Employees of Calderdale Council Acting as Foster Carers

POLICY

Calderdale MBC will consider applications from members of staff wishing to become foster carers but:

In considering such applications, the local authority will also consider:

  • Actual and potential conflicts of interest between the roles of staff members and foster carers;
  • Potential breaches of confidentiality;
  • The best interests of child(ren) in relation to whom an application may have been made.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this procedure is to give consideration to these issues.

SCOPE

This procedure applies to any person employed by Calderdale MBC on a permanent, temporary or casual basis until they cease to be employees.

RELATED CHAPTER

Applications to Foster, or Adopt from Employees of Calderdale Council and Potential Conflicts of Interest Procedure

1. Applications from Staff

An application will be accepted from employees within Calderdale MBC, including staff from Children's Social Care within the Children and Young People's Directorate, and processed in the same way as an application from a member of the public. 

If employees of Calderdale MBC wish to apply to foster in Calderdale, they should make their application to the Fostering Team.

2. Advice to Staff Applying to be Foster Carers

The application should be acknowledged in writing by the Fostering Team Manager.

The enquiry or application should be logged onto the relevant computer records in line with the References and Statutory Checks in Respect of Foster Carers, their Households and Networks Procedure.

The Fostering Team Manager should advise the applicants that:

  • The applicant's line manager will be contacted so that actual or potential conflict of interest can be considered;
  • Their application may be processed by another agency on behalf of the Directorate;
  • If no conflict of interest is identified, their application will be processed in accordance with the procedures for assessing potential foster carers and adopters.

3. Identifying Conflict of Interests

The Fostering Team Manager should contact the applicant's line manager to discuss potential and actual conflicts of interest. The applicant's manager may require further information about the requirements placed on foster carers before forming a view. The applicant's manager should be asked to respond in writing to the Fostering Team Manager.

The applicant's manager should be advised that their comments will be taken into account, but that they may not overrule the subsequent decision.

The Fostering Team Manager should recommend to the Principal Officer (Placements) whether the application should be processed or not. This should be done in writing, and should explain any conflicts of interest.

A decision as to whether the application is to proceed will be made by the Principal Officer (Placements).

The applicant should be notified in writing whether or not their application will be processed.

If the application is being turned down, reasons should be given.

If the application is being turned down because of conflict of interest, the applicant/s should be encouraged to apply to a neighbouring local authority.

If the applicant is accepted, the letter should explain that the application may be processed by another agency on behalf of the Directorate and that they will be assessed according to current procedures.

4. Assessment

The Principal Officer (Placements) should decide:

  • Whether another agency should be asked to undertake the assessment;
  • Which agencies should be approached (in discussion with Fostering Team Manager).

The Fostering Team Manager will:

  1. Arrange for the assessment to be carried out by one of these agencies; or
  2. Allocate a Fostering Social Worker to the application.