Document Last Updated September 2018 Document Review Due September

document last updated: september 2018 document review due: september 2021 overnight stays and holidays for children looked after i

Document last updated: September 2018
Document review due: September 2021
Overnight Stays and Holidays for Children Looked After in Foster Care
Policy
About this document
Title
Overnight Stays and Holidays for Children Looked After in Foster Care
Purpose
Guidance regarding children who are looked after in foster care having
overnight stays and holidays
Updated by
Rosemarie Cronin
Approved by
Jenny Boyd, DLD Children and Families
Date
September 2018
Version number
5
Status
Review frequency
Three-yearly
Next review date
September 2021
Version Control
Date Issued:
Version
Summary of Changes
Created by
September 2015
4
Update from CRB to DBS checks
Rosemarie Cronin
September 2015
4
Updated information for Children in Care re overnight stays
Rosemarie Cronin
August 2018
5
Update of terms used
Rosemarie Cronin
August 2018
5
Updated information sheet for Children in Care and added
as appendix rather than embedded
Rosemarie Cronin
Table of Contents
Section
Page(s)
Legal Context
Essex Corporate Parent Pledge
Essex Children in Care Council Guide on overnight stays
Essex policy and procedures
5
6
6
7
Appendix 1 – Information sheet for children in care
9
Legal Context
This policy is based on the 2011 National Minimum Standards, Fostering
Regulations and the Statutory Guidance for Fostering Services.
Standard 7.3 (NMS 2011) states that “Foster carers understand what is
in the child’s placement plan and have clarity about decisions they
can make about the day to day arrangement for the child, including
such matters as education, leisure activities, overnight stays,
holidays and personal issues such as haircuts.
Standard 7.7 (NMS 2011) states that “Children can stay overnight,
holiday with friends, or friends and relatives of their foster carer,
or go on school trips, subject to requirements of the care/placement
plan, if foster carers consider it appropriate in individual
circumstances. DBS checks are not normally sought as a precondition”
Paragraph 3.87 of the Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations
Volume 4: Fostering Services states that “Fostering services should
seek to identify, as part of the approval process for a prospective
carer, any individuals who may play a significant role in providing
support for those carers. These may be back-up carers, regular
baby-sitters, or family. There is no requirement to assess or approve
these people as foster carers.”
Paragraph 3.19 – 3.21 (Statutory Guidance) states that in making
decisions about whether or not to permit a looked after child to stay
overnight with a friend or to have a holiday with their friends or
with relatives of their foster carers, or go on a school trip, foster
carers and responsible authorities should consider the following
factors:
*
Whether there are any relevant restrictions contained for
exceptional reasons in the child’s care plan, including the
placement plan;
*
Whether there are any court orders which restrict the child from
making a particular overnight stay, visit or holiday;
*
Whether there are any factors in the child’s past experiences or
behaviour which would preclude the overnight stay, visit or
holiday;
*
Whether there are any grounds for concern that the child may be at
significant risk in the household concerned or from the activities
proposed;
*
The age and level of understanding of the child concerned;
*
What is known about the reasons for the overnight stay, visit or
holiday;
*
The length of the stay.
20.
If in doubt about the appropriate decision or if there is reason
to consider that a child may be at a specific risk in staying in
a particular household, the foster carers should consult the
responsible authority for advice. The child and their carers
should always be told of the criteria that will be used to make
decisions about overnight stays, visits and holidays.
20.
Foster carers should always have contact details for the
household in which the child will be staying. They should also
make contact with the household beforehand, as would any good
parent, to assist in assessing the request and to confirm
arrangements and to ensure that the household where the child
will be staying have, in turn, the contact details of the foster
carer(s).
20.
There is no statutory duty for DBS disclosures to be sought in
relation to adults in a private household where a child may stay
overnight or visit, or who the child may accompany on a holiday
or a school trip. DBS checks should not normally be sought as a
precondition.
20.
There is no requirement where a looked after child visits or
spends a holiday with their foster carer’s friends or relatives
that the individual must be approved as a local authority foster
carer, as the child will remain formally placed with their usual
foster carers.
Essex Corporate Parenting Pledge
The young people of Essex said that they wanted to be treated like any
other children and young people and not differently because they are
in care. In response to this Essex have pledged to the children and
young people that it will do its best to “Make sure consent for you to
take part in cultural/social activities, school trips and visiting
friends is sorted out quickly so you don’t miss out”. In addition to
this Essex also pledges to “explain if for any reason these things are
not possible”. These two parts of the Corporate Parenting Pledge are
important when consideration is being given to children and young
people having overnight stays and holidays. Decisions for this should
be made without unnecessary delay to ensure that children and young
people do not miss out. If a decision is made that a child or young
person is unable to go on the holiday or have an overnight stay the
reasons for this decision should be made clear to the child or young
person, subject to age and understanding.
Essex Children in Care Council
The Essex CiCC has produced a guide on overnight stays for children
and young people in in foster care (see appendix 1)
Essex Policy and Procedures for overnight stays of children with
relatives/friends of the foster carers
1.
During the assessment process, foster carers should consider their
support networks, in particular whether there are any specific
people who may be playing a significant supporting role e.g.
regular baby-sitters or those who may have regular unsupervised
contact with the looked after child.
2.
If the foster carers’ support networks are expected to have
regular, planned unsupervised contact with the child DBS checks
should be undertaken. This includes regular babysitters or
friends/family who may support the carers by looking after the
children when the carers are away on holiday.
3.
It is the responsibility of the foster carers to make any payments
to their friends or family who may be supporting them in their
role as foster carers.
4.
The Placement Planning Meeting should take place prior to a child
or young person being placed with foster carers or within 5
working days of the start of the placement. At this meeting there
should be discussion and agreement regarding the delegated
authority of the foster carers. Overnight stays and holidays for
the child or young person should be agreed at this time by the
social worker of the child, those with parental responsibility and
with the foster carer. If all parties are not at the Placement
Planning Meeting this agreement should be sought and documented
within the paperwork for the Placement Plan which does form part
of the care plan for the child or young person and should be
reviewed as part of the care planning process.
5.
If foster carers have the delegated authority to make a decision
for any overnight stay/holiday they should always consider all the
bullet points stated in paragraph 3.19 of the statutory guidance
as stated above.
6.
If foster carers have delegated authority and have any doubt as to
whether they should agree for the child to be away from the home
overnight they should discuss this with the social worker of the
child and their supervising social worker. A decision should be
made as soon as possible after the request to ensure that the
child or young person does not miss out on the opportunity
7.
If a child or young person is going to be away from the foster
home overnight, the foster carers should always have contact
details for the household in which the child will be staying. They
should also make contact with the household beforehand, as would
any good parent, to assist in assessing the request and to confirm
arrangements and to ensure that the household where the child will
be staying have, in turn, the contact details of the foster
carer(s)
8.
If the child is going to be away from the household overnight,
this should be recorded by the foster carer in the foster care
logs.
9.
If the child or young person is going on holiday/school trip, the
foster carer should inform their supervising social worker and the
social worker of the child of when this going to happen and
details of where the child will be staying, in advance of the
arrangement.
10.
If the school trip or holiday means taking a child or young person
out of the country planning will be paramount. Agreement for this
should be given by the parent and/or the operational service
manager. It will also be important for foster carers to ensure
that the child or young person has an up-to-date passport or if a
new one is required. Young people looked after on as Section 20
will need to have passport applications signed by a parent, and
children on a care order need to have their application signed by
the Director of Local Delivery or a Head of Service. It is crucial
that there is no delay in these processes as it would risk the
child or young person missing out on the opportunity.
11.
If foster carers do not have delegated authority, then decisions
for overnight stays and holidays should always be discussed with
the social worker of the child or young person and the supervising
social worker of the foster carer.
Appendix 1

This guide is based on the Essex County Council policy used by social
workers and foster carers to make decisions about overnight stays and
holidays.
Who decides if I can have overnight stays with my friends?
Who can give permission for you to go on overnight stays and holidays
will be agreed at your Placement Planning meeting, which should take
place either before or soon after you move into your placement. At the
meeting it will be agreed who has delegated authority meaning the
permission to make decisions for you about things like overnight
stays, holidays, schools trips and haircuts. If you are not at the
Placement Planning Meeting you should be told about the decisions that
have been made.
Do my friends family need to have a DBS or Police check?
No, friends do not normally need to have a DBS check before you go on
an overnight stay, but everyone is different, if you are told you
can’t go because a DBS check is needed, you can ask you foster carer
or social worker to explain the reasons why.
Does my foster carer need to know who I am going to stay with?
Yes. So your foster carers can make the decision about you having an
overnight stay they will need to know where you are going and to have
all the contact details of who you are staying with. Normally they
should also contact the people you are staying with beforehand. If
foster carers are not sure about giving you permission, they should
contact your social worker for advice.
Does it take ages to organise an overnight stay?
No. If your foster carer is clear about who can make the decision
about overnight stays and you can give them the details of where you
want to go, it shouldn’t take long to organise, but be realistic, your
foster carer will need some time to organise it for you.
What if I am not allowed overnight stays?
If you don’t understand or agree with the decision for you not to be
able to have overnight stays you can ask your social worker to explain
the reasons why.
If you are not happy with their answer, you can ask your Independent
Reviewing Officer to look into it for you, or contact:
The Essex Advocacy Service, run by Rethink:
Telephone: (Freephone) 0300 7900 559
The Customer Care Team to make a complaint:
Telephone: 03330 139815 or 03330139817
Email: [email protected]
The Children in Care Council
Telephone: 07824867612
Email:[email protected]