4.6.6 Supervision and Support to Foster Carers |
Contents
- Introduction
- Frequency of Visits
- Purpose of Supervision and Recording
- Agenda for Supervision
- Recording
- Unannounced Visits
- Advocacy and Mediation
- Core Training
1. Introduction
Support and Supervision of foster carers is vital and is linked to the overall retention rate. Foster carers need help and support with difficulties that arise from the fostering role and also in connection with the care of a particular child. Fostering makes demands on the whole family and can be the cause of stress in family relationships. Early support and supervision is important whilst new carers develop the skills needed to cope with the demands and problems they face. Continuing support is needed to maintain carers and to help carers with new challenges.
Foster carers derive support from a variety of sources including:
- The carer's own support and community
- The child's parents and other birth family members
- The child's social worker and manager
- The fostering supervisory worker, Group Manager - Fostering, duty officer and administrative staff
- Other foster carers
- Foster carer support groups and associations (The supervising social worker will provide information and support to carers to participate with peer support and foster carer associations.)
- Professional recognition, information, financial support, training
- The sections of the Department
- Outside agencies e.g. schools, health service (Carers will be provided with advice and support to liaise with agencies working with children in placement such as health and education)
Every foster carer including Connected Person foster carers should have an allocated named supervisory worker, who should be a qualified worker. The supervisory worker may be the worker who undertook the assessment. Race and gender need to be considered in allocation of the supervisory worker, where resources permit.
Foster carers are provided with breaks from caring as appropriate. These are planned to take account of the needs of any children placed.
2. Frequency of Visits
Each approved foster carer will be linked to a named supervising social worker, who will meet with the foster carer on a regular basis after approval has been given.
Supervisory workers will contact each carer at least monthly. They will carry out a supervisory visit to each temporary carer at least once every two months and respite and long-term carers at least every three months. More frequent visits are required: by newly approved carers; where there are particular difficulties and when requested by the carer. Supervisory workers need to see both approved carers where a couple are jointly approved at least twice annually.
In addition, the supervising social worker will have regular telephone contact with the foster carer.
Where the foster carer requests a visit urgently, the supervising social worker will visit within 48 hours or as soon as practicable thereafter.
Supervisory workers should monitor the support given to the carers and the placement. This will include frequency of visits, reviews and information provided. Where there are issues the Supervisory worker needs to feedback to the child’s social worker.
Supervisory workers should monitor the appropriateness of placement(s) and that these are within approval criteria. Whether the carer wishes to change approval terms and whether carers require a break.
Supervisory workers need to monitor the length of placement and speak with children’s social worker where there is a risk of placement exceeding terms of carer’s approval.
Supervisory workers need to monitor changes in the carer’s household, including health issues, changes in accommodation, changes in relationships, people moving in and out of the household. Supervisory workers need to visit the household and discuss and bring forward the annual review as appropriate. The supervisory worker needs to inform the child’s worker of any significant change.
CRB checks are required on any new adult members that is people aged 16 years and over. Supervisory workers are required to provide the CRB to the carer for completion and to pass to Clerical Officer Fostering. Supervisory workers need to discuss with supervisor whether a new member to the household needs to be interviewed.
Close liaison between the child’s social worker and supervisory worker is most important. The carer needs to know that this will happen routinely although should be informed before it takes place over a specific issue. The child's social worker and Supervisory worker should communicate regularly by phone and make joint visits to the carer.
3. Purpose of Supervision and Recording
The supervising social worker will aim to ensure through supervision that the foster carer is aware of, understands, accepts and operates the standards, policies, procedures and guidance contained in this Manual and the Foster Carer’s Handbook.
Each supervision meeting will have a clear purpose and agenda.
Supervisory workers must record the visit and its outcomes on the Supervisory Link Visit Record Form and a copy should be sent to the carer within 10 working days of the visit. Record should include any concerns expressed, support needs identified and proposals for action.
Supervisory workers are required to conduct an annual health and safety audit of the household-using checklist.
4. Agenda for Supervision
Supervision is a positive, enabling and supportive opportunity for foster carers.
It should be seen as a two-way process and should provide foster carers with the opportunity to give feedback to the local authority on their experience in fostering and their views about the quantity and quality of support. Carers may provide a list of all the items they want to discuss prior to the visit.
Supervision should also help them to have:
- Their strengths and weaknesses recognised and developed
- Their skills and potential enhanced
- Their relationship with the local authority enhanced
- Their performance positively challenged and managed
- Strategies that deal with the impact of foster care on the wider family. This can include direct work with the existing children in the family.
The supervision agenda will include:
- An assessment of the understanding of and compliance with the standards, policies, procedures and guidance of the Fostering Service in relation to Looked After Children, including health and safety issues and what to do in emergencies (and guide carer to references in the handbook)
- An assessment of the understanding of and compliance with the National Minimum Standards for Fostering and the relevant Regulations
- Monitor and review the carer's attendance at support group meetings.
- Any placement issues including whether the foster carer has the necessary documentation for children in placement and any concerns about contact arrangements. Supervisory workers must take up with the carer any issues which arise and come to the attention of the Supervisory worker, either directly or from the child’s social worker, child/young person or parent.
- Plans and Strategies for the management of the behaviour of the children in placement.
- Any fostering household issues including changes in circumstances and health and safety issues.
- An assessment of the training needs of the foster carer and the identification of suitable ways of meeting those needs including the foster carer’s responsibility for their own development
- The need for any additional support or training and a review of the training that has been provided.
- A review of the foster carer’s record keeping to ensure that the Child’s Daily Record is being completed and stored appropriately; and that records of the child’s health, any incidents, absences and restraints are being kept in accordance with procedures
- The communication of any further information, including cover arrangements when the supervising social worker is absent.
- The date for the next supervision
5. Recording
Records of the supervisory meetings will be signed by the supervising social worker and the foster carer. Any differences of view should be noted. A copy should be retained on the foster carer’s record. Supervising Social Workers should use a duplicate recording form and leave the carer with a copy when they complete the visit.
The supervising social worker will also sign the records kept by the foster carer and indicate on the records the date when they were reviewed.
6. Unannounced Visits
The supervising social worker will also monitor and evaluate the performance of the foster carer by carrying out unannounced visits at least annually. The visits will take place between 9.00.a.m. and 7.00.p.m. Monday to Saturday and will include an examination of the foster children’s bedrooms as well as the communal areas.
After such a visit, the supervising social worker will record the observations on the standard monthly report and provide a copy to the foster carer, with a copy being placed on the foster carer’s case record. Any areas of concern will also be addressed during the next available supervision.
7. Advocacy and Mediation
Supervisory workers may advocate on behalf of a carer on specific issues and in particular situations. Supervisory workers should help carers in representing their views. Supervisory workers should endeavour to ensure that carers receive information, finances and equipment speedily. Supervisory workers must recognise when they are unable to support or advocate for a carer because this would conflict with the primary responsibility to the child, and then should arrange advocacy or support from elsewhere. The role of the supervisory worker is not to offer unconditional support to the carer but s/he does have a responsibility to the carer to ensure that the carer gets support from somewhere.
Supervisory workers may occasionally need to mediate between the carer and the child’s social worker when they are unable to resolve differences independently. The supervisory worker may work alongside the child’s worker in mediating between the carer and child/young person or birth parents.
8. Core Training
Foster care is a demanding and difficult task. The Department has an obligation to provide ongoing training and to recruit carers with a commitment to training and personal development.
Some training is provided during the assessment stage, and core training is provided after approval. Carers have and can go on to be qualified through National Vocational Qualifications.
Carers should have the training they have undertaken evaluated and to have personal goals identified during annual reviews when the training needed to meet these goals is identified
Foster carers following approval are expected to complete a number of core training courses. Respite carers for disabled children will have additional or separate courses. Core training courses currently planned are:
HEALTH AND SAFETY |
LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN |
CHILD PROTECTION |
ADMIN |
WORKING WITH DIVERSITY |
DIRECT WORK WITH CHILDREN |
MODULE 1 Paediatric first aid plus 2-3 hr top up training to remain certified. Respite Carers Special First Aid Course |
MODULE 1 Introduction to LAC Policy and Procedures |
MODULE 1 Introduction to Child Protection – SCB 2 days Day 1: Awareness Day 2: Working Together |
MODULE 1 Record keeping and Child Welfare |
MODULE 1 Equal Opportunities General awareness how discrimination works The nature of diversity |
MODULE 1 Communicating with children |
MODULE 2 Moving and Handling Children Respite Carers: Special course M&H Children with Disabilities |
MODULE 2 Educational and Health Development of Children |
MODULE 2 Safe caring – Minimising the risk of Allegations of Abuse (Implementing Bromley Child Care Policy and Procedures) |
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MODULE 2 Developing a sense of Self In Foster Children |
MODULE 2 Managing and Preventing Challenging Behaviour |
MODULE 3 Maintaining a Safe and Healthy Environment Harmful Substances Food Hygiene |
MODULE 3 Making Placements work Helping Children Move |
MODULE 3 Respite Carers M Foster Carers D Disability Awareness and Child Protection ACPC – 2 days |
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MODULE 3 Working with Diversity, Race, Culture, Sexual Orientation etc. |
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Foster Carers will be provided with opportunities to take up training offered by the Training Department Children and Families. Information on courses available will be made available by Group Manager - Fostering Service. Attendance at care training is a criterion for the Reward scheme and the Payments scheme.
The Department in conjunction with Bromley College offer Foster Carers the opportunity to obtain a level 3 National Vocational Qualification in Child Care. All carers will be invited to take up this opportunity and those who show interest will be selected by interview.
The supervisory worker is responsible for recording the carer’s training on the carer’s file.
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