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Contents

1. Assessment and Approval of Connected Person Carer
2. Immediate Placements (under Regulation 24 of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010)
3. Relevant Plans
4. Notification of Placements
5. Monitoring of Placement
6. Support of Placement
7. Reviews of Placements
8. Ending of Placements

1. Assessment and Approval of Connected Person Carer

If family, friends or other Connected Person come forward to apply to be a carer for a Looked After Child, the child's social worker should make a referral within 3 working days to the Kinship Care Worker in the Fostering Service using the Kinship Care Referral Form.

The child's social worker should arrange a joint initial screening visit with the Kinship Care Worker, to be undertaken within 10 working days of receiving the application by the friend or family.

The parent of the child should not be present during this visit. The family or friend's views should be sought including any conversations they may have had with the parent concerning their application.

The initial screening visit by the child's social worker and Kinship Care Worker should be used to establish with the friend or family their intentions and commitment to becoming a Foster Carer. The following should also be discussed:

• The process of assessment including any other household member;
• The remit and role of a Connected Person as a Foster Carer;
• Initial soundings as to the relationship between the Connected Person as potential Foster Carers and the child's parents and how this would affect contact;
• Confidentiality protocols and the sharing of information on the family;
• The Kinship Care Agreement Form confirming agreement to the assessment and if successful, the conditions attached to becoming a Foster Carer. A copy of this form should be also signed and left with the family along with an Information Pack;
• The need to complete a Criminal Records Bureau Form (CRB) and a Health check - these documents may be signed at this initial meeting.

In more complex situations, consideration should be given as to whether a Family Group Conference would assist the process of partnership between the applicant, the parent and any other family members. This proposal should be discussed with a team manager.

Once the initial screening process has been completed a decision to commence a full assessment is made by the relevant District Team Manager. 

The Team Manager's decision should be communicated to the applicant in writing. Where it is decided not to proceed, then the reasons must also be communicated.

If the assessment is to proceed, the completed CRB form and health forms should be sent to the Executive Officer in the Fostering and Adoption service and a Fostering Panel date obtained no later than 3 months from the date of decision.

The BAAF F2 assessment form and papers should be completed and submitted 2 weeks before Fostering Panel including a Kinship Support Plan.

The Fostering Panel will make a recommendation on the basis of the assessment to the Agency Decision Maker  for a decision.

The procedure to be followed in relation to the notification of the decision to the prospective Connected Person carers and the Representations Procedure will be the same as for all prospective foster carers. See Assessment and Approval of Foster Carers Procedure.

2. Immediate Placements (under Regulation 24 of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010)

Before any placement with a Connected Person who is not already approved as a foster carer is made, the approval of the Nominated Officer is required.

Where a Looked After Child needs immediate placement with a Connected Person, the following steps must be immediately taken:

• The friend or family must be visited within 24 hours;
• Local Authority checks need to be obtained;
• The accommodation must be inspected to establish it is satisfactory to meet the child's immediate needs;
• The CRB consent form must be completed and signed by the carer any other person over age of 16 years must also be seen during visit and information on all adults sent with a CPT Referral Form for an immediate Police Check;
• A written agreement must be drawn up setting out the placement arrangements and any specific measures regarding contact between the child and his or her parents;
• A health check consent form should also be signed giving permission to write to the carer's G.P.

Matters to be taken into account when assessing the suitability of a Connected Person to care for the child are:

1. The nature and quality of any existing relationship with the child;
2. Their capacity to care for children and, in particular in relation to the child (or children) concerned,  to provide for his/her physical needs and appropriate medical and dental care; to protect the child adequately from harm or danger including from any person who presents a risk of harm to the child; to ensure that the accommodation and home environment is suitable; in relation to the child's age and developmental stage, to  promote his/her  learning and development; to provide  a stable family environment which will promote secure attachments for the child, including promoting positive contact with parents  and other connected persons, unless this is not consistent with the child's welfare;
3. State of health (physical, emotional and mental), and medical history including current or past issues of domestic violence, substance misuse or mental health problems;
4. Family relationships and the composition of the household, including particulars of all other members of the household, their age and the nature of any relationship with the  connected person and each other including any sexual relationship; any relationship with the parents; any relationship between the child and other members of the household; other adults (not members of the household) likely to have regular contact with the child; any current or previous domestic violence between members of the household, including the connected person;
5. Their family history, including their childhood and upbringing, and the strengths and difficulties of their parents or others who cared for them; their relationship with parents and siblings and each other; educational achievement and any learning difficulty/disability; chronology of significant life events; particulars of other relatives and their relationships with the child  and the connected person;
6. Any criminal offences;
7. Past and present employment and other sources of income;
8. Nature of the neighbourhood and resources available in the community to support the child and the Connected Person.

The home must be visited by the social worker as part of the assessment of the suitability of arrangements.

The child's wishes and feelings (subject to age and understanding) must be ascertained and recorded and wherever possible, an opportunity must be provided for the child to visit the home before the decision.

The views of parents/ those with Parental Responsibility must also be obtained.

Once any child is placed with a non-approved Connected Person Carer, they must be visited weekly with the child being seen alone to establish their views about their care.

The Designated Manager (Placement with Connected Persons) - must approve the placement and can also approve immediate financial support for the family up to 28 days or the length of time it takes for the case to be presented at the next monthly District Placement Panel.

The Designated Manager must be satisfied from the observations and information obtained by the social worker that the child is placed safely, pending further assessment and care planning.

At the first Looked After Review, a decision should be made as to the length of placement required with the non-approved Connected Person Carer. If it is decided the placement will be required for a longer period than 16 weeks in total, then a referral should be made immediately to the Kinship Care Worker in the Adoption and Fostering Service. This will enable an assessment to be commenced for presentation to the Fostering Panel for approval.

This temporary approval can be extended for a further period of up to 8 weeks (if it is likely to expire before the assessment is completed) or until the outcome of the Independent Review  (if the outcome of the assessment is that the Connected Person is not approved and seeks a review of the decision - see Assessment and Approval of Foster Carers Procedure).

Before deciding whether to extend the approval, the Local Authority must consider if the placement is still the most appropriate placement available, and it must be considered by the Fostering Panel before the above approval is given.

On an interim basis, pending the full assessment and consideration by the Fostering Panel, the District Placements Panel will agree all interim arrangements in relation to Looked After Children placed with Connected Person carers.

3. Relevant Plans

The child's placement with a Connected Person Carer must be part of a Care Plan, which should be drawn up before the placement begins or, in exceptional circumstances, for example an immediate placement under Section 2 above, within a maximum of ten working days of the placement starting.

See Decision to Look After, Care and Permanence Planning Procedure.

As part of the approval of a Connected Person Carer, there may be a Kinship Support Plan. The Kinship Worker will be responsible for ensuring implementation of the Kinship Support Plan.

The child's social worker remains responsible for all activities relating to the implementation of the Care Plan.

Prior to the placement, a Placement Plan/Placement Information Record must be drawn up by the child's social worker in consultation with the carer. In relation to an immediate placement with a Connected Person carer, the Placement Plan may take the form of the written agreement referred to in Section 2, Immediate Placements above.

4. Notification of Placement

Notification of the placement must be sent to all those involved in the decision-making process. Notification must be sent before the placement wherever possible or within five working days of the placement.

The notification must advise of the placement decision, the name and address of the person with whom the child is to be placed, details relating to the child's contact with parents and the arrangements related to the care and welfare of the child.

If the child was already looked after, the social worker will send notification of the placement to the child's Independent Reviewing Officer.

5. Monitoring of Placement

The child's social worker must visit the child in the placement at least once each week until the first Looked After Review and thereafter at intervals of not more than four weeks during the period of temporary approval. Thereafter visits should take place at intervals of no more than 6 weeks.

Wherever possible, the child must be seen with the carer and alone. If this is not possible, a further visit must be made at short notice in order that the child can be seen alone and observed with the carer.

6. Support of Placements

See Family and Friends Policy for available support to be included in a Kinship Support Plan. The Kinship Care Worker in the Adoption and Fostering Service will be responsible for its implementation.

7. Reviews of Placements

The child will be the subject of Looked After Reviews.

The Kinship Care Worker will undertake annual reviews of all Connected Person placements for Looked After children.

As part of the review, carers will be reminded of the need to inform the local authority of any changes of circumstances relating to the child's placement and needs.

The first review will be presented to the Fostering Panel, 11 months after the initial approval date.

8. Ending of Placements

The Council will terminate or suspend payments to any Connected Person Carer where:

• The child placed has reached 18;
• It has come to the attention of the Council that there are concerns surrounding the standard of care or child protection issues, which require the child's removal from the carer;
• The child is no longer living in the placement for whatever reason;
• The carer is failing to co-operate with requirements for Looked After children, for example PEP's, Health Care Assessments or contact arrangements.

All those notified of the placement should be notified also when a placement is ended.

End