Assessment of Connected Persons as Mainstream Foster Carers

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

This procedure should be used to assess all Connected Person carers who have been approved as foster carers for the placement of specific children and who wish to provide foster care for children not already known to them. This procedure was formerly entitled Assessment of Kinship Carers as Mainstream Foster Carers.

1. Pre-Requisite

The request to be assessed as a mainstream foster carer should be made by the Connected Person foster carer/s themselves.

The decision about agreeing to this should be made only after the Fostering Social Worker has:

  • Assessed the viability of this request taking into account:
    1. The ability of the carer/s to provide a high standard of care to Children Looked After (strangers);
    2. The co-operation of other household members to this plan;
    3. The willingness of both members of the couple to attend Training.
  • Discussed the application for assessment with the Fostering Team Manager.

The decision to agree to the assessment will be made by the Fostering Team Manager on the recommendation of the carer/s' Fostering Social Worker.

2. Pre-Approval Training

It is a requirement that all foster carers attend an Assessment/Preparation Group. If there is a joint application, both applicants are required to attend all modules of the Assessment/Preparation Group.

Should the carer/s have already completed the Assessment/Preparation Group, the Fostering Team Manager will decide whether this should be repeated or only specific modules.

3. Assessment

The assessment will be a competency based assessment. Carers will be required to provide evidence of training and competencies as do all fostering applicants.

The assessment will normally be completed by the carers' Fostering Social Worker unless there are good reasons why this should not be so.

The recommendation as to registration must take into account the needs of any Connected Person placements still existing.

4. Statutory Checks/References

All reference and statutory checks which pertain to a new foster care applicant should occur. If these have recently been completed (e.g. as is required every three years) discussion should occur with the Fostering Team Manager as to whether the recent checks should be presented with the report to the Fostering Panel. See: References and Statutory Checks in Respect of Foster Carers, their Households and Networks Procedure.

5. Continuing Training

As with all foster carers, Connected Person carers who are assessed as carers for any Child Looked After within their registration, are expected to maintain a Training Portfolio and to attend training.