Thoughts from me, but of course you are likely to have your own areas you would like to discuss...

  • Using the portal or a company to check dbs
  • Whether your policy accepts the portal - and whether you still undertake anything more for new or transferring carers
  • How you are alerted to a renewal
  • How successful you are at obtaining checks within a timeframe - or needing to defer at panel
  • That you never make in principle decisions without DBS
  • Access to information - “soft” intelligence and police sharing or not
  • LA and if they share the above etc
  • If they ever expire and the process you follow if this happens (with or without children in the foster family care)
  • Enhanced checks - checks for working with children or children and adults (parent and child)
  • Storing of information
  • Who else you dbs - all household members over 18 and extended family who are regular visitors
  • Nominated support networks
  • Staying put
  • Adults of a parent and child
  • When you might notify the dbs following concerns and who would undertake this - vetting and baring
  • Also what we include the sharing of information with LAs in monitoring exercises. How much or little do IFAs share about DBS's. Be good to just check everyone is aware of the requirements on this one (which can differ from the ask!)

Members discussion

  • Discussion re the faith in the dbs sharing of info - not getting the soft information
  • Examples shared where association with drug dealers evident and not on dbs and although known to police - not shared - resulted in drugs being on premises whilst fostering - de-reg
  • DBS referral undertaken - vetting and barring
  • Soft intelligence not shared as described as not a trustworthy source
  • If dbs dont bar can still work with vulnerable children or adults
  • File reads can share worries - but again people reluctant to record
  • Info that was relevant to risks was not shared by the LA when applicants applied to fostering - led to major concerns whilst fostering children
  • Hard as all a dbs shows is if someone has been caught
  • Been burnt a few times as not sharing - really poor practice that serious information came to light by others over time
  • LA background checks on families - LA yes known to us but not sharing how or why known
  • Can't disclose as unfounded or unsubstantiated - leads to concerns and harm of children - surely to share can be balanced and proportionate through the assessment and risk process by professionals
  • Form f’s and reviews - not always included
  • SCR - many examples of not sharing information or working together - of glossing over, of light touch - all unaccepatalbe
  • Support networks - nothing came up on DBS but shared by LA that known and led to the agency saying unable to accept them as a support network for children - this can lead to additional difficult conversations re the foster carers person they put forward and how much is or is not shared
  • DBS are coming back with more queries - eg what is the connection and links to the family
  • Are names correct etc - even though know it is
  • Sometimes comes back with the wrong spelling and names from dbs despite agency giving the correct details
  • Umbrella companies often used to undertake this work
  • Some come back within a few days and others many weeks
  • Stage 4 is where they are often stuck - 60 days before can chase with police
  • Agencies allowing several months for this process as getting worse - many put alert on around 6 mths and some agencies now saying 9 mths before due
  • Lots of queries from dbs of why undertaking
  • Example of an application in kent that was at stage 4 for 7 mths and the whole thing took 10 mths - escalated to commissioner in police - reason - resource
  • Issued dbs where missed out middle name that was provided
  • Update service only as good as day undertaken - hope would hear other ways
  • Agencies check the update 6 mthly and at least annually as part of review process
  • Some agencies no longer doing update service as some were not being renewed in timeframe by the person responsible - staff or foster carers and the gap meant had to re-apply
  • Worker or foster carers pay and is reimbursed by the agency
  • Consent for the info to go to the agency - is this allowed
  • Where people do the update - still undertake a full dbs every 3 yrs as this is more thorough and not a snapshot as the update system seems to be
  • Update service just says “no change”
  • Carers send receipt and then reimbursed
  • My dbs is my responsibility and same for carers - however admin tracking them - system for monitoring
  • Audits and reports being ran often
  • Some agencies have some on update and others full dbs - this could bring issues and risk of drift or things being missed - most feel it should be one or other - and most liked the re application of 3-yearly alongside
  • Charms report - pull monthly whos due in the next 12 mths
  • Monthly compliance to social workers - they are notified 9 mths in advance
  • Case studies shared with foster carers as part of the assessment - why things need to be shared and many opportunities to be transparent and show how encouraged honesty throughout - where not shared and find out following this is likely to lead to end of the assessment
  • Foster carers agreement - and expectations and supervision process - reinforce - and again if not sharing - could result in termination of approval
  • Risk assessment - undertaken and considered by management structure
  • Parent just 18 - parent and child - always PNC or no placement arrangement - where there are other children in the home or potential for this
  • Parents of parent and child might have a criminal record - consideration of risks alongside other children
  • New partners - discussion re the timing of checks - link to the good practice below
  • Not an out of date DBS - best practice and consider the policy in the agency
  • Monitoring arrangements DBS
  • What are LA’s asking for re fc and staff - and how is this shared - GDPR-however safeguarding trumps this
  • Consent for foster carers in sharing of their info throughout and who can share it with and why - need to be clear and explicit
  • Receiving requests from LA’s to see HR on staff or carers and level of detail - should be more about knowing the agency have done the due diligence and followed their own policy and should they not have - they have to deal with the consequecnes
  • Levels of trust and responsibility to keep children safer
  • Requests from LA’s for ALL foster carers details and not just who their children are placed with - why ! not acceptable
  • Also request details of carer training etc etc - ALL carers - surely this only becomes relevant to them if they are considering placing a child or how the arrangements once a child is placed is being monitored and carers are supported and equipped
  • Ofsted inspect and audit
  • Agencies keep when dbs undertaken, number, and outcome only● If LA’s are asking for social workers of the agency HR details why arnt they asking for teachers, etc - can understand their interest in foster carers as children living with the family - but staff is no difference to any other professional that works with a child
  • Regulatory service - being monitored - agency just needs to say they are fulfilling the expectations of being an approved fostering provider
  • LA is not the regulator - sent complaint to ofsted re the agency as they refused to give all the info of their HR files staff and ALL foster carers - said the agency had been obstructive
  • Agencies never withhold info that would compromise safety of children and others
  • Yet it seems the police or the LA at times choose to do this
  • Triage DBS - agencies consider the harm test and then the triage service will decide if met the threshold or not - this is not for the agency to decide
  • Many agencies have a confidential space for things like medicals and locked down to specific people
  • Guardian saints to be invited to discuss DBS and also holding on to info like medicals

Chat

Shared from NAFP

Serious Case Review - lots of info in here re the non sharing of information that led to harm !!!!

10:39:47 From Harvey Gallagher to Everyone:

Assessing new partners of existing foster carers

https://www.gov.uk/find-out-dbs-check/y/caring-for-or-working-with-children-under-18-or-working-in-a-school/teaching-or-caring-for-children/fostering-or-adopting-a-child-or-working-with-fostered-or-adopted-children/fostered/named-foster-care-support/yes

● WE just use the full DBS service at the moment, not the Update service. interested to hear what others are doing.

● We only share details in relation to the placing authority child and nothing else.

● Refer someone to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

● Employers must refer someone to DBS if they:

● sacked them because they harmed someone

● sacked them or changed their role because they might have harmed someone

● were planning to sack them for either of these reasons, but they resigned first

1. The IFA to provide a copy of their DBS policy and write a statement confirming that they adhere to this and

ensure all eligible staff have been DBS checked and the provider has deemed these to be satisfactory OR

2. The IFA gives a list of all eligible staff and the dates and DBS numbers.

Were members saying they thought LAs should be asking for 1, 2, both or neither?!

1 is what should happen.

2 is what we end of doing as it’s the path of least resistance

There is also the whole we aren’t really allowed to have enhanced dbs’ on staff despite saying the fostering regs say we have to!