Family & Friends
(& Connected Persons) Care Policy
Claudia Gordon & Kathy Jobber
(September 2011)
LEGAL CONTEXT
• Fostering Regulations and National Minimum Standards
(NMS 30) 2011
• Additional Statutory Guidance Family & Friends Care 2011
• Requirement to have a Policy stating how Local Authorities
will promote and support the needs of children brought up by
members of their extended families, friends or other people
who have a connection with them for a variety of reasons
and in a variety of circumstances
• Expectation that we shall consult carers & others about this
policy
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Values & Principles
• Child’s welfare & interests are central
• Where a child cannot live with immediate family strenuous
efforts will be made for them to identify carers within the
child’s network
• Support will be based on assessed needs of the child & not
simply on their legal status
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LOCAL AUTHORITY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Duty to safeguard & promote the welfare of ‘Children in
Need’ living in the area and promote their upbringing by their
families – practical, financial or other support
• Children in Need live in a variety of formal/informal
arrangements
• ‘Looked After’ children are those children for whom the LA
have a responsibility wherever possible to place with a
family member (sec 17 of Children Act 1989)
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FINANCIAL SUPPORT
• The policy spells out the type of financial support provided to
family and friends who are caring for children in the different
contexts
• Different arrangements/ placements – children living with
Family & Friends informally or as looked after children,
Adoption, Special Guardianship & Residence Orders
• Children In Need - ‘one off’ payments or regular basis under
Sec 17 of the Children Act 1989 based on Needs Assessment
• Looked After Children – Fostering allowance
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TYPES OF PLACEMENTS/ARRANGEMENTS
Informal Family & Friends Care
• family make their own arrangements for the care of a
child in their family network
• Dudley Children’s Services (DCS) has no duty to assess
– unless services are required to safeguard/promote the
welfare of a ‘Child in Need’
• If a child is assessed as being ‘in need’ – plan of support
(including financial support if necessary)
• DCS will follow principles of the Children Act in
determining the needs of the child and the support
required
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TYPES OF PLACEMENTS/ARRANGEMENTS
Private Fostering
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Child cared for by someone who is not a close relative
28 days+
Not ‘looked after’
But Dudley has a duty to assess under Private Fostering
Regulations 2005
• Child may/may not be assessed as a ‘Child in Need’
• Dudley will draw up a support plan including financial
support if assessed as necessary
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TYPES OF PLACEMENTS/ARRANGEMENTS
1 Family & Friends Foster Carers – ‘Connected Persons’
• Child meets the ‘threshold’ for being ‘looked after’
• Dudley identifies family member to be approved as a Foster Carer
for a ‘named child’ who may be placed
• Temporary approval for the placement can be made for up to 16
weeks for assessment to be completed
• financial support from the District SW team from point of
placement prior to Viability Assessment being presented to
Fostering Panel within 8 weeks
• Following ‘Approval with Conditions’ by Fostering Panel full level 1
fostering allowance is paid backdated to date of placement
• Child’s Placement Plan clarifies specific arrangements
• Same assessment process ‘mainstream foster carers’ only timescales are different – assessment is also for a named child and
training requirements are different after approval
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TYPES OF PLACEMENTS/ARRANGEMENTS
2 Family & Friends Foster Carers – ‘Connected Persons’
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Access to Fostering Website & other electronic information
If hard copies are required they can be provided
Statement of Purpose – outlines how Family & Friends Carers will
be supervised, supported and trained
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F&F Training programme CWDC
Supervising Social Worker
Membership of DFCA
Carer’s Support Group
In house mandatory training
Leaving care provisions under Leaving Care Act 2000
Access to KEEP skills training
Fostering Allowance Level 1
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TYPES OF PLACEMENTS/ARRANGEMENTS
Residence Order
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•
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Legal order gives shared ‘Parental Responsibility’
Lasts until 18 yrs
Relatives may apply after 1 year caring
Can be a private application
Can be an option to provide permanency for a child with a
Family & Friends carer with whom they have been living
• Dudley pays an allowance equivalent to level 1 Fostering
Allowance to former F&F carers
• Private applications are means tested against Adoption
Support Allowance
Adoption Manager is responsible for decisions
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TYPES OF PLACEMENTS/ARRANGEMENTS
Special Guardianship Order
• Legal order gives ‘Parental Responsibility’ for day-to-day (more
rights than in Residence Order)
• Lasts until 18 yrs
• Relatives may apply after 1 year caring
• Can be a private application
• Can be an option to provide permanency for a child with a Family &
Friends carer with whom they have been living
• Dudley has a duty to assess support needs (inc financial)
• Key principle – there should be no financial impediment to the
making of an order for former ‘looked After’ children
• ‘Exceptional needs’ can justify ongoing support beyond 2 years
specified in SGO Regulations 2005
• Policy clarifies the criteria to an applicant to qualify for financial
support
• Assistant Director responsible for decisions re financial support
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TYPES OF PLACEMENTS/ARRANGEMENTS
Adoption
• Total PR & rights conferred on Adoptive parents
• Child legally becomes a child of the adoptive family
• May be an appropriate permanency outcome for a child with
F&F carers
• Duty of Dudley to assess need for a range of support
services to form part of adoption plan (inc financial)
• Details of Adoption Support Scheme & criteria is available
• Assistant Director responsible for decisions re financial
support under Adoption Regulations
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FINANCIAL SUPPORT: GENERAL PRINCIPLES
• 3 Types of payment
• Subsistence/crisis (one off) payments
• Setting up – e.g. clothing, furniture or bedding – financial
assessment completed by SW
• Weekly living contribution – to carers – not necessarily always
‘looked after’ status – based on assessment and written
agreement
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CRITERIA FOR PAYMENTS
• Purpose – safeguard or promote welfare of the child
• Based on Assessment of financial need ‘reasonable
requirements in taking care of the child’
• No other legitimate means of financial support
• Payments to carers not parents
• Payment must not place any person in a fraudulent position
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OTHER FORMS OF SUPPORT FROM CHILDREN’S
SERVICES
• Accommodation – advocacy with Landlords to secure priority
for moves to more suitable accommodation
• Duty to promote contact with parents - particularly if the child
is ‘looked after’ unless it is not practicable or not in the child’s
interests – part of care planning
• Policy gives details of organisations for support with contact
issues
• Family Group Conferences – both for CIN or ‘looked after’
children – involve wider family to resolve difficulties – more
information is available
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COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
Where a Family or Friends carer is not satisfied with the level
of support provided to enable them to care for a child then
they have access to Dudley’s complaints process.
Our aim is to resolve any dissatisfaction without the need for
a formal investigation but where an informal resolution is not
possible, then a formal investigation will be arranged
There are clear timescales about how long matters should
take to be resolved – more information is available.
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YOUR COMMENTS/FEEDBACK?
We would welcome your thoughts on this draft policy
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