Support and Supervision of Foster Carers

Foster carers benefit from professional and supportive relationships with the Fostering Service, which help them to provide high-quality care.

Foster carers are part of the team around the child/young person, which is mutually supportive. They are actively involved in planning for the child/young person, and their views are valued by the Local Authority to positively influence children/young people’s progress. They work very effectively together with children/young people’s social workers to ensure that placements are appropriate, planned and meet the needs of children/young people. The support provided to foster carers by the Fostering Service is also designed to help them to cope with the additional demands of fostering on their family life.

All approved foster carers will have an allocated, suitably qualified supervising social worker. If the social worker did not assess the foster carers, they will read the Fostering Assessment or the Full Assessment of Relative/Friends/Connected Person Wishing to Care for Children as a Kinship Foster Carer and the supporting documentation presented to the Fostering Panel including the references prior to introducing him or herself to the carers and arranging to meet the carers, their family and members of their support network as appropriate.

The approved Foster Carer will be provided with a contact number so that they can access support in a timely manner. If the allocated social worker is on leave or absent from work, the approved Foster Carer will be provided with a duty number to enable them to access support.

The allocated supervising social worker is responsible for supervising and supporting foster carers, ensuring that they have the necessary guidance, support and direction to maintain a quality service, including safe caring practices. This will include an understanding that they must work within the National Minimum Standards for Fostering and the agency's policies, procedures and guidance. The supervising social worker should provide effective support and challenge through the supervision and review processes to ensure that foster carers are providing high-quality care.

The supervising social worker must also ensure that the foster carers' training and development needs are identified, and that newly approved foster carers work towards completing the Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Carers Workbook within the first year of approval. They also have the responsibility to ensure foster carers are familiar and made aware of new policies and guidance.

The child/young person's allocated social worker should be contacted for specific advice or support in relation to the child/young person and their Care Plan and Placement Plan.

Hertfordshire County Council offers a high level of support to their foster carers, please see the attached link to view the Foster Carer Support Offer.

All foster carers must sign a Foster Carer Agreement once they are approved foster carers.

The foster carer agreement outlines the responsibilities and expectations both from the fostering service and from the foster carer(s) (Fostering Services Regulations 2011, Regulation 27 (5)(b), Schedule 5)

This is a fostering regulation requirement, and no children can be placed with foster carers without the foster carers having signed the agreement.

The foster carer agreement should be reviewed regularly, and a new agreement will be signed at least every 12 months with their annual review.

Foster carers will receive regular and effective supervision that is focused on children/young people’s experiences, needs, plans and feedback. Supervision will be recorded by the supervising social worker and stored on the foster carers records.

In addition to agreed supervision visits, most Hertfordshire foster carers will receive 2 unannounced visits per year. Fostering regulations state that at least 1 unannounced visit should take place in the foster home, however most foster carers will receive 2 visits. The main purpose of the unannounced visit will be to look at the home environment that a child/young person is living in.

The unannounced visits will be undertaken by the foster carer's supervising social worker who will need to check:

1. Who is in the home;
2. Who is looking after the child/young person;
3. If the foster carer is not at home, what arrangements have been made for the care of the child/young person.

If the foster carers are not at home, the supervising social worker should leave a note for the foster carers to say that they have visited.

As part of the visit, the supervising social worker will request to see all rooms in the house, including all household members’ bedrooms.

If the foster carers are not at home but the child/young person is present and being looked after by someone else, the social worker should check the identity of that person but should not continue with the visit.

Unannounced visits should be recorded on LCS, and foster carers should be provided with a copy of the Unannounced visit form.

There should not ordinarily be a regular programme of unannounced visits without particular reason – for example if a foster carer is being closely monitored. In such an event the reason for such will be explained to the foster carer.

Supervising social workers should ensure the following tasks are done: 

Post Approval

1. Ensure that all new foster carers start completing the Foster Carer Training, Support and Development Standards which needs to be completed by their first annual review;
2. Ensure foster carers are sent The Fostering Introduction email including link to the Foster Carers' Handbook, and give guidance to carers on where to find information within the Handbook;
3. Give the Foster Carer Agreement (Internal link) to the foster carer: 2 copies to be signed and one returned and placed on the foster carer's file;
4. Complete a supervision agreement (see link above);
5. Support foster carers with any specialist issues for disabled children/young people e.g. support in completing applications for Carer's Allowance, Disability Living Allowance etc.
6. Ensure the child friendly profile and the foster carer matching profiles are up to date;
7. Ensure foster carers are supported to get access to the foster carer secure email system;
8. Support foster carers to get a Hertfordshire fostering ID badge.

Before a child is placed

9. Complete risk assessments surrounding bedroom sharing (child/young person child over 3 has their own bedroom or, where this is not possible, the sharing of the bedroom has been agreed by the children’s social worker(s) mixing with other children/young people in home, etc. Discuss and check equipment (especially in the child/young person's bedroom) and ensure it is appropriate to the age of the child/young person in the foster home;
10. Take part in discussions about children who may be matched to the foster family
11. Take part in planning meetings regarding children living in the foster home;
12. Ensure that the foster carers are provided with full information about children/young people about to be placed, including any abuse or neglect and the reason why the child needs to be placed in foster care, the child/young person's educational, medical, religious, racial, linguistic and cultural needs;
13. Discuss issues relevant to contact with birth parents and other family members;
14. Discuss how child/young person's health needs are promoted and how children/young people should be encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle;
15. Assist foster carers in dealing with other relevant services such as health and education;
16. Discuss appropriate training to provide appropriate care when caring for children/young people with complex health needs;
17. Assist the foster carer with training needs for appropriate safer care practice, including skills to care for children/young people who have been abused. For foster carers who offer homes to disabled children/young people, this includes training specifically on issues affecting disabled children/young people;
18. Discuss financial issues with the foster carer: allowances, pocket money, leisure activities, toiletries and travelling etc. and the importance of complying with the terms of Hertfordshire County Council's insurance policy for foster carers;
19. Enquire about holiday plans the foster carers have made, and if the child/young person is able to join them. If not, the foster carer must inform the child/young person's social worker so alternative arrangements can be made;
20. Exchange contact numbers with all relevant members of the family, including out of hours support;
21. That arrangements are made for the provision of specialist equipment for disabled children/young people;
22. Set date of first visit after the child is placed;
23. Let the social worker for a child/young person already living in the foster home know when another child/young person is placed;
24. Provide foster carers with a foster carer training catalogue, children’s guides and Hertfordshire’s Fostering behaviour policy.

During the time a child is placed with foster carers

25. Offer reflective supervision and support foster carers’ understanding of how a child’s trauma may impact on their presentation and behaviours;
26. Ensure that supervision also considers foster carer and children’s emotional wellbeing;
27. Where necessary, check and follow up on all issues raised during the time the child is living in the foster home;
28. Discuss any areas of concern with foster carers and ensure appropriate support/advice is addressed and in place at the time rather than waiting for reviews;
29. Provide foster carers with breaks from caring as appropriate, which must meet the needs of placed children/young people;
30. Take part in any strategy meetings and section 47 enquiry relating to the foster family. Be involved in interviews/support as agreed;
31. Ensure the supervising social worker and the foster carers receive invitations to child/young persons looked after reviews and Child Protection Conferences, and attend when appropriate;
32. Prepare for and attend Foster Carer Review Meetings (see Foster Carer Reviews Procedure and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers and Supported Lodgings Carers Procedure);
33. Ensure training programme is updated and accessed by foster carers and their family and children/young people;
34. Visit regularly in accordance with the foster carer's needs, the child/young person's Care Plan and as required (see also Frequency of Supervision visits and Section 3, Unannounced Visits;
35. Review the Safer Caring Plan and any changes in household circumstances;
36. Assess and review any health and safety issues within the fostering household including the addition of any new pets and the environment in which they are kept;
37. Make unannounced visits as required;
38. Update Disclosure and Barring Service checks on members of the family every 3 years, including those reaching 18 years of age, other persons who come to live at the home, who are over 18 years; adult children living away from the foster home and anyone carrying out regulated activity with a foster child/young person;
39. Whilst there is no statutory time interval, as good practice medical information should also be updated at least every 3 years by writing to the foster carer's GP. In the event of any serious concerns about the foster carers health, a review of the foster carers approval should be carried out immediately;
40. Record contact with foster carers;
41. Provide reports for Panel as required under the relevant procedures;
42. Where appropriate contribute to Court Reports as agreed with child/young person's social worker;
43. Discuss how the foster carers can support young people into adulthood;

After a child has moved from the foster home

41. Support the family as much as possible in what can be a very difficult time;
42. Discuss fully with the foster carer and their family all the issues that have led to any unplanned end of a placement and identify any learning/training opportunities;
43. Assist the foster carer to complete their end of placement report if required;
44. For any long term disruptions, supervising social worker to ensure referral is made for a disruption meeting and attend disruption meetings as required.

Hertfordshire County Council has a varied and extensive support offer to our foster carers in addition to the support offered by the allocated supervising social worker which is outlined in the Foster Carer Support Offer.

For the detailed procedure, see Managing Allegations Against Adults Who Work With Children and Young People Procedure, Allegations Against Carers: Foster/Short-Break/Lodgings and Approved Adopter.

Where allegations regarding childcare or child protection are made, the supervising social worker should:

1. Support the family and make foster carers aware of the supported offered by Hertfordshire County Council for foster carers which includes:
   • Supervision and support continues with allocated supervising social worker or another member of the fostering team;
   • Access to legal support via Fostering network and independent support via Foster talk;
   • Offer of counselling support via Employment Assistance Programme or other counselling service;
   • Support by another foster carer;
   • Ensure foster carers are provided with a Managing Allegations leaflet which outlines the process and support on offer.
     See: Managing Allegations Against Foster Carers (hertfordshire.gov.uk);
2. Once agreed with LADO and/or Strategy meeting, discuss fully with the foster carer and their family, all the issues that have led to the allegation;
3. Make the foster carers aware of the process and of their rights during any investigation;
4. Once the investigation has concluded by LADO, LADO will write to the foster carers confirming the outcome. In addition to this, once LADO has concluded, a letter will be sent to the foster carers by the Fostering manager to confirm next steps and outlining the process, i.e. the IRO process and panel.

Transfer of Foster Carers Protocol England