Foster Parent Handbook
Index
Introduction
Getting it Right for Every Child
Chapter 1 | Fostering Services & the Role of Foster Parents
How do children and young people get placed in foster care?
How do children and young people come to be looked after children?
What are Fostering Services?
What laws govern fostering?
The Role and Status of Foster Parents
What is a foster parent?
Terms of approval
Matching foster parents to children who need a permanence foster placement
Can children be placed with foster parents outside of their terms of approval?
Review of Approval
The usual fostering limit
Foster parents and data protection
Significant changes to the foster parent/s' household
What happens if a foster parent has a new partner?
What if foster parents want members of their extended family or friends to move into the household?
What if a foster parent becomes pregnant?
Foster parents and child minding
What are foster parent reviews?
Process for Internal foster parent reviews
Information collected for the review
Matters covered by the review
The review reports
Proposals to change foster parents' terms of approval
Role of the supervising social worker in relation to foster parent reviews
Who sits on a Fostering Panel?
Chapter Two | Support and Supervision
What is a 'supervising social worker'?
What is supervision?
When and where should supervision take place?
What is discussed in supervision meetings?
Written records of supervision
Unannounced Visits and Inspection
Learning and Development Team
Training and development for staff
Training and development for foster parents
What is the purpose of training?
What core training courses are available?
Training records and foster parent reviews
What training methods are used?
How to apply for training courses
Training attendance records
Evaluation of training courses
Allegations against Foster Parents
What is an allegation?
Who will deal with the allegation?
How will the investigation be handled?
During an investigation
At the end of the Investigation
What can foster parents do if they are unhappy with the outcome?
Principles of the complaints and representations procedure
Definition of a complaint/representation
Who can make a complaint or representation?
Stages of complaint
How will Fosterplus respond to a Stage 2 complaint?
What to do if you are not satisfied and wish a review (Stage 3)
What to do if you are still not satisfied
Chapter Three | Record-Keeping and Information
What records are kept by Fosterplus?
How does a foster parent access the records held about them?
Who else can access a foster parent's records?
What is CHARMS?
CHARMS Foster Parent Login
Guidelines on recording
How to record
Content of recording
Data Protection
How should foster parents store any records outside of CHARMS?
Confidentiality
Chapter Four | Placing Children and Young People
Foster Parent Profile
Child Friendly profile
Planned Placements
Matching and risk assessment
Risk Assessments
Review of risk assessments
Family Safer Caring Plan
Emergency Placements
Information to foster parents
What information should you ask for?
Information to children/young people
Introductory meetings
Bedrooms
Placement Planning Meetings
What is a placement plan?
Timescales for the placement plan
Contents of the placement plan
Chapter Five | Care Planning and Case Reviews
The Framework for Care Planning
Wellbeing
What is a care plan?
What's in a Child's Plan?
Timeframe for drawing up a care plan
Contents of a care plan
The Child's Social Worker and Local Authority Responsibility
What are the responsibilities of the child's social worker?
How often should the child's social worker visit?
What should the child's social worker do when he or she visits?
What should foster parents discuss with the child's social worker?
Role and Responsibilities of the Reviewing Officer
What is the purpose of the looked after and accommodated child's case review?
Timing of case reviews
Child protection review conferences - timing in relation to LAAC review
Preparation for looked after and accommodated child review meetings
The LAAC meeting
The report of the LAAC review meeting
Chapter Six | Care of Children and Young People
The Child's Wishes and Feelings
Children's Guides
Participation of Children and Young People
Fosterplus young people's participation groups
Why might a child need an advocate?
What does an independent advocate do?
How does a child or young person access an advocate?
Children and Young People's Commissioner
Promoting a positive identity and valuing diversity
Equal opportunities
Trans-racial and trans-cultural placements
Promoting cultural identity
Religion
Dealing with discrimination
Birth certificates
Passports
What is life story work?
Ways to gather information for life story work
What happens to the life story book?
Children's Behaviour and Relationships
Self-Regulation and Behaviour Management Training
The importance of secure base
Understanding children's behaviour
Information and support to foster parents around behaviour
Availability - Approaches for helping children to build trust
Sensitivity - approaches for helping children to manage feelings and behaviour
Acceptance - approaches for building self esteem
Co-operation - approaches for helping children to feel effective – and be co-operative
Family Membership - approaches for helping children to belong
Belonging in an adoptive family, foster family or residential group
Allowing children to take risks
Acceptable sanctions and punishments
Unacceptable measures of control and discipline
Physical intervention by foster parents
Recording of sanctions
Suicide and self-harm
Confiscation of dangerous, illegal or unacceptable items
Safeguarding Children / Child Protection
What is child abuse?
Staff and foster parents who are in positions of trust
Disclosure Scotland Checks
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
Child Sexual Exploitation Risk Assessments
Female Genital Mutilation
Who are trafficked children?
Identifying trafficked children
Safeguarding children at risk of being trafficked
Children at risk of going missing
What to do when a child or young person is missing
Reporting the child as missing
When a Missing Child is Found
How should foster parents respond when a Missing Child is found?
Recording when a child goes missing
Payments to foster parents when a child is missing
Bullying
What is bullying and how to respond?
Bullying at School
Bullying in the Community
Bullying behaviours by a child
Bullying against foster parents
Cyber Bullying
What risks do the Internet and Social Networking Sites present?
What do foster parents need to do to minimise risk?
Computer security in the home
Age Classification
Social networking sites - foster parents
Social networking sites - children
Sexting
Access to television, videos and adult magazines
Photography and videos
Support Network
Adults planning to stay with foster parents
Holiday with friends and relatives of foster parents
Holiday Planning Guidance
Overnight stays and visits
What information do I need to obtain when a child stays away?
Health and safety responsibilities
Health checklist when children and young people are first placed
Registration with the local GP
Health assessments
Involving parents and those with parental responsibility
Comprehensive Health Assessments
Hospitalisation
Consent to medical treatment
Health promotion
Healthy eating
Vitamins and homeopathic remedies
Physical activity
Leisure activities
Vaccinations (Immunisations)
Medication
HIV and AIDS
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Meningitis
Smoking
Electronic Cigarettes
Alcohol
Drugs
What are illegal drugs?
Talking to children and young people about drugs
What if I find drugs in my home?
Common symptoms of drug misuse
Sexual health
Consent and Confidentiality
Sexuality
Sexual Orientation
Contraception
Pregnancy
Abortion
Mental health
What can foster parents do to promote mental health and emotional wellbeing?
Eating disorders
Therapy
CAMHS
Death of a child
The duty and responsibilities of local authorities to promote educational achievement
National Improvement Framework
Curriculum for Excellence
Children with Additional Support Needs
Educational Outcomes
What is the role of fostering services in promoting educational achievement?
School placements – choosing a school, admissions, transitions
Exclusion
Truancy
School uniform, equipment, transport and other school expenses
Further and higher education
Principles of family time
The birth parents (and others with parental responsibility)
The role of foster parents in family time
Support to foster parents around family time
Restrictions on or termination of family time
Recording family time
Throughcare and After Care
What is a Staying Put arrangement?
Effect on the usual fostering limit
Financial arrangements for Staying Put Arrangements
Why do children with disabilities need foster care?
Training and guidance
Equipment and accommodation
Children with disabilities and child abuse
Who are unaccompanied asylum seeking children?
Matching with foster parents
Support to foster parents and young people
Education and translators
Health care
Family time