Written by: IISAM Team Version: 2

Last Reviewed: 27.06.2013

ICS Private Fostering Guidance

Version 2.0

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Table of Contents Introduction 4 Starting the Private fostering Process 4 Contact 4 Referral 5 Contact (if there is an Open Referral - e.g. Child is already CIN and not already Privately Fostered) 6 Private Fostering Hub 7 Private Fostering Details Tab 8 Visits Tab 8 Statutory Visit Rules 9 Forms Tab 9 Documents Tab 10 Panel Tab 10 Decisions Tab 11 Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment Record (PFAAR) 12 Starting the Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment 12 Selecting the Private Foster Carers 14 Recording the Private Fostering Initial Visit 15 Finalising the Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment 17 Authorising the PFAAR 19 Starting an Assessment from the Private fostering Hub 20 Initial or Core Assessment 20 C&F Assessment 21 End PF Arrangement 23 Ending PF Arrangement from Decisions 23 Ending PF Arrangement from PFAAR 24 New PF Arrangement 26 Private Fostering Arrangement Record (Visit under Regulation 8) 29 Demographic changes for Privately Fostered Children 32 Private Foster Carers 33 Carer Details Tab 34 Checks Tab 34 Equipment Tab 34 Private Fostering Alerts 36 Private Fostering – Initial Visit due 36 Private Fostering – Statutory Visit due soon 36 Private Fostering – Statutory Visit Overdue 36 Private Fostering – Young Person has reached 16 36

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Introduction This ICS Guidance should be read and followed in conjunction with Cumbria Private Fostering Procedures which can be found in the Children’s Services Handbook:- https://corporate-portal.cumbria.gov.uk/directorates/childrens/cshandbook/default.aspx The Cumbria Private Fostering Coordinator is Neil Spence:- neil.spence@cumbria.gov.uk Definition of a Private Fostering Arrangement A private fostering arrangement is essentially one that is made privately (that is to say without the involvement of a local authority) for the care of a child under the age of 16 (under 18, if disabled) by someone other than a parent or close relative with the intention that it should last for 28 days or more. NOTE: Private foster carers may be from the extended family such as a cousin or great aunt. However, a person who is a relative under the Children Act 1989 i.e. a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt (whether of full blood or half blood or by marriage) or step-parent will not be a private foster carer. A private foster carer may be a friend of the family, the parent of a friend of the child, or someone previously unknown to the child’s family who is willing to privately foster a child. The period for which the child is cared for and accommodated by the private foster carer should be continuous, but that continuity is not broken by the occasional short break. Exemptions to this definition are set out in Schedule 8 to the Children Act 1989. Impact on Local Authorities The National Minimum Standards specify a minimum standard for local authority practice in the fulfilment of Children Act duties and functions in relation to private fostering. They, along with the new measures in section 44 of the Children Act 2004 and the 2005 regulations, are intended to better focus local authorities’ attention on private fostering, in part by requiring them to take a more proactive approach to identifying arrangements in their area. The National Minimum Standards for Private Fostering

The National Minimum Standards for Private Fostering can be found by selecting the following link which takes you to the government web page which sets out the duties of Local Authorities in relation to Private Fostering. http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/safeguardingchildren/a0068804/private-fostering Private Fostering page of Cumbria Children’s Services Handbook Private Fostering information pages of the Children’s Service can also be accessed from ICS home

page by clicking into .

Or from the following link:- https://corporate-portal.cumbria.gov.uk/directorates/childrens/cshandbook/Web%20Pages/Private%20Fostering.aspx

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Starting the Private Fostering process

In the following examples the child/young person will not be known to the LA and will go through the Contact and Referral stages.

Contact Create a Contact for the child/young person as normal. Select the Outcome of “Progress to Referral”

PLEASE NOTE: The outcome “Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment” is greyed out as there is not an open referral for the child/young person at this time.

The Private Fostering process can be started from the below stages:

a) A Contact (if there is an open referral (e.g. Child is already CIN) and the child/young person is not already Privately Fostered)

b) A “Referral” (if there is not an open referral and the child young person is not already Privately Fostered)

c) Initial Assessment (if there is already an open referral and the child young person is not already Privately Fostered)

d) Core Assessment (if there is already an open referral and the child young person is not already Privately Fostered)

e) C&F Assessment – when this is implemented in our local ICS – Working Together 2012 (if there is already an open referral and the child young person is not already Privately Fostered)

If there is an open referral (e.g. Child is CIN) and the Private Fostering process has not been started then this option will be available. Please refer to Page 6 for starting a Private Fostering Assessment from a Contact on a child where there is an open referral.

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Referral From the Contact, create a Referral as normal, selecting the outcome “Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment”.

Once the “Referral” is finalised, it will be sent for authorisation. The Supervisor/Manager has authorise the Referral outcome of Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment, and assign an allocated worker:

A task will then appear in the allocated worker’s worktray, see example below:

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Contact (if there is an open referral (e.g. Child is already CIN with an Allocated Worker)

and the child/young person is not already Privately Fostered) 1. Create a Contact for the child/young person as normal 2. Select the Outcome of “Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment” and “Link to Existing

Referral”

3. From the Decisions tab click Start next to Link to Existing Referral and complete as normal

4. Once the ‘Link to existing referral’ has been completed click ‘Start’ for Pte Fostering Assessment.

Task ‘Private Fostering Arrangement’ will be triggered to the Allocated Worker

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Private Fostering Hub When the process progresses to the Private Fostering process the Hub is opened. This acts as a holding stage for all the Private Fostering details to be entered, much like the Active CP or Child Looked After stages.

Whilst the Private Fostering process is open a task will remain in the Allocated Workers work tray, and the hub can be accessed at any point by clicking on this task.

The first step of the process is to enter the relevant notification details as shown above. It is important that these dates are recorded accurately:- 1. Record the Private Fostering Notification Date (date Children’s Services are notified of

proposal for Private Fostering or an existing Private Fostering arrangement. Please note: that the Initial 7 day visit timescale is calculated from this date)

2. Record the date the Private Fostering Arrangement has/will commence – Proposed Start Date (retrospective date if already privately fostered or future date if notified of future proposal. Accuracy is important to ensure the child would be classed in ICS as having been Private Fostered for the relevant period of time)

3. Add Private Foster Carer - Please note: If person does not already have a record in ICS then a record will need to be created. These carers will need to be available/created in the ICS application as ‘people’.

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Once these details have been added click and user will have access to the full Private Fostering hub with all the relevant tabs and tasks

When no start date of the Private Fostering Agreement has been entered then a new flag will be available which is BPF, meaning Becoming Privately Fostered ( ). This is to easily display the current status of the case. If a Start Date is entered into the first screen then this BPF flag will never show. When left blank the BPF flag will show until the PFAAR has been completed and then the flag will change to PF, Privately Fostered ( ).

Private Fostering Details Tab

This tab gives a summary of the Private Fostering details. The details will copy forward into the Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment Record, and if they need to be changed they can be changed in the form and this information will then populate back to this tab in the PF Hub.

Visits Tab

The visits tab is where Statutory Visits can be added to the record, and there is also a chance to add rule for the statutory visits which will provide different timescales. If a PFAAR has not been completed on the case yet, then the visits tab will be blank and a user will not be able to add a visit.

Completing a PFAAR will request that a visit is recorded and the form will not be able to be finalised until a visit has been added.

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Once this has been added the visit will display in the visits tab of the PF Hub and the user will then be able to add more visits from the Hub.

Statutory Visits Rules

It is now possible to add Statutory Visit rules for the Private Fostering process. This can be selected on an individual case basis To create a new rule in the Private Fostering Hub the user should select the option to add a new rule and they will then be able to pick from a list of relevant rules.

Forms Tab

The forms tab of the Private Fostering Hub contains a drop down list to start a new standalone form. It will also display any completed, draft or cancelled standalone forms that are created as part of the Private Fostering module.

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Documents Tab

The documents tab contains all documents that have been attached to the Private Fostering Hub. When document types are available the links to create/attach documents will appear in the documents tab of the PF Hub.

When a document is created it will be displayed in a list view, as with the documents created as part of the child’s record. N.B. Remember to upload Parental Consent for example. Please advise Performance Support Team should you wish for additional specific document types

Panel Tab

This is currently not being used in Cumbria

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Decisions Tab

The Decisions Tab of the Private Fostering Hub contains all the available decisions which includes the PFAAR and ending the process.

The Allocated Case Worker can then chose any of these outcomes to complete. An Initial/Core Assessment can be started if they are not already active, or if the C& F Workflow has been enabled for the application then this will be available.

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Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment Record (PFAAR)

Starting the Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment

1. The Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment should be started from the Decisions tab of

the Private Fostering Hub 2. Choose a date and click ‘Start’

3. Task will appear in worktray to complete assessment

Click into task. If there had been any previous assessments (Initial Assessment or Core Assessment) these could be copied forward at this point. Select the checkboxes for the previous assessments and click the Copy Forward Selected button or click the Start Blank button, as required

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4. Complete the assessment in accordance with CCC Procedures. Please pay particular

attention to accuracy of assessment dates. N.B Any information already entered when the process began will automatically populate the relevant fields in the assessment form.

5. Record the date of notification (date Childrens Services are notified of proposal for

Private Fostering or an existing Private Fostering arrangement. Please note: that the Initial 7 day visit timescale is calculated from this date)

6. Record the date the Private Fostering Arrangement has/will commence (retrospective date

if already privately fostered or future date if notified of future proposal. Accuracy is important to ensure the child would be classed in ICS as having been Private Fostered for the relevant period of time)

7. Record the intended duration of the arrangement if known 8. Select the child/young person’s place of birth by geographical region from the picklist 9. Record the date the Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment Record was completed

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Selecting the Private Foster Carers

Selecting the Private Foster Carers

The Carer will automatically populate into the form, as they have to be selected at the beginning of the process. If multiple carer’s were recorded then all of these will populate into the table in the form. If the Carer has relations at the same address recorded these will automatically populate into the Other Household Members table section.

A user has the option to add or remove any line from both of these tables. The ability to refresh

the table also exists using , so if a new relationship is created after the form has been started the table can be refreshed to show this new relationship.

Continue down the form completing the remaining pages as per CCC Procedures.

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Recording the Private Fostering Initial Visit “The Children (Private Arrangements for Fostering) Regulations 2005” states Action to be taken by local authority on receipt of notification of proposal to foster a child privately 4 (1) Where a local authority have received notification under regulation 3 they must, for the purposes of discharging their duty under section 67(1) of the Act (welfare of privately fostered children), arrange for an officer of the authority within seven working days to -

(a) visit the premises where it is proposed that the child will be cared for and accommodated; (b) visit and speak to the proposed private foster carer and to all members of his household; (c) visit and speak to the child, alone unless the officer considers it inappropriate; (d) speak to and, if it is practicable to do so, visit every parent of or person with parental responsibility for the child; and (e) establish such matters listed in Schedule 2 as appear to the officer to be relevant.

(2) Having completed his functions under paragraph (1) the officer must make a written report to the local authority. 1. From the ‘Sources of Information for the Assessment’ section of the PFAAR, select Add New

Case Note. This is important for accurate statutory reporting.

Note: this question is mandatory so the form will not be able to be completed without an Initial Visit being recorded.

2. Record the Private Fostering Initial Visit details (the Type of Contact will default to Initial Visit (Private Fostering))

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3. Finalise the Case Note PLEASE NOTE: The Case Note must be finalised before the assessment can be completed.

The Initial Visit will be added to the Assessment, see example below:

The initial visit case note will also be accessible from the Case Notes tab of the child’s demographics:

And also in the PF Hub

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Finalising the Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment Record 1. From the Decisions sub-section of the Assessment section, specify whether the arrangement is

suitable and if the LA also intends to impose requirements

Once the Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment Record is completed (with the Private Foster Carers record as part of the assessment), from the Further Action arising from the assessment section the user must choose a Suggested Outcome.

There are three Outcomes to the Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment Record: Visits under Regulation 8 Visits under Regulation 8 & Take Further Action No Further Action

Visits under Regulation 8 – select this option if:- o The Private Fostering Arrangement is continuing (whether suitable or not) and no

further action is required under Children Act 1989.

Visits under Regulation 8 and Take Further Action– select this option if:- o The Private Fostering Arrangement is continuing (whether suitable or not) and further

action is required under Children Act 1989, e.g. CIN assessment).

No Further Action – select this option if:- o The Private Fostering Arrangement will be unsuitable or invalid (e.g. less than 28

days) or child returned home before assessment completed.

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Once an outcome has been selected, select Finalise Assessment and then OK to confirm

The user will have the ability to copy the Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment Record to another sibling if required. Click Copy Assessments Completed once this decision has been made

The PFAAR is then sent for Authorisation.

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Authorising the PFAAR Authorising the Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment Record works exactly the same as authorising any other assessment in ICS,

There are three Outcomes to the Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment Record:

Visits under Regulation 8

Visits under Regulation 8 & Take Further Action

No Further Action A task will also appear in the allocated case worker’s worktray for the Private Fostering Arrangement.

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Starting an Assessment from the Private Fostering Hub As shown earlier there are a number of decisions that can be started from the Private Fostering Hub. Among these include the start of an Initial, Core or C & F Assessment record. This is dependant on what Assessments have already been completed for the child/young person during the current period of referral. PLEASE NOTE:- An assessment is started from the hub at any time when action is required under the Children’s Act 1989 (e.g. Assessment under Section 17)

Assessment

The appropriate Assessment can be started if one does not already exist in the system.

1. Add an initiation date for the Assessment and a reason

2. Click on Confirm and the Assessment will the be started and a task will be given to the Allocated Case Worker to complete the Assessment

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An Assessment cannot be started from the Decisions Tab if one already exists in the system. If this is the case the outcome will be crossed through and there will be no start button.

C & F Assessment

When the Cumbria switch to the Single Assessment Workflow then the outcomes change to replicate the new workflow. The Initial Assessment and Core Assessment outcomes are replaced with the C & F Assessment outcome.

1. Add a date of initiation and a reason for the decision to start this assessment

2. This will then start the C & F Assessment in the workflow and assign the task to the Allocated Case Worker for the child

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Whilst the C & F Assessment is active the decision in the Private Fostering Hub cannot be selected and shows as active.

When the Assessment has been completed it is then possible to choose Restart and this will create a new C & F Assessment.

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End PF Arrangement

Ending PF Arrangement from Decisions

The Private Fostering Arrangement can be ended from the Private Fostering Hub by selecting the End PF Arrangement from the Decisions Tab.

1. Select a date of initiation and reason for decision

2. Click on Start, which will then bring up the closure screen

3. Fill out all the relevant information on the closure screen and select Update Record. (Note: the PF Flag is now crossed through)

4. This will then end the process and if no other tasks are active the case will move straight to the Referral Closure stage.

PLEASE NOTE: Ending the PF arrangement also ends the Primary Address in the demographics, it will therefore be necessary to add the new primary address here before completing the referral closure:

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Ending PF Arrangement from PFAAR

It is possible to end the Private Fostering Arrangement from the Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment record.

1. Complete the PFAAR as required, and select the outcome of No Further Action

2. Click Finalise Assessment and OK 3. The process then automatically moves on to the End PF Arrangement stage in the workflow

where all the relevant information can be entered, including end reason from picklist

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4. Click Update Record and the process is then ended and the PF flag shows as crossed through.

PLEASE NOTE: Ending the PF arrangement also ends the Primary Address in the demographics, it will therefore be necessary to add the new primary address here before completing the referral closure:

It will not be possible to End a PF Arrangement if the PFAAR is still in draft, as the outcome will be crossed through as below. Once the PFAAR has been completed then it will be possible to select this outcome. This will stop the process being completed whilst workflow tasks are still active. However, this does not validate any standalone forms or documents that still remain in draft.

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New PF Arrangement This outcome has been added so that if the current PF Arrangement is ending and a new one is starting this can be correctly recorded.

1. Select the New PF Arrangement outcome from the decisions tab

2. Enter the date of initiation and reason for decision and select Confirm

3. This will open up the End PF Arrangement stage. Fill out all the relevant details and click Update Record

4. Select the Private Fostering Arrangement task from the worktray

5. Ensure you are in the Active record, shown at the bottom of the screen. Select Update. Note: the PF flag is now crossed through to show that there is no current arrangement.

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6. Enter all the relevant information into the next Update screen and click Update

The Private Fostering Agreement is then made active and will have either the BPF or the PF flag activated (depending on if there is a start date entered).

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A Private Fostering Arrangement Assessment needs to be complete for the new Private Fostering arrangement. From the decisions tab complete date of initiation and select ‘Restart’ PFAAR and follow through the process guidance above for new carer.

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Private Fostering Arrangement Record (Visit under Regulation 8) Although Statutory Visits for Private Fostering can be recorded through the Private Fostering hub just as case notes it is good practice to complete a Private Fostering Arrangement Record (Visit under Regulation 8) form (which incorporates your case note) at each statutory visit. This will ensure that you accurately evidence details of the welfare of the child, the child’s voice and their wishes and feelings. The Private Fostering Arrangement Record (Visits under Regulation 8) is started from the Forms Tab of the Private Fostering Hub

1. Select the Private Fostering Arrangement Record (Visit under Regulation8) from the drop down list of available standalone forms and click Start

2. Specify whether to copy selected assessments forward into the Private Fostering Arrangement Record (Visits under Reg 8) or to start a blank form

3. Complete the sections of the Assessment, as required

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4. From the Details of Social Work Interventions section, click Add New Case Note

NOTE: Please refer to the earlier section in this document on creating a case note for the Initial Visit or to the Case Notes Quick Reference Guide.

The date of the statutory visit (from the case note) will be displayed and can be opened from within the PFAR (Reg 8):

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5. Once the PFAR (Reg 8) is finished, select the Finalise Record button to complete the record The Private Fostering Regulation 8 visit process can be restarted again at any time to record the details of the next visit. PLEASE NOTE: The Private Fostering Regulation 8 visit is due every 6 weeks or 42 days after the last visit in the first year and then every 12 weeks or 84 days in subsequent years.

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Demographic changes for Privately Fostered children/young persons

The Personal tab of the Demographics will be updated to display the Private Fostering Carer’s address as the child/young person’s new primary address:

Also ICS will automatically create a relationship with the Private Foster Carer, viewable from the Relationships tab:

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Private Foster Carers Private Foster Carers can now be identified easily using the Carer / Adopter Tab in the adult’s demographics. If the adult has not been marked as a Private Foster Carer on a child’s record then this will be shown in the Carer / Adopter tab to show the Adult is not a Private Foster Carer.

If the adult is marked as being a Private Foster Carer on a child’s record then the information will show on the Carer / Adopter tab of the adult.

The list of children will show any current arrangements as well as any previous arrangements that have now ended.

When an adult is recorded as a Private Foster Carer it is possible to click on the link See Private Foster Carer Details.

Clicking this link brings up the Private Foster Carer details, with 3 separate tabs; Carer Details, Checks and Equipment.

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Carer Details Tab

This tab contains the basic carer’s details which includes any linked carers as well as any Private Fostering Episodes.

The Linked Carers appear when more than one carer is added to the child’s record as shown below.

Checks Tab

The checks tab allows a worker to record any checks that have been undertaken on the adult. To create a new check, click on Add Check.

This then brings up the screen where the relevant information can be completed.

This is the same screen and uses the same picklist as in the Foster Carer Details section. In fact if a Private Foster Carer is also a Foster Carer then the Foster Carer checks will show in the table of checks completed against the adult.

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Equipment Tab

The equipment tab allows a worker to record any equipment that has been given to the Private Foster Carer. To create a new equipment record, click on Add Equipment.

The following screen then appears where the details can be recoded.

These will then be displayed as a table in the Private Foster Carer details. As with the checks, any equipment recorded against the same person in Foster Carer module will also show in this table, and vice versa.

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Private Fostering Alerts Cumbria have 4 Alerts in ICS for the Private Fostering process

Private Fostering - Initial Visit Due

Private Fostering - Statutory Visit is due soon

Private Fostering - Statutory Visit Overdue

Private Fostering – Young Person has reached 16

Private Fostering - Initial Visit Due

The “The Children (Private Arrangements for Fostering) Regulations 2005” states Action to be taken by local authority on receipt of notification of proposal to foster a child privately

4.—(1) Where a local authority have received notification under regulation 3 they must, for the purposes of discharging their duty under section 67(1) of the Act (welfare of privately fostered children), arrange for

an officer of the authority within seven working days to—

(a) visit the premises where it is proposed that the child will be cared for and accommodated; (b) visit and speak to the proposed private foster carer and to all members of his household; (c) visit and speak to the child, alone unless the officer considers it inappropriate; (d) speak to and, if it is practicable to do so, visit every parent of or person with parental responsibility for the child; and (e) establish such matters listed in Schedule 2 as appear to the officer to be relevant.

(2) Having completed his functions under paragraph (1) the officer must make a written report to the local authority.

This Alert will be activated if Case Note is not recorded against the child/young persons record with the type “Initial Visit (Private Fostering)” seven days from the PF Notification Date. This Alert has been configured to activate 4 days prior to the visit due date and will trigger to the Allocated Worker, their Manager and the Private Fostering Coordinator.

Private Fostering - Statutory Visit is due soon

The frequency for Private Fostering Statutory Visits (PFAAR Reg8) is every six weeks for the first year, then subsequently every 12 weeks. The Alert for PFAAR Reg 8 visits is calculated from the latest of either the Notification Date or the PF Arrangement start date (i.e. If the PF arrangement is in the future the “Date arrangement will/has commenced” will be used to calculate the visits, but if the PF Arrangement has already begun the “Date of notification” will be used. This Alert has been configured to activate 4 days prior to the visit due date and will trigger to the Allocated Worker, their Manager and the Private Fostering Coordinator.

Private Fostering - Statutory Visit Overdue

This Alert will activate when the due date for the PFAAR Reg8 is past and the form is not completed.

Private Fostering – Young Person has reached 16

The alert will trigger on the young person’s 16

th Birthday to inform the worker to review the Private

Fostering Arrangements. The alert will trigger to the Allocated Worker, their Manager and the Private Fostering Coordinator.

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For training, help and support for any aspect of ICS please contact the Performance Support Team using the Help link within ICS

Performance.support@cumbria.gov.uk