | For a detailed summary of the meaning and implications of different legal situations, the rights of carers and parents, and the nature of decisions which family and friends carers will be able to make in relation to the child, please see Appendix A 'Caring for Somebody Else's Child - Options'. |
| 4.5 | The following section sets out the support that we may provide to family and friends who are caring for children in these different contexts. |
5. Information about Services and Support
| 5.1 | Ealing Council have a dedicated kinship team. This team can provide information and advice on all aspects of kinship care to social workers, other agencies and members of the public. |
| 5.2 | Informal family and friends care arrangements |
| 5.3 | Parents or those with parental responsibility may elect to make private care arrangements for their children with a close relative for as long as they choose without Local Authority involvement (except if it becomes a Private Fostering arrangement -see Section 6, Private Fostering Arrangements. |
| 5.4 | If there are no Child Protection or Child in Need concerns then there is no requirement for an assessment and further intervention. |
| 5.5 | If however intervention is required due to concerns about the welfare of a child in a private care arrangement an Initial Assessment will be completed to determine if any further intervention is required. If the concerns are significant then reference to the London Child Protection Procedures should be made. |
| 5.6 | Local Authority staff cannot take over decision making from a parent where private care arrangements of children exist. Local Authority staff may choose to offer advice to parents on the suitability of a private care arrangement particularly when children are subject to Child Protection or Children in Need Plans. |
| 5.7 | Local Authority staff may be involved with a family where private care arrangements of children are being considered or in circumstances where they are already in place. Local Authority staff must be clear in writing about their role and reasons for involvement and the parents continued responsibility for any private care arrangements with family and friends. If in doubt Local Authority staff should seek advice from the Ealing Kinship Care team. |
| 5.8 | Children subject to Child Protection and Children on Need Plan |
| 5.9 | Situations do arise where children are subject to Child Protection or Children in Need plans and Local Authority staff need to consider alternative care arrangements with parents. Local Authority staff must only offer advice on any arrangement but cannot take over decision making from parents for such arrangements unless the Local Authority has an Interim or full Care Order. |
| 5.10 | Where children are subject to Child Protection Plans and parents are planning a private care arrangement or have already done so without notifying the Local Authority an immediate visit should be made to the person caring for the child to gather more information on their suitability. |
| 5.11 | A parental agreement should be put in place to confirm such arrangements and other agencies should be informed. Advice should be sort from the Kinship Care Team if section 20 is being considered. An Initial or Core Assessment should be considered dependant on the change of circumstances including were there is a risk of a child requiring section 20 Local Authority care. |
| 5.12 | In the event that a parent is intending or has placed a child with a family member or friends under a private care arrangement and they are deemed by the Local Authority not to be a safe person to care for the children, the parent must be informed and offered advice on alternative arrangements. If the parent fails to address such concerns the Local Authority must instigate Ealing safeguarding procedures. |
| 5.13 | The Use of Section 17, Financial Assistance |
| 5.14 | The Local Authority may have a duty under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area whilst promoting the up bring of children in their families. Where private care arrangements are in place a range of services, including any financial support should still be considered to prevent a child from becoming Looked After. |
| 5.15 | The parent should ensure they have obtained all the benefits and contributions available to friends and family to support any private care arrangements they have set up. |
| 5.16 | In exceptional circumstances the Local Authority may provide financial assistance including one off crisis payments, start up costs towards equipment such as furniture bedding, clothing for children or fares to assist a child attending school. |
| 5.17 | The Local Authority may provide continued financial assistance with child maintenance costs to avoid a child becoming looked after or whilst benefits are being pursued. Such payments can only be agreed for 35 working days whilst a Core Assessment is being conducted to determine the future needs of a child. The Core Assessment should include a financial component to determine the ability of the new cares ability to meet a child need. |
| 5.18 | Local Authority staff should ensure that continued financial arrangements are confirmed under a parental agreement and confirm such assistance is to support a private care arrangement. |
| 5.19 | The level of financial assistance will be based on income support rates for a child dependant. Deduction for parental contributions and child benefit payments should also be considered. |
| 5.20 | Where private care arrangements are in place we cannot provide assistance with contact arrangements, transport for schooling or other financial assistance that is provided to children in Local Authority care including those in section 20 Kinship Care placements. |
| 5.21 | There private care arrangements are being considered or in place Local Authority staff should consider the wide range of services at its disposal where it is deemed to be in need. These may be provided by SAFE Ealing early intervention service, Children's Social Care where the needs are identified to be complex or where the child may be at risk of harm. Local Authority staff may offer assistance to sign post the parents and child to other essential services or specialist for advice that fall under other partner agencies e.g. CAMHS, Education, Housing and Health |
6. Private Fostering Arrangements
| 6.1 | Some families will set up private fostering arrangements to solve their difficulties and these should be notified to the local authority under the private fostering regulations. |
| 6.2 | Any voluntary placement of a child with someone who is not a close relative for longer than 28 days will be subject to the Private Fostering Regulations 2005. For further details of the relevant procedure, see Private Fostering procedure. |
| 6.3 | A close relative is defined as "a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt (whether of the full blood or half blood or by marriage or civil partnership) or step-parent." |
| 6.4 | In a private fostering arrangement, the parent still holds parental responsibility and agrees the arrangement with the private foster carer. |
| 6.5 | Ealing Council may become involved with a child in a private fostering arrangement where the child comes within the definition of a Child in Need. In such cases, the local authority has a responsibility to provide services to meet the assessed needs of the child. As detailed above, this can comprise a variety of different types of services and support, including financial support. |
| 6.6 | Residence Order |
| 6.7 | A Residence Order is a Court Order, which gives parental responsibility to the person in whose favour it is made, usually lasting until the child is 18. Parental responsibility is shared with the parents. |
| 6.8 | Relatives may apply for a Residence Order after caring for the child for one year. |
| 6.9 | Residence Orders may be made in private family proceedings in which the local authority is not a party nor involved in any way in the arrangements. However, a Residence Order in favour of a relative or foster carer (who was a 'Connected Person') with whom a child is placed may be an appropriate outcome as part of a permanence plan for a Child in Need or a 'Looked After' child. |
| 6.10 | The local authority may pay Residence Order Allowances to relatives or friends, unless they are a spouse or civil partner of a parent, with whom a child is living under a Residence Order. The Residence Order Allowance Policy details what financial assistance may be available to holders of Residence Orders, the applicable criteria and who within the local authority will make decisions under the policy. |
| 6.11 | Special Guardianship Order |
| 6.12 | Special Guardianship offers a further option for children needing permanent care outside their immediate birth family. It can offer greater security without absolute severance from the birth family as in adoption. |
| 6.13 | Relatives may apply for a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) after caring for the child for one year. As Special Guardians, they will have parental responsibility for the child which, while it is still shared with the parents, can be exercised with greater autonomy on day-to-day matters than where there is a Residence Order. |
| 6.14 | SGOs may be made in private family proceedings and the local authority may not be a party to any such arrangements save for being asked to comment on the suitability of the arrangements for the court. However, a SGO in favour of a relative or foster carer (who was a 'Connected Person') with whom a child is living may be an appropriate outcome as part of a permanence plan for a Child in Need or a 'Looked After' child. |
| 6.15 | The Kinship Team is responsible for completing all SGO assessments and for providing a Special Guardianship Support Service to families. This includes support around facilitating contact for children, on as time limited basis, with their birth parents in circumstances where children have previously been looked after or in exceptional circumstances when children are in need in order to prevent them becoming looked after. The service will also allocate workers to support families where assessed as needed. There is a leaflet giving further information for parents and prospective Special Guardians. Information about the assessment procedure for financial support is also available. Further details are available in the SGO policy |
| 6.16 | Adoption Order |
| 6.17 | Adoption is the process by which and a court permanently transfers all-parental rights and responsibilities for a child to an adoptive parent. As a result the child legally becomes part of the adoptive family and ceases to be part of any birth family. |
| 6.18 | An Adoption Order in favour of a relative or foster carer (who was a 'Connected Person') with whom a child is living may be an appropriate outcome as part of a permanence plan for a Child in Need or a 'Looked After' child. |
| 6.19 | Individuals should not proceed to make arrangements for the adoption of a child without consulting the Local Authority, they may be committing an offence by placing or arranging the adoption of a child if they have not been previously been approved. |
| 6.20 | The Adoption team is responsible for completing adoption assessments. The Adoption Support Team provides a range of Adoption support services. Further details are available in the Adoption and Adoption Support policies. There are also leaflets giving further information for prospective adopters. Information about the assessment procedure for financial support is also available. |
7. Family and Friends Foster Carers - 'Connected Persons'
| 7.1 | Where a child is looked after, Ealing Council have a responsibility wherever possible to make arrangements for the child to live with a connected person who is approved as a foster carer (Section 22 of the Children Act 1989). The child can be placed with the connected person prior to such approval, subject to an assessment of the placement, for up to 16 weeks (Regulation 24 Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010). This temporary approval can only be extended for a further eight weeks in exceptional circumstances. |
| 7.2 | A Connected Person is defined as "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." In this policy the term family and friends refers also to other connected people as defined above. |
| 7.3 | The process of obtaining approval for the placement is set out in the Temporary Approval of Family and Friends Carers procedure. Where temporary approval is given to a placement under the procedure, the carers will receive a fostering allowance and support from the Kinship Team as detailed in section below. |
| 7.4 | Where a child will be placed with a Connected Person for more than 16 weeks, the National Minimum Standards for Foster Care will apply and the Connected Person must be assessed as a foster carer for that child. |
| 7.5 | Assessment of family and friends as foster carer |
| 7.6 | It is the role of the supervising social worker to explain to family and friends carers the fostering task, its requirements and expectations and their role in supervising and supporting the placement. |
| 7.7 | All carers should be given a copy of the Kinship Team's leaflet and the Kinship Fostering Handbook. Carers should also be given a copy of the BAAF booklet on Kinship Care and the leaflets from the Fostering Network on tax and benefits. Children should be given the BAAF leaflet on kinship care and information about the team. |
| 7.8 | The assessment will cover all matters detailed in Regulation 26 and Schedule 3 of the Fostering regulations 2011. The assessment will be recorded on Part One of the Assessment of Family and Friends Carers and on Part Three 'Assessment of Family & Friends Carers as Short Term Foster Carers. Social workers should also refer to the National Minimum Standards for Foster Care 2011 and in particular Standard 30, which relates to kinship foster carers. |
| 7.9 | Family and friends carers often experience the assessment as an intrusive process and for many the process can be very challenging. Carers should be given full details of the assessment process and what the assessment will cover and the reasons for this. |
| 7.10 | Assessments should look at the capacity of the carer to meet the needs of the particular child, highlighting strengths and how any risks or concerns might be reduced by the provision of support, providing the safety of the child is not compromised. The assessment should look carefully at what support might be needed to help the family support contact arrangements and assist in their assuming different roles with the child. Further guidance on completing this assessment is given with the assessment form. |
| 7.11 | The supervising social worker will complete the full assessment of the carer and be responsible for presenting this to the Fostering Panel within 16 weeks from the date of temporary approval. |
| 7.12 | During the assessment a summary of each assessment interview must be recorded on Framework I. Contemporaneous assessment notes must be kept and archived at the end of the department's involvement with the family. A geno gram and eco map should be completed and submitted as part of the assessment. |
| 7.13 | Social Workers should ensure that they include in their assessments observations of the child with the family that are separate from the interviewing process. Assessments should include consultation with other professionals involved with the child and family and consideration should be given to interviewing birth parents in order to help understand family relationships and dynamics. Birth parents should always be interviewed as part of the permanency assessment. |
| 7.14 | Statutory checks |
| 7.15 | Applicants must undergo statutory checks as follows CRB, medical, Local Authority, housing, environmental health, OFSTED. Applicants should be asked to give their written consent to these checks. |
| 7.16 | Every household member over the age of 16 must complete a CRB check. They should be asked to give their written consent to these checks. |
| 7.17 | Employment checks only need to be undertaken when a carer works in a relevant field, for example, as a childminder or nursery nurse or if this would be helpful in terms of verifying information. |
| 7.18 | Applicants should be asked if they have a criminal record at the initial visit stage, and if so, full details of the offence/s should be taken. Guidance should be sought by the Team Manager if there are concerns about the carers' criminal history. |
| 7.19 | During the assessment all applicants should identify the significant people in their networks who will either regularly stay overnight in the home or who may offer them direct support in terms of childcare. All those identified should then complete a Criminal Records Bureau check. |
| 7.20 | The Supervising Social Worker will ensure that CRB and medical forms are completed as soon as possible and no later than the second visit. They will also ensure that the relevant ID has been seen and obtained in order to process CRB checks. This is detailed in the CRB pack. |
| 7.21 | The supervising social worker will ask carers to book an appointment with their GP to complete their medical and ensure that this takes place. |
| 7.22 | The administrator will write to the carer's GP and ask them to complete the medical and invoice the department for payment. S/he will also process the CRB and complete the Local Authority, housing, environmental health, OFSTED. |
| 7.23 | The administrator will notify the supervising social worker of the outcome of these checks. The social worker will complete the Kinship Statutory Grid Form to present with their assessment at panel. This statutory grid form should be filed at the front of the carer's files. |
| 7.24 | References |
| 7.25 | Applicants are required to provide details of three personal referees, two of which should not be family members. Referees should be people who have known the applicants for a significant length of time and can comment on the applicant's ability to foster. Where a joint application is being made the referees should know both applicants. Where this is not the case additional referees would need to be approached. |
| 7.26 | Where a carer has children from a previous relationship the father or mother of these children should be interviewed whenever possible. In addition to interviewing referees, all adult children of the applicant/s should be interviewed, as should significant previous partners of the applicant/s. If an applicant is unwilling to provide details of previous significant partners or their adult children, this should be explored with the applicant/s and discussed with the Team Manager for guidance on how to manage the situation. |
| 7.27 | All adult members of the household over the age of sixteen should also be interviewed. |
| 7.28 | The assessing social worker may contact the referees and send the pro forma for completing the reference by post and ask the referee to complete and return it in a stamped addressed envelope. |
| 7.29 | The assessing social worker will meet with the referees to discuss the written reference they have provided and to clarify any outstanding issues. Alternatively s/he can meet with the carers and address the issues highlighted in the pro forma. The referees will be asked to consider the nature of fostering and/or providing a permanent alternative home for the child, and to describe the applicant's experience of and aptitude for caring for children. They will also be specifically asked whether there is any cause for concern around the applicants in relation to their ability to offer safe and consistent care for a child. |
| 7.30 | The visiting of referees should not be left to the end of the process, to ensure that any issues that arise as a result of the interview with a referee can be addressed during the assessment hopefully without having to directly share the referees concern. A comprehensive written report of the interview should be completed. |
| 7.31 | Where possible information provided by a referee will be treated as confidential. Reference to the referee's comments should not be made in the body of the assessment report. The write up of the referees' interviews should not generally be shared with the applicant/s. However, where the referee has serious concerns about the applicant/s and it is not possible to address them in another way then the information may have to be disclosed to the applicant/s. Prior to this happening referees should be informed. However, where carers are also being assessed as Special Guardians the applicants should be informed that details of references are required by the Court and may be requested when completing a permanency assessment. Referees in these circumstances must still be asked if there is anything they wish to share in confidence. |
| 7.32 | References should be attached to the assessment when presenting the case to the Fostering Panel. |
| 7.33 | Health and Safety and Dog Assessments |
| 7.34 | A full health and safety assessment will be undertaken of the applicant/s home, looking at all issues related to safety and potential hazards. Applicants will be fully informed of the outcome and will receive advice in relation to any alterations required around the home. |
| 7.35 | A dog assessment must be completed on all applicants who have dogs in the household. |
| 7.36 | Smoking |
| 7.37 | It is the department's policy that children under the age of five should not be placed with carers who smoke. However, in the case of Kinship placements these risks will need to be balanced against the benefits of the placement for the child. |
| 7.38 | Carers should be informed of the health implications for the child if they continue to smoke, actively encouraged to stop and to smoke outside the house if they continue to smoke. |
| 7.39 | Completion of the assessment |
| 7.40 | The assessing social worker should give the carer a copy of their assessment and give them the opportunity to make any comments, which they can record on the assessment format. They should be asked to sign the assessment. |
| 7.41 | The Supervising Social, Worker, will then present the assessment to the Fostering Panel. All applicants should be invited. For more information on panel procedures please refer to the Fostering Panel Procedures. |
8. Support
| 8.1 | Family and friends carers often have a range of practical support needs, which may include issues around housing, finance, transport, education and health. They are also sometimes in need of emotional support and advice about difficult contact arrangements, strained family relationships and behavioural problems in the children they are caring for. It is the role of the supervising social worker to assist the carers with these needs. |
| 8.2 | Each family and friends carer will be allocated a supervising social worker from the Kinship team |
| 8.3 | The support needed by the carers is likely to vary and it is the responsibility of the assessing social worker from the Kinship Team to construct a support package, which reflects the individual circumstances of the placement as well as the needs of the child. |
| 8.4 | All foster carers receive a weekly fostering allowance at the rate set by the Fostering Network. This will be paid from the date carers are temporarily approved and continue for as long as they care for the child as a foster carer. All rates are reviewed annually and normally rise in line with inflation. A start up equipment grant may be paid to carers if assessed as needed. Foster carers receive annual holiday and birthday allowances for the child and additional financial support is available for carers who complete the required training. Further information is available in the allowance policy. |
| 8.5 | Foster carers will have access to a comprehensive training programme. Assistance with childminding and travel costs is available to facilitate to enable carers to attend courses. Those carers who complete an induction and three training courses a year will receive an enhanced weekly allowance of £15. This will continue to be paid as long as foster carers participate in three training courses agreed with their social worker. Kinship foster carers will be supported to complete a national foster care training programme called the 'CWDC Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care. |
| 8.6 | Ealing Council encourage family and friends carers to meet up regularly to get support from their peers in similar situations recognising that their task is different from that of a mainstream foster carer. The kinship support group meets every three months. This group is less structured than the training days, and is an opportunity to meet other people who are fostering relatives and friends, and to offer support to each other. It is run jointly with a kinship carer and speakers on various topics such as managing challenging behaviour or benefit advice. |
| 8.7 | Ealing has a kinship education project, which helps family and friend carers with the education of the children/young people in their care. |
| 8.8 | Your supervising social worker and the child's social worker will provide you with a comprehensive guide of support available including information about parenting groups where appropriate. Ealing's Family Information Service provides information about services that are local to you. They have an online directory, which provides comprehensive information on family services. Contact details are given at the end of this policy. A summer activity booklet is also available each year. |
| 8.9 | Contact for looked after children |
| 8.10 | Contact can be stressful for various reasons for some family and friends carers. Ealing Council supports contact with families where it is seen to be in the best interests of the child. Your supervising social worker will discuss contact arrangements with you from the onset of the placement. Contact plans will need to re assessed and monitored throughout to ensure the child's needs are the focus. The Local Authority will supervise contact for looked after children if this is in their best interests. |
| 8.11 | Childminding |
| 8.12 | Ealing Council recognises that sometimes pre school children are placed in an emergency with carers who are working full time. In these circumstances consideration will be given to funding reasonable childminding or nursery costs on a time-limited basis. Before considering this we would want to establish that there was no other appropriate family or friend available to provide this support and that other state provision was being fully utilised. Applicants will be asked to make a contribution to childminding costs depending on their financial circumstances. |
| 8.13 | Accommodation |
| 8.14 | The suitability of family and friends living arrangements will be considered as part of the assessment process. In some cases it will be acceptable for a child to have a sofa bed as their own bed and to sleep in a lounge area, but this will clearly be more appropriate for an older teenager, and less appropriate for a younger child. It would also be more acceptable for a temporary arrangement and less so for a permanent one. Each case will need to be considered individually, but the option of using sofa beds in a lounge, while clearly not ideal, should not be ruled out. |
| 8.15 | Subject to an appropriate risk assessment it will be acceptable for children to share bedrooms with other children, and for kinship placements it may also be acceptable for children to sleep in the same room as adult relatives, again depending on factors such the age of the child, their relationship with the carer, the wishes and feelings of all parties, and a full risk assessment. |
| 8.16 | We will consider paying for additional furniture if assessed, as needed, for example beds and wardrobes. We will also support carers with applications to the Council and Housing associations for larger properties. We will also consider the payment of deposits if carers have to move to larger accommodation in order to meet the needs of the looked after children placed with them. |
9. Assessments of Family and Friends as Permanent Carers
| 9.1 | If family members put themselves forward, a viability assessment will be undertaken in order to determine whether the placement is viable. Either the area teams or kinship team can complete this. The viability assessment will be recorded on Part One Record of Key Information and Part Two Assessments of Family & Friends Carers. Guidance accompanies Part 2 of the forms. |
| 9.2 | The Special Guardianship Order procedures should be followed in circumstances where the kinship carers have given written notification of their intention to apply for a special guardianship order. |
| 9.3 | The Adoption procedures should be followed in circumstances where the applicants are being considered as potential adopters of the child. |
| 9.4 | The Residence Order procedures should be referred to when this is being considered as a potential option for the child. |
| 9.5 | Family and friends carers should be given written information on the different types of orders available to them and encouraged to seek independent legal advice. Funding may be available for this and, if needed should be discussed with the Team Manager of the Kinship Team. Leaflets are available on Special Guardianship and adoption. The BAAF Kinship Handbook should be given to all carers. The Family Rights Group also provides detailed advice to family and friends carers on the implications of the different options available. |
| 9.6 | The supervising social worker will complete the full assessment of the carer within timescales given by the Court. |
| 9.7 | All permanency assessments will be recorded on the Permanency Assessment of Kinship Carers forms. Guidance on completing this assessment is given with the assessment form. Social workers should ensure that they include in their assessments observations of the child with the family that are separate from the interviewing process. Assessments should include consultation with other professionals involved with the child and family and consideration should be given to interviewing birth parents in order to help understand family relationships and dynamics. Birth parents should always be interviewed as part of the permanency assessment. |
| 9.8 | Applicants must undergo statutory checks as follows CRB, medical, Local Authority, housing, environmental health, OFSTED. Applicants should be asked to give their written consent to these checks. |
| 9.9 | Three references should be obtained as detailed in section 5.17. Where referees have previously given a reference in relation to the applicants assessment of them as short-term foster carers they should be approached again and asked to comment on the applicants capacity to provide the child with a permanent home. This may, depending on the circumstances of the case necessitate another visit. |
| 9.10 | Medicals should also be completed. In circumstances where a carer has been previously assessed as a short term foster carer an opinion must be obtained in writing from the LAC Medical Advisor as to any health implications of caring for the child on a permanent basis. |
| 9.11 | The completed assessment will be given to family and friends carers who should be given an opportunity prior to the report being filed at Court to comment on the assessment. In circumstances where the carer has a different view this should be incorporated into the assessment report. |
10. Complaints Procedure
| 10.1 | Where a family or friends carer is not satisfied with the level of support provided to enable them to care for the child, then they have access to the local authority's complaints process. Our aim would be to resolve any such dissatisfaction without the need for a formal investigation but where an informal resolution is not possible, then a formal investigation will be arranged. |
| 10.2 | The timescales and process are set out in the Complaints Procedure. |
11. Useful Organisations and Information for Family and Friends Carers
Information about Services in Ealing
Family Information Service
This service can help you access all kinds of information and services for children and young people 0-19 years within the London Borough of Ealing.
Family Services Directory (FSD) Online is quick, easy and provides comprehensive information on family services for parents, carers, professionals, children and young people. The directory is the place to look for childcare and other services local to you. If you prefer to talk to someone, the FIS can help with any family service enquiry - please call 020 8825 5588 between 9am and 5pm, Mon-Fri.
Or you can visit them and talk to someone face-to-face. They are based at:
Ealing Early Years Childcare and Play
25a Laurel Gardens
Hanwell W7 3JG
(Opposite Grays Garage, Uxbridge Road)
By bus: 207, 83, 427 and E8 stop outside.
Help with costs
They also have the latest information about help with childcare costs and can advise you about applying for Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit and the childcare element of WTC. They can also advise and help you register for the free childcare entitlement for two year olds, which is a new scheme for children with parents who are unemployed or on low incomes and the three and four year old free entitlement which is a national scheme for all three and four year olds.
Young people
They also provide information for young people aged 11-19. This includes a range of useful leaflets, as well as helpful signposting to local services including support groups, counselling, sports, clubs, education and much more.
SAFE: Supportive Action for Families in Ealing
We know that family life is not always easy. When difficulties and problems come up and you need someone to understand your situation and offer you help and support, please contact Ealing's SAFE service.
We will listen to you and work with you to get the help you need. We can give you information and advice and help you to access the appropriate services and support to help you with your problem or situation before it becomes bigger and more difficult to solve.
The SAFE service is a partnership between Ealing Council, West London Mental Health Trust, Ealing Primary Care Trust and Ealing Youth Counselling and Information Service.
The team is made up of health visitors, therapists, counsellors, pupil/ school workers, family workers and other experts. We also have links with other support groups and services in Ealing to ensure you are given support within your community and the area where you live.
There are many types of situations we can help with, below are just a few examples:
- If you are worried about your child's behaviour, or social and emotional wellbeing;
- If you are dealing with a difficult time in your child's life;
- If your teenager is experimenting with drugs or alcohol;
- If you are worried about teen pregnancy;
- If you are living with a difficult situation at home;
- If you are struggling to cope with financial or relationship difficulties;
- If you would like advice and parenting support.
We also run a variety of groups for children, parents and families, and can offer you counselling, health services and other therapy.
The SAFE service is split into two teams because older children and their families sometimes face very different issues to younger children. The SAFE 0-12 team works with children under 12 and their families and the SAFE 12-19 team, known as the Adolescent Service, works with young people aged 12 and up and their families.
For more information or support please contact us.
For families of children aged under 12, please call SAFE 0-12:
Acton, Central Ealing and Hanwell - Tel: 020 8825 7819
Northolt, Greenford and Perivale - Tel: 020 8842 0220
Southall - Tel: 020 8825 9800
For families with children aged 12 and up, please call SAFE 12 - 19:
Tel: 020 8825 5080
Appendix A: Caring for Somebody Else's Child - Options
Click here to view Appendix A: Caring for Somebody Else's Child - Options
Appendix B: Other Useful Organisations and Information for Family and Friends Carers
Click here for Appendix B: Other Useful Organisations and Information for Family and Friends Carers
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