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Contents

1. Legal and Policy Framework
2. Undertaking the Foster Carer Review
3. Four Months Prior to the Review
4. One Month Prior to the Review
5. Ten Working Days Prior to the Review
6. The Review Meeting
7. Fostering Panel
8. Post Review
9. Interim Reviews

1. Legal and Policy Framework

This procedure applies to foster carers approved by the London Borough of Ealing and for whom Ealing is the fostering service provider.

The procedure applies to foster carers who are approved as short and long term foster carers including Family Link carers approved to provide Short Breaks to disable children.

The duty to review foster carers is a statutory duty and the responsibility of the fostering service provider.

1.1 Guiding principles

The fostering service provider shall review the approval of each foster carer in accordance with Regulation 28 The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011.

The first review shall take place not more than one year after approval. Thereafter whenever the fostering service provider considers it necessary, but at intervals of not more than a year. The purpose of the review is to establish that the foster carer continues to be a suitable person to be a foster carer.

The fostering service provider shall consider it necessary to hold a review in the following circumstances:

1. Significant personal circumstances in the foster carer household which would include (but may not be limited to) :
   1. birth
   2. death
   3. divorce
   4. departure of significant members
   5. new partner
   6. remarriage and  civil partnership
   7. change of health
2. After the investigation of an allegation, complaint, standard of care issue or concern about a foster carer or a member of the household.
3. Investigation of a complaint raised by the Foster carer

The fostering provider shall undertake the enquiries it considers necessary in order to inform the review. In particular it shall obtain the views of any agency who has placed a child with the carer in the last 12 months, any child in placement and the foster parent(s) themselves.

The review shall focus on the foster carer not the current placement. It will consider:

• The fostering tasks as undertaken by the foster carer,
• The fostering services provided to the foster carer 
• The foster carers training and development needs.
• Health and Home and Carer Safety
• The views of birth children and how fostering affects them
• The views of social workers with children in the placement
• Non use or under use of a foster carer are features to consider in the review.

The process should contribute to the understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the fostering service provider as a whole.

The review and conclusions shall be recorded in a written report.

The report shall be referred to the Fostering Panel on the occasion of the first review and on any subsequent review where there is a change of approval recommended or it is a review that is triggered by an allegation, complaint or concern.

All other review reports are submitted to the Operations Manager for Children's Placements for agreement of continued approval as a foster carer.

1.2 Resignations

Where the foster carer has decided to give up fostering, a brief report and a copy of the foster carer's resignation letter will be presented to the next available Panel for information and acknowledgement.

The resignation should be recorded formally by the Panel as the termination of the foster carer's approval to take effect 28 days from the date when written notice has been received from the foster carer.

An 'exit interview' will be conducted with the foster carer wherever possible to determine the reasons for their resignation.

A letter of appreciation and thanks will be sent to the foster carer (unless there are circumstances in which this would be unwelcome or inappropriate).

When there is a child in placement, the foster carer must inform the fostering service of their intention to cease fostering in sufficient time to enable an alternative placement to be identified and introductions to take place. If the child is placed by a different local authority, a copy of any notice given must be sent to that local authority.

2. Undertaking the Foster Carer Review

2.1 Planning

All foster carer reviews are undertaken by independent reviewing officers.  All Reviewing Officers are associates of AIDHOUR the appointed provider contracted to undertake this work for Ealing Council.  AIDHOUR is a not-for-profit company which provides an association for social workers undertaking work independently for local authorities

The names of all newly approved foster carers should be placed on the relevant spreadsheet and Aidhour will be informed and an RO be allocated. The Reviewing Officer will liaise with the Supervising Social worker to set a review date.

Reviews will be booked by the Reviewing Officer at the foster carers review, they should be booked to take place 11 months from the completed review to ensure that in case of cancellation they can be re booked to meet statutory regulations in regard to timescale.

The date of the next review will be put at the end of the review report. The relevant team administrator will add the date for the next year to the appropriate spreadsheet.

3. Four Months Prior to the Review

The relevant team administrator will make sure the following checks of carers are in date; CRB, Medicals, Environmental Health, Housing (if applicable) LBE SS Checks and Other Local Authority checks and Ofsted (if applicable).

S/SW will update the statutory grid check form for panel.

Feedback forms to be sent to:

• LAC child - FCR - F - LACC - Looked after child under 12   FCR - F - LACYP - Looked after young people over 12.
• Child's Social Worker - FCR - F - SW

All returned feedback forms to be scanned and emailed to Reviewing Officer, Supervising Social Worker (S/SW) and appropriate Manager.

4. One Month Prior to Review

Relevant team admin to send missing information report to Reviewing Officer, S/SW & Manager

S/SW to chase up missing information i.e. feedback forms

S/SW worker should produce:

• Part 1 of the appropriate review form i.e. FCR-RF- FC1, FCR-RF-Kin 1 or FCR- RF -FL1 - Which should  then be sent to the carer in preparation for the review meeting and to allow them to comment.
• Health and Safety  Report
• Any other relevant information, e.g. in relation to a standard of care issues or paperwork related to an allegation against a carer. NB Where there is a concern S/SW should contact allocated RO to discuss issues and if necessary arrange meeting to plan review.   

Manager of S/SW to sign off reports once returned.

5. Ten Working Days Prior to Review

• S/SW to email report to allocated RO.
• Relevant admin scan and email any feedback forms to RO.

6. The Review Meeting

The review shall be held at the foster carers home.

The foster carer shall attend, both partners if a couple.

Other members of the household shall also attend if that has been agreed by the Reviewing Officer in advance of the review.

The review discussions shall focus on the following:-

1. The purpose of the review
2. The issues raised in the written reports
3. The fostering tasks undertaken by the foster carer
4. The service offered to the foster carer
5. Issues for further action
6. Areas of disagreement with the foster carer
7. Approval range and continuity of approval

7. Fostering Panel

The Fostering Panel shall consider the Foster carer Review reports and make a recommendation to the agency decision maker i.e. The Director of Children and Families. The recommendation may be to:

• Continue approval,
• To discontinue approval or
• To vary approval terms.

Any variation or proposal to terminate shall be notified in writing to the foster carer by the fostering panel. The foster carer shall have 28 days in which to make representations to the Panel or to request a review by an Independent Review Panel.

The only circumstances where the foster carer will not have the right to request a review by an Independent Review Panel is if he or she is regarded as disqualified as a result of a conviction or caution for a specified offence.

If no written  representations or notification of a request for a review are received within the period  ,a final decision to terminate or vary an approval can be made. 

The Director of Children and Families shall make the decision regarding continuity of approval on behalf of the agency.

If representations are received then the fostering service provider must refer the matter back to the Fostering Panel for further consideration and the decision must be taken taking into account any new recommendation of the Fostering Panel.

The foster carer shall receive a notification letter that will confirm the decision of the agency decision maker. 

If the approval is continued or if it is varied the foster carer shall receive a copy of the Foster Carer Agreement that they should sign and return to the agency.

A letter of notification will be sent to the foster carer(s)' General Practitioner.

8. Post Review

Reviewing officer to write up report and send in within 28 days from the review date The report shall deal with any issues arising from the review with the fostering manager/area team manager or other as appropriate.

The foster carer will be sent a copy of the report for comment.

The first review held shall be presented to the Panel which originally recommended approval.

Foster carers who have both long term and short term foster placements should following confirmation of the permanency arrangement at the Adoption Panel have their next Annual Review presented to the Adoption Panel. All subsequent Panel reviews should go to the Fostering Panel.

If the Reviewing Officer recommends continuation of approval and the terms of approval are not varied, the review report shall be presented to the Operations Manager, Children's Placements.

If the Reviewing Officer recommends termination of approval or varies the terms of approval the review report shall be presented to the appropriate Panel as follows:

To the Fostering Panel for:-

• Short term foster carers
• Long term foster carers for children aged 14 years and above

To the Permanency Panel for:-

• Long term foster carers of children aged 13 years and below

The Director of Children's Services shall make the decision regarding continuity of approval on behalf of the agency.

The foster carer will be informed in writing of the decision of the agency.

The supervising social worker will write to any social worker from outside the authority with a child placed with the foster carers to inform them of the outcome of the review.

Where the foster carer lives in the area of a different local authority, the local authority for the area where he/she resides will also be informed in writing of the outcome of the review.

The outcome of the review will also be recorded and the Register of Foster Carers updated as necessary. Where there has been any change in the terms of the approval, the Foster Care Agreement will be updated and signed by the supervising social worker and foster carer.

Where the approval is terminated, the Fostering Service Manager must inform OFSTED.

Where the approval is terminated, the Agency Decision Maker, in consultation with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) will decide whether to refer the former foster carer to the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

9. Interim Reviews

Every effort will be made to hold a full review within the statutory time scales. Where it is genuinely not possible or would be inappropriate an interim review form should be completed by the S/SW for presentation to the Operations Manager. Approval will be agreed for a limited period as appropriate, a full review will then be undertaken. 

End