5.7 Friends and Family Policy (DRAFT) |
Contents
1. Introduction
300,000 children and young people live with their extended family or friends networks in England.
Recent research evidence suggests that the borough of Lambeth has the third highest number of friends and family carers in the United Kingdom.
Friends and family have become the first option of care to give greater stability for children and young people who cannot live with their parents and is the preferred way forward than other placements.
Friends and family carers' needs are different and the support offered should be appropriate and proportionate to meeting the needs of the child they are caring for.
Children and young people have indicated that where they can no longer live with their parents, their preferred option is to be cared for by other family members or close friends.
2. Definition of Friend and Family Care
Children who cannot live with or be cared for by a parent and who are living with a relative or family friend who is responsible for their upbringing. (Tapfield 2003) it is not unusual for older siblings to take on the care of their younger brothers or sisters too.
3. Key Principles
It is the right of every child to have their family and friends explored as carers if they need to leave the care of their parents.
As a paramount consideration, the duty of the borough is to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children living within it.
Any arrangement for care by family or friends must be in the best interest of the child and meet their needs, wishes and feelings.
Consideration must be given to the ability of the carer to meet the child's full need for stability and permanence.
A child's need for a suitable placement should take precedence over the wishes of a parent to exclude the family from care.
There are four main groups where children and young people could be cared for by family and friends.
- Private family arrangements where children's services are not involved in the decision and the child is not assessed as in need;
In these instances non intrusive interventions from universal services are most relevant and preserve the right of the family to private life. The carers are often aunts, uncles, grandparents or siblings;
It is envisaged that existing universal services will usually be sufficient to meet their needs. - Other family members and friends come under the legislation in regard to private fostering. Although the arrangements are made privately they should be notified to social services and regulatory arrangements will need to commence in accordance with guidance for private fostering arrangements;
The borough that is committed to offering high quality services to all children. Those living with extended families and close friends should have access to all the services according to the assessed need. The established universal, targeted and specialist services will be accessible as appropriate; - Arrangements where children are assessed as "in need" but not looked after and there is no requirement for specialist service interventions;
Children and their families may have specific needs according to their circumstances. Carers in such situations can access targeted service provisions, and at times specific service provisions may need to be developed to meet these particular needs;
For some children and young people in this group a Residence Order or Special Guardianship Order would be the best way to offer the child legal security by conferring Parental Responsibility to the carer. See Special Guardianship and Residence Order Procedure; - Arrangements where children's services are involved and the child is looked after or assessed as needing to be looked after;
The child's Care Plan will set out their needs and the support required by their carer to ensure care arrangements safeguard and promote the child's welfare. Arrangements will be made for the carer to be assessed in accordance with the 2010 care and placement regulations;
The primary focus of this assessment should include the carers' capacity and ability to meet the specific physical, emotional and health needs of the child in consideration. The approval of this specific carer will be conferred by the Lambeth fostering placement panel. Following approval regulation 35 of the fostering services regulations on regulation 38 placements should be followed;
Appropriate support and financial assistance will be agreed with the level of payment in line with the department's payment policy for kinship carers.
Lambeth commitments to supporting children and young people's wellbeing whilst cared for by friends and extended family.
- Improve the understanding of the needs of children and young people cared for by friends and extended family carers. (A program of work has commenced in summer 2011 to scope the extent of need with the Family Rights Group);
- Understand from friends and carers the assistance that would support their care from the universal, targeted and specialist children's service;
- Commission specific services according to the local needs of carers and children in their care, in collaboration with the multi agency services in the LCSB;
- Offer a directory of information on the access of universal and targeted services based on the specific needs of the child. This Information guide will also include access to legal and financial advice and universal benefits. Services offered by education, health and children's centres;
- Promote the improved model of the "team around the child" to work together across children's universal, targeted and specialist services using the Child assessment framework model. This will deliver the right service proportionate to the child's needs;
- Training and development programmes within children's services will ensure Practitioners and Managers are able to offer a responsive, targeted and relevant service;
- Annual equality Impact assessments will be completed on the responsiveness of need to ensure the services offered are relevant to the children and friends and family carers in Lambeth.
4. Conclusion
Lambeth fully supports friends and family carers and are committed to providing children with the highest quality of care and the most secure placements.
Children in such are placements will be able to access consistent support and advice based on identified need to ensure they reach their full potential and make a positive contribution to their future.
Lambeth children's services are committed to achieving the need for a systematic and multi agency service harnessed through the universal, targeted and specialist service. Children and family right is to have minimum intrusion and intervention from statutory services which is respectful of family life.
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