Concerns relating to foster carers take many forms and can originate from many sources including partner agencies, the carers’, the placed child(ren)’s family members or members of the public. These can be but are not limited to the care they provide, their behaviour direct or indirect, the behaviour of people connected to them, worries shared by children or others connected with them, non compliance with policies and procedures eg. Failing to notify their FSW of a new adult in the home or allegations of actual, possible or potential Physical, Emotional, Sexual, Neglect, Online harm.
Some but not all concerns constitute an allegation. Those that do require the implementation of the Allegations Management LADO process. These are defined by Working Together 2018 as follows:
If you are worried about the way a person who is in paid or voluntary employment with children has directly or indirectly:
- behaved in a way that has harmed a child
- possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child
- behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates that he or she would pose a risk of harm if they work regularly or closely with children.
You must follow this process:
- Alert your line Manager
- Contact the child’s allocated/duty social worker or if the concern relates to a child who is not a looked after child, a referral should be made to the MASH team. Along with you, they are responsible for taking steps to safeguarding any child that the person of concern may come into contact with.
- Contact the LADO by telephone 024 7697 5483 for advice and guidance, do not complete the online referral form until you have received LADO advice.
- Do not complete your own investigation.
- Do not share details of the allegation with the carers but provide advice on what the process will be and where they can gain further support and information. Advise them of the option to contact The Fostering Network Advice and Mediation worker.
Only the LADO can decide if the threshold is met for a Position of Trust (POT) process to be initiated.
If LADO decides that the threshold is met they will liaise with you, your line manager, the child’s social worker and their manager. At this stage your line manager should alert the Operational Lead for Fostering.
If the LADO decides that the threshold for a POT process is not met, they will provide advice on the next steps and record this advice in LADO records. The Fostering Team Manager and Operational Lead will make a decision at this stage relating to the implementation of the Standards of Care procedure. The person(s) of concern can be re -referred to LADO at any time and LADO can be consulted for allegations management advice and guidance during the Standards of Care process.
Practice Feedback and Recording
All foster carers receive regular feedback on their work from a variety of sources. This is recorded in supervisory visit records and is summarised in the Foster Carer Annual Review. Both positive and negative feedback should be thoroughly and accurately recorded by the Fostering Social Worker and Foster Carers should receive a copy of these records. Where foster carers disagree with the content of this recording, their views will also be recorded.
Where practice issues arise, the Fostering Social Worker will ensure that these are shared with the Foster Carers alongside a clear record of their responses. Any agreed actions or supports identified as a result of concerns raised should also be recorded. If a child has been harmed as a result of a practice issue the Allegations management process should be started, you may compromise the outcome of any investigation if advice from the LADO is not sought.
Regular and consistent feedback and clear expectations for Foster Carers will often prevent the need for more formal processes to be implemented.
Other practitioners and members of the team around the child will share any feedback they have about Foster Carers with the social worker responsible for their supervision.
The Standards of Care Criteria:
The Standards of Care Process will be initiated in the following circumstances:-
- Where concerns raised indicate that Foster Carers are not meeting the Fostering Regulations and National Minimum Standards
- Where concerns raised through regular feedback have not resulted in improvement in practice over time.
It is the decision of the Operational Lead for Fostering that a Foster Carer be considered through the Standards of Care process.
The Standards of Care Process
Within one working day of concerns being raised about standards of care, the foster carer should be alerted to the receipt of concern(s) and a visit arranged by the Fostering Team Manager and the supervising social worker to advise of the nature of the concerns and to discuss them further. The purpose of the initial visit should be confirmed with the foster carer. The carer should be advised the meeting is to share in detail the concerns received by the service and that consideration is being given to processing the matter under the standards of care process. Following the visit, the Supervising Social Worker and the Manager will feed back to the Fostering Operational Lead and a decision made whether to progress to the Standards of Care process.
The foster carer will be advised that advice and support including attendance at the meeting can be secured through the Fostering Network Advice and Mediation and Service.
A record of outcome from this visit should be drafted and shared with the foster carer within 3 working days. This written feedback will include reference to which Fostering Regulations and National Minimum Standards may have been breached. The foster carer should be given an opportunity to consider the record and make any further comments. The children's social worker will be advised of the outcome of the visit and a decision made by the allocated children's social worker, Team Manager if the child needs to be moved or other safeguarding measures put in place as an interim measure. In the case of a placement move, the Independent Reviewing Officer will also be consulted.
The Standards of Care Meeting will take place within 10 working days of the receipt of the concerns. The meeting will be formally minuted. Foster Carers should be made aware of the agenda for the meeting and who is likely to attend prior to it taking place.
The purpose of the Standards of Care Meeting is to determine if any fostering regulations have been breached and if so in what circumstances. The meeting will include the Foster Carers, their Supervising Social Worker, the Supervising Team Manager and Children’s social worker for any children in placement. The meeting will be chaired either by the Operational Lead or a Fostering Team Manager independent of the case. The chair will request both supervising social worker and the foster carer provide their view of events and the context of these events. Other parties such as the child's school, health practitioner etc. may be invited if deemed appropriate.
The Chair of the meeting will consider evidence and consider if a breach has occurred. Consideration will be given to the understanding of the Foster Carer of the actions alongside any previous feedback or actions identified. In some circumstances, the chair may wish to adjourn the meeting following hearing evidence prior to making a decision. If this is the case, the decision of the chair will be provided in writing to all parties within 2 working days.
Minutes from the Standards of Care Meeting with decisions will be forwarded to the foster carer for comment within 10 working days.
The Chair will decide whether each concern has been upheld or not upheld. If the evidence is inconclusive the concern will be considered not upheld. The chair will also determine whether the concerns upheld constitute a breach of the Fostering Regulations and National Minimum Standards. A clear plan will be made to address any concerns which are upheld. This plan will be provided to the Foster Carer in writing. Possible outcomes might be:-
- Additional supports be identified for the Foster Carer (e.g. increased visiting, buddying with another Foster Carer, attendance at training)
- The Foster Carer Review be updated to consider changes in approval / de-registration
- The Standards of Care Information and Updated Review be presented to Fostering Panel
The Meeting will determine a timescale for each of the identified actions.
The supervising social worker will be responsible ensuring the child(ren's) allocated social worker is kept updated and advised of any implications arising from the Standards of Care recommendations in respect to the current placement of the child(ren).
Availability for Vacant Placements
During the allegations or standards of care process, it may not be appropriate for the Foster Carer to be approached for new placements. The Fostering Agency Decision Maker will determine whether a vacancy is suspended. Placement suspensions may be lifted at any time during the Standards of Care Process as information arises or following its conclusion. A decision to suspend the placement(s) will be made in writing to the foster carer with a copy held on file.
Agenda for the Standards of Care Meeting
- Standards of Care Meeting
- Date:
- Present:
- Foster Carer:
- Original approval date:
- Category of approval:
- Children in Placement at time of concern:
- Child standards of care issue relates to:
- Has there been any previous standards of care issues?
- Early FHR needed? Yes No
- Reason for Standards of Care meeting:
- Foster carer’s view
- Social worker’s view:
- What elements of the Standards, fostering agreement or foster carers handbook does it breach?
- Action: