3.1.6 Permanent Fostering

RELEVANT DOCUMENTS

1. Introduction

Permanent or Long Term Foster Carers are specifically matched to a particular child; they offer a permanent home where the child is expected to stay until independence. See the following Chapters:

Special Guardianship and Residence Orders Procedure

Permanency Procedure

Permanent or Long Term Foster Carers may be used for children or young people where adoption is inappropriate for one or more of the following reasons:

The child or young person does not wish to be adopted.
The child or young person's needs require continued support, input and monitoring by the local authority to an extent that is incompatible with adoption.
The strength of attachment of the child or young person to their own birth family is such as to exclude adoption as a possibility.
There is no realistic possibility of finding an adoptive home for the child

All children and young people considered to be in need of a permanent or other long term fostering must be presented to the Adoption and Permanency Panel using a BAAF Form E (or update to Child's Permanency Report where there has been a previous decision that adoption is in the child's best interests) in order to obtain or change a best interests decision. This decision should be made at a statutory review and enshrined in the ICS Child's Care Plan. Following a decision to pursue any form of permanency Planning Meetings must be held to plan and review progress.

So far as is reasonably practicable the planning process and the statutory review will take account of the wishes and feelings of:

the child,
the child's parents,
any person who is not a parent but who has parental responsibility for the child, and
any other person whose wishes and feelings Lambeth considers relevant to the plans under consideration.

Once the review recommends Permanent Fostering as the plan for the child, based on a Core Assessment or Assessment and Progress Record the social worker will update the Care Plan complete and return the Permanent Placement Referral Form to the Fostering Team within 7 working days.

Where there has been previous family finding work within the Adoption Team this should be transferred to the Fostering Team.

The child's social worker must then complete the BAAF Form E. Alternatively, where there is a previous Child's Permanency Report completed within the past year an addendum can be provided. It needs to be a comprehensive document which is factual and sensitive to the needs of those it is compiled for. The Form E or CPR update should be completed within 2 months of the plan being agreed at a statutory review.

It is important that there is a sufficient legal basis for permanent fostering arrangements. It is important under all circumstances to gain the maximum degree of co-operation from all who share parental responsibility. Where there is no Care Order and it is inappropriate to initiate proceedings parents should be asked to sign a written agreement regarding long term plans for the child.

Current medicals and medical information will also be needed. Lambeth's Medical Adviser should be consulted by the assessing social worker as to how this will be arranged and to confirm how the medical information will be presented to the panel. It is normal practice for the medical adviser to write a summary for panel based on the reports received. The medical reports themselves are not to be distributed to panel members in that case.

All reports must be 'signed off' by the responsible Team Manager The child's social worker should additionally consult with the Adoption and Permanency Panel Adviser to ensure that all the relevant reports have been completed and that they contain the information that the Panel needs.

The report for panel must include:

Comprehensive information regarding the child's background and circumstances; where necessary through providing summaries - NOT multiple copies of previous reports.
Full details of efforts made to return the child to their parents or to place with relatives or friends
A full picture of the child's individual personality and needs.

The Social Worker will send the BAAF Form E CPR to the Adoption and Permanency Panel Advisor a minimum of 3 weeks before the date of the Panel.

The child's social worker and Team Manager must also attend the Adoption and Permanency Panel meeting to present the case and answer any queries.

The Panel will make one of the following recommendations:

agree the plan for permanent fostering;
defer the case for further information or action;
not approve the plan.

Following the Panel meeting, the Panel Administrator will send a copy of the panel papers, the panel minutes, the legal advice to panel and the panel recommendation to the Divisional Director/Assistant Director who will make the agency decision.

The Divisional Director/Assistant Director will return the signed decision sheet to the Adoption and Permanency Panel Administrator for filing. The child's electronic records must also be updated.

The child's social worker must also inform the birth parents in writing, of the decision to identify permanent foster carers.

2. Action Post Panel

The social worker will convene permanency planning meetings on a 6 weekly basis until such time as a Permanent Foster Placement is made (see Permanency Procedure).

Not later than six months after the approval of the child for permanent fostering, the social worker will prepare a brief report updating the Adoption and Permanency Panel on the situation concerning the plans for the child. A report will also be prepared by the Family Finding social worker informing on the action taken to find a family.

This exercise will be repeated at six monthly intervals until either:

the child is placed with Permanent Foster Carers, or
the circumstances change to the extent the Adoption and Permanency Panel alter their original recommendation.

3. Family Finding

Following a child being approved for Permanent Fostering the family finding social worker in consultation with the child's social worker will endeavour to identify prospective Permanent Foster Carers for the child. This may include consideration of current foster carers.

The Social Worker for the child and the family finding Social Worker are expected to work closely and co-operatively. The family finding worker must meet the child and attend all reviews in order that they are aware of the child's full range of needs and can recruit carers able to meet these.

Any funding requirements or inter-agency issues in connection with family finding must be discussed and agreed with the Head of Service.

The social worker for the child must identify the qualities and skills carers should have that would best meet the child's needs, on the basis of the Core Assessment and Assessment and Progress Records, taking account of the expressed wishes of the child and parents.

Progress in family finding is tracked through the Permanency Planning Meetings, which must summarise all steps taken to find a Family. This information is to include all agencies contacted, all adverts published and all responses from families and agencies. Reasons for not considering families as suitable for the child must be recorded.

When the family finding social worker identifies possible carers for the child they will arrange for the child's social worker to have a copy of the prospective Permanent Foster Carers' application form and home study report. Any potential matching between prospective carers and child should be made with the input of both social workers and of the responsible Team Managers. Following such 'in principle' agreement a meeting with the prospective carers should be arranged.

The meeting with the prospective Permanent Foster Carers will be used to fully inform them about the child and give them an opportunity to ask any questions. Permanent Foster Carers must be provided with the fullest possible information about the child in order for them to make a decision to proceed based on all the available information and with a realistic idea about the child. They must be given an

copy of the child's Core Assessment and Assessment and Progress records, together with any reports relating to particular aspects of their needs including medical, educational or psychological.

If the prospective Permanent Foster Carers wish to pursue their application and the social workers consider this to be in the best interests of the child then the child and prospective adopters will be 'linked' for Permanent Fostering. Following an 'in principle' link the match should be presented to the Adoption and Permanency Panel. Reports needed include:

The Child's Form E/CPR and update as required
The carers' Form F and update as required
Matching report indicating how the carers' skills and qualities will meet the needs of the child.
Minutes and decisions of any previous panel discussion of the child and carers.

4. Short Term Carer Changing to Permanent Carer for a Known Child

Where children have formed significant attachments to Task Centred Carers and their needs are being met to a good level, reassessment of that carer to take on a long term role may be considered.

This process includes both a reassessment of in terms of capacity to meet the specific child's needs on a long-term basis; as well as an assessment of the impact of this change of status on the overall fostering role, including on other children in placement.

Where the child is placed with Independent Fostering Agency carers the reassessment must be undertaken by the agency's social worker and any necessary change to the terms their approval must be agreed through the agency's fostering panel.

5. Introduction to Permanent Carers

Introductions must be properly planned and cannot take place until a positive panel recommendation has been agreed by the Agency Decision Maker and any necessary legal authority has been gained.

The child's social worker must ensure that the Permanent Foster Carer has full written information about the child and has Lambeth's written proposals for the placement including:

the BAAF form E / CPR ;
the medical adviser's summary of the child's health issues and needs;
the written information about the fostering allowance scheme including
the method of the calculation of the allowance and arrangements for the review of the allowance;
the proposed placement date from when payments will begin;
Confirmation of the legal situation, including copies of relevant court orders; as well as arrangements for visits and statutory reviews;

the plans for contact;
the child's savings;
any agreed financial assistance for introductions and settling in grant.

This information should included as far as possible in the child's ICS Placement Information Record.

Introductions should be planned by the child's and fostering Social Workers, together with the current and future carers and include other appropriate professional input as necessary e.g. CLAMHS staff where they are involved. The exact timing and content of introductions will need to take account of the child's age and overall development, their views and feelings, practicalities such as the need to arrange school places when this arises. The overriding need at this stage however is for the child to see a model of the adults in their life working co-operatively together and for them to have the opportunity to express their feelings about this major change in their lives, including ambivalent or negative feelings.

Where placements proceed the social worker responsible for the child will:

Amend the child's Framework Record
Notify the Fostering Finance Officer
carry out the necessary notifications for a foster placement
send a report to the administrator of the Adoption and Permanency Panel to inform panel of the placement and for the administrator to update the linking list

The Fostering Social Worker must update the Foster Carers' Register.

6. Permanent Placement With IFA Carers

Permanent placement with IFA carers may be the result of family finding for a specific child or, more commonly, result from the child forming an attachment to their carer.

In either event the essential stages are:

The Lambeth Adoption and Permanency Panel must agree permanent fostering as being in the child's best interests.
The Independent Fostering Agency's panel must agree to vary the carer's approval criteria to include permanent care of the named child. This may also have implication for other aspects of their fostering e.g. that they should not care for other children of the same age and gender.
The permanent match between the carer and child must be agreed by the Adoption and Permanency Panel.

The Best Interests Decision

This is the first stage in the process and will require the submission of a new or updated Form E setting out the child's needs. It is important to give a clear explanation of the efforts that have been made to return the child to his or her parents; to seek a member of the family or kinship network able to care for them of to find adoptive carers. Due weight should also be attached to the child's views.

Change of Approval

This must be dealt with by the IFA social worker through completing a new or updated form F. This should deal both with the carer's ability to meet the child's needs on a permanent basis as well as the implications of this changed relationship for other aspects of their fostering role.

Matching

This requires a matching report to be provided to the Adoption and Permanency Panel setting out the process by which the match came about; how the carers will meet the child's identified needs in both the immediate and longer term; and how any other issues such as contact with parents, siblings or other significant people will be dealt with. This report should be a co-operative effort between the child's and the IFA social worker.

Addendum

It is not normally necessary for there to be an addendum written by a member of the Lambeth Fostering Team concerning a permanent match with IFA carers. An addendum may be requested by the Independent Reviewing Officer responsible for the child's case or by the Head of Service responsible for the fostering or looked after services in unusual circumstances i.e. where there are doubts as to the long-term suitability of the arrangement but it is sought by carer and child.

Timing

Where family finding has been carried out and the child is not in placement the above panel processes must be completed before introductions are arranged.

End