In today's practice session we discussed the extended role of support workers within the agency, and also good practice in relation to carers own support network (please note the use of the word “respite” - appreciate agencies are currently looking at alternatives - but used in the notes below to describe a foster carer, approved by the agency who is available for short interventions for children)
Staff working within the fostering service
- Although agencies are thinking creatively about the additional support that staff can offer, we discussed if it was appropriate for support workers to offer “respite” type support - not the looking after children whilst carers have a couple of hours off, or collecting children and taking them out etc - but if a carer needs to go away for an evening or even extended period - a role outside and separate from their “9-5” contract. The general agreement in the group was this was not appropriate the following could be of a concern
- Staff - contracts of employment
- Cross boundaries, professional boundaries - employees have differing remits
- Support networks are often friends and family
- Allegations - or if the foster carer does not agree with something re the support worker - changing the dynamics, the question of professional relationship - and risks of impacting on their role as an employee
- Caring for children in the carers own home - few hrs as part of their role - risk assessments etc
- Caring for children in the workers home - definitely not - this is the workers private space
- Safer caring - how this is considered
- Payments - and how this is thought about - not through their regular salary
- Insurance - is this out of the remit of their role
- Employment law
- Exceptional circumstances - e.g. the support worker is present until a family member or alternative respite carer can arrive or collect the child - but not as an agreed form of planned respite - conflict of interest? - role with other carers, etc - expectations
- Support workers - who might go and support the respite or support network carer early evening to settle things and be extra support - then leave (example was they stay in a hotel) - paid work
- Foster carers home is not a place of employment - the support worker has a place of employment (discussion re the use of residential workers
- Only type of care arrangement that gives 24 hour access to your own home - reason for highly regulated
There is nothing specific in the regulations, again it is down to being able to satisfy yourselves that carers are able to meet the expectations to foster, that you undertake all the necessary checks and assessments to keep children safe as possible and provide a “duty of care” to your carers
- This differed in the group - some agency’s did not have a policy or “assessment” through to agency’s having a robust process of checks and assessment and agreed through the ADM process.
- Emotional support - listening ear - agency clear on what and how info is shared
- Practical support - being physically available
- If a carers support network was limited, would this halt the assessment process?
- References - need to be strong, known to foster carers and not an acquaintance - show they are able to maintain relationships
- Single applicants - the value of support networks
- Each application on own merit - the full picture, their circumstances in relation to additional support - not a blanket “no” if can't identify support networks
- Genograms - helpful to see the strength of support - dotted lines - eg telephone support, through to thick lines - being able to come around to the carers home to help - identify a peer supporter or someone in the background that you consider might be a good link - respite carer if this person is successful in the application
Types of support network
- Adult children - who might come and sleep in the carers home and support their parent - sometimes agreed for 48 hrs (some agency’s and LA max) through to a couple of weeks - know the child, have a good relationship and understanding of their needs - also caring for children in their known environment, less disruption (might be the adult child or support network would not have the physical home to offer children)
- Friends of family - less likely to offer the above - more ad-hoc interventions - DBS
- Ongoing identified linked “respite” carer - that belongs to the agency
- Day care - from a regular or respite carer - this has been helpful if children are not in school and the carer needs to have some time away during the day - where possible the same person - complications for this arise re payments due to the level of pay - if the hourly rate is very low may struggle to get someone to do this, if too high may get the regular carer questioning their own weekly allowance
- Peripatetic foster carers - who care for children in the main foster carers home - maybe linked to a few children - less disruption - but have been through the assessment and approval process (they might not have the room in their own home or suitability, this could be creative and encourage a few more applications)
- Foster carers home - some don't want this arrangement, someone else in their home - and this also means that the foster carer has to “go away” - which might not be the purpose, the need - might need space in their own home for a few days
Checks to assessment
See a member's helpful link below re DBS whether entitled to undertake such a check. If you don’t answer the questions the correct way on the DBS system you may only be allowed to undertake a Basic DBS Check. The following is helpful:
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
- DBS - some agencies undertook and paid for a couple of nominated supporters - some undertook as many as identified - sometimes up to 8 people - but all agreed that DBS for regular unsupervised contact with children was the minimum
- Meet the support network carer
- Discussion with the main carer as to the strengths of their support person and why they would leave children with them
- Discuss and develop the safer caring policy
- Share relevant information about fostering, the children and policies that they may need to be aware of
- Training - everyone agreed should access safeguarding training (basic - either in person or made available on-line) - other agency’s offered and asked they attended a few other courses
- Support network training - some agency’s offer a course that includes info about fostering, covers a few areas - safeguarding, safer caring, health and safety etc - this is an excellent idea that is offered in an ongoing way for anyone considering being a support network carer - this has also included therapeutic parenting introduction
- Reporting and access to support and emergency numbers
- Support networks - different to delegated authority as possibly more regular support and overnights and for the purpose of the carers support and not the more informal children having overnight stays with a friend or relative (for what reason is this taking place)
- Some agencies undertake a matching report
- Discussion with the LA - informs this process - work in partnership
Short assessment will include:
- Relationship with carers, relationship with children
- Observation of this relationship
- Suitability of accommodation if children intend to go there and if they are staying in the foster carers home - how they are aware of the health and safety in the home
- Safer caring - understanding and how this might differ
- Car - do they have insurance, mot - able to transport children
- What might be different about their home - eg pets - is this ok
- Health - a little re this - and if they are “fit” to care
- Any previous experience of caring for children
- Any relevant training and what the agency can offer
- Understanding of risk, risk assessments to be undertaken
- Expectations of support form them- eg recording
- What they expect from the agency and being available for support
- SW analysis
- ADM - or senior manager to sign off - management oversight
The support network intervention - if over a few days/weeks (often agreed with the agency and LA as within the interests of children - less disruption)
- Out of hours info
- Check in calls
- Unannounced visit
- Seeing children alone
- Supervision - and visits to the home
- Child remains the responsibility of the main carer - and they need to be prepared to come home (if in the country) and if abroad, there is a “back up respite carer” - that can intervene - they might be paid a small retainer to be available in an emergency
- Additional support from support workers etc
Paying support networks
- The allowance should be split into 2 areas - the child care allowance and the carers professional fee
- The agencies do not pay the support carers direct - as they are not foster carers
- The foster carer chooses to pay their own support network out of their allowance above
- Some give all to their support network
- Agency advice should be that at least the child care allowance / element is given to the support carer to enable them to pay for things for the child
