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Telford & Wrekin Council

Statement of Purpose – Fostering Service

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Statement of Purpose – Fostering Service

1. Legislative Framework

1.1 The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 guidance and standards provide the regulatory framework under the Care Standards Act (2000) for the conduct of the fostering services.

1.2 The framework is designed to set out the aims and objectives of the

services as a whole and the services and facilities, which are provided.

1.3 Ofsted will undertake inspections of children’s safeguarding services, including the fostering service and may interview or visit foster carers as part of the inspection process.

2. Introduction

2.1 We have compiled this Statement of Purpose for the Telford & Wrekin Council Fostering service in accordance with Standard 16 of the Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards (2011).

2.2 The information is intended for a wide audience including children in

foster care and their parents, prospective and approved Telford & Wrekin foster carers; staff employed by the fostering service, and other agencies and professionals who are interested in, or involved in, work relating to the fostering service. The Statement of Purpose can be found on the council’s children’s services procedures manual online. A copy will be made available to foster carers, staff, children and persons with parental responsibility on request.

2.3 This Statement of Purpose will be reviewed biannually.

3. Aims and Objectives of the Service

3.1 The primary aim of the Telford & Wrekin fostering service is to provide services to children, young people and families to promote the health, education and development of children in ways that meet the best interests of the child. For children looked after, our aim is to ensure that they achieve their potential by providing and supporting safe, stable and positive experiences of care.

3.2 Telford & Wrekin Council believes that children are best cared for by

their own family, where this is safe and appropriate. Where this is not possible, or not in the best interests of the child, we believe that children should be able to experience family life in a suitable family, on a temporary or permanent basis.

3.3 Our aim is to ensure that children feel safe and secure in their placements with carers who are appropriately trained, supported and

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capable of providing quality care to meet their needs and maximise their life chances by being aspirational and ambitious for them.

3.4 This will include ensuring that the child has a sense of identity, making the most of educational opportunities as well as ensuring the child is healthy, emotionally well and enjoys a network of social relationships within which the child feels valued.

3.5 Placement choice and the stability and effectiveness of foster care placements are fundamental to children’s long-term life chances. The fostering service aims to provide and support appropriate family placements, either directly, or by commissioning services from other agencies to meet children and young people’s assessed needs and also being sensitive to differences such as race, religion, culture, language, sexuality, gender and disability.

3.6 The fostering service works in partnership with children, parents, carers and all those involved and concerned with the child’s welfare and best interests to ensure that the best possible outcomes are achieved.

4. Principles and Standards of Care

4.1 Our overarching principles where the decision has been made that the child should be in foster care, or shared care arrangements:

In all our activities, the child’s best interests come first.

We will always aim to meet the needs of children and young people and their families at the earliest stage, either through the provision of shared care/supported living or where necessary, intervention from safeguarding services.

Children are best cared for by their families and in situations where they cannot do so safely, we need to provide care for the children in safe and stable placements.

In our assessments and work, we aim to understand and improve the child’s lived experience.

We carry work out in partnership with parents and carers to enable them to meet their responsibilities and achieve best outcomes.

Children are involved in decisions that affect them.

In all our work, we maintain an awareness of equal opportunities and the impact of discrimination.

We work closely with other agencies to improve the support offered to children, young people and families.

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We undertake work with children and families with the legislative framework and make use of best practice.

Our records are accurate, complete and demonstrate the child’s story.

We manage and supervise work with children to achieve the best possible outcomes.

We treat children, families and our working partners with courtesy and respect.

4.1.2 What this means in practice:

Every foster carer with whom we work has a good quality assessment, in which he or she has been involved.

Every foster family we work with has a plan, which is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely (SMART) written in plain language.

We see every foster family we work with regularly, with clear purpose to visits.

Every foster family we work with will have their voice visible in assessments, plan and reviews, including those of the children in their care.

4.1.3 Professional behaviours

We will work with foster carers in consultation with them and treat them in a professional manner.

We will communicate clearly and effectively, in person where possible.

We will provide a working environment with high support and high challenge.

We will encourage best practice and address poor practice.

We will work together to resolve problems and create a learning culture.

We will invest in talking to children, listening to children and young people and responding to children and young people.

4.2 Key principles:

We check, prepare, assess and approve all applicants to foster for Telford & Wrekin in accordance with the relevant fostering regulations, guidance and standards.

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The fostering panel considers all applications to foster, the first foster home review of the carer’s approval and reports concerning allegations against carers.

All carers at the point of approval sign a Foster Care Agreement and our aim will be to review these annually following the Foster Home Review.

Approved foster carers have a named fostering social worker and are supported and supervised in line with the Fostering Support and Supervision Policy (see handbook) and the requirements of the placement.

We carefully match placements taking into account the needs of the child, the experience of the carer and the impact on the fostering household.

We provide foster carers with as much information as possible prior to placement, including a risk assessment and ‘matching’ document to support the placement.

We consider support needs at the point of matching, at the point of the placement being made and ongoing.

Our aim is to provide foster carer profiles to our children prior to placement by the child’s social worker.

Foster carers, children in care and their parents will have access to the compliments, comments and complaints process.

Children will have access to an advocacy service.

4.3 This Statement of Purpose is underpinned by the principles and standards of expectation set out within:

The Telford & Wrekin ‘Pledge’ to Looked After Children

The Foster Carer’s Charter

Telford & Wrekin Children’s Service Quality Assurance Framework

5. Management Structure and Staffing Arrangements

5.1 The team manager for mainstream fostering is responsible for the operational policies and procedures of the fostering service and for ensuring that the service meets and complies with statutory requirements and the National Minimum Standards and Regulations. The service delivery manager is responsible for the strategic development of the service and where appropriate, he or she will receive contributions from the specific team managers within the fostering service. The service delivery manager is the responsible representative in our partnership with the North Midlands Adoption and Permanency Partnership, also known as Together4Children.

5.2 The management structure and the fostering teams are outlined below.

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Management Structure and Service Delivery Teams

Chief Executive

Director of Children and Adult Services

Assistant Director Children’s Safeguarding and Strengthening Families

Service Delivery Manager Fostering

Interim Team Manager

Family and Friends

1 x Senior Social

Worker

1x Senior Social Worker

(SGO)

3 x Social Workers

2 x 0.5 Social Workers

1x ASYE Social Worker

1 x SGO Review and

Support Worker

0:5 Private Fostering

Social Worker

Temporary

Approval

Viability

Assessments

Form C

Assessments

Training,

Supervision and

Support

SGOs and

Reviews

Private Fostering

Out of Hours

Triage

Team Manager Family

Finding and Targeted

Services

1 x Senior Social

Worker

1 x Social Worker

1 x Placements Officer

1x Training Facilitator

1x Marketing Officer

Family Finding

Prevention and

Step Down from

Residential

Training

Matching

Out of Hours

Triage

Recruitment

Assessments

Support

Marketing

Communication

Events

Team Manager

Mainstream Fostering

1 x Senior Social

Worker

6 x Social Workers

1 x Support Worker

Training

Supervision

Support &

Placement

Stability

Fostering Panel

FHR

Forums

Out of Hours

Triage

Assessments

Participation

Therapeutic

Support

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5.3 A team manager manages each team. Each manager holds a relevant social work qualification and either already has a management qualification, or he or she has undertaken management and leadership training.

5.4 The fostering service social workers are registered with Social Work England. Each social worker has a recognised social work qualification (BA) (Hons) Social Work, CQSW, CSS or DipSW).

5.5 All staff members are experienced in working with children and families and are skilled in undertaking needs-led assessments. Our main model of practice is taking a systemic approach.

5.6 All team members have access to desktop computers or laptops, email facilities and are supported by a dedicated administrative team. The aim of the service is that all staff will have access to mobile working arrangements.

5.7 We hold regular team meetings used to promote development; to share information, consult and to obtain feedback on issues relevant to the Service.

5.8 Reflective pod discussions take place regularly to support practice

5.9 The management team meets on a regular basis to discuss all business relating to the fostering service, to ensure the standardisation of service delivery across the teams, consider developments, both internally and externally, and to review and evaluate various service delivery requirements.

5.10 We held a service away day in November 2019 and we plan to hold this annually as an opportunity to focus on our practice and create a coherent and effective service.

Fostering Team Roles and Responsibilities

6. The Family and Friends Team The staffing of this service is the following:

Team manager (FT) (currently interim)

2 senior social workers (FT)

5 social workers (FT equivalent)

1 Special guardianship review and support officer

0:5 Private fostering social worker

6.1 The team offers a full range of fostering services to family and friends approved foster carers and applicants: - assessment, supervision, training and support, forums and participation.

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The team undertakes temporary approval assessments, viability assessments and full Form C assessments for family and friends carers and supervision, training and support to approved connected persons carers

6.2 Special guardianship assessments, support and annual review

The team undertakes the assessments of private and public applications for Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs).

The team manager, senior social worker and the designated special guardianship review and support officer manage support and review of Special Guardianship Orders. Where appropriate we may allocate social workers within the fostering service to undertake specific tasks with special guardians to resolve complex issues, which may emerge.

The family and friends team manager is responsible to arranging the support group for special guardians and family and friends foster carers, which we hold bi-monthly.

6.3 Private fostering

The team has a designated social worker who takes the lead on private fostering and works with other team members to complete visits, assessments and provide support, practical advice and information to private foster carers. The social worker also undertakes raising awareness activities for Telford & Wrekin with staff and other agencies including health and education and within the local community.

7. Family Finding and Targeted Services for Children and Young People

and their Carers

The staffing of this team consists of:

Team manager FT

Senior social worker FT

Social worker FT

Placement officer FT

Training officer FT

Marketing and communications officer FT

5 sessional staff to support foster carers including evenings and weekends

Direct links with corporate communications to support recruitment of foster carers

7.1 The team offers a full range of fostering services to approved foster carers and applicants: - assessment, supervision, training and support, forums, support groups and participation. The team also takes a lead

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on recruiting mainstream foster carers and developing the training programme. Family finding is primarily based within this team (7.3).

7.2 Foster carer recruitment and sufficiency strategy - this team is responsible for developing the fostering placement provision to support the broader placement commissioning.

7.3 Family finding and placements

The team leads on new requests for children and young people who require foster placements. The service works closely with the brokerage team to identify and match children and young people with either internal or external placements.

There is an identified placements officer who co-ordinates all referrals and placement requests, offering a consistent approach and in also implements the matching of placements in consultation with other staff within the service and children’s teams

The team leads on family finding for children and young people who require permanence in long term fostering placements.

The team also is involved in identifying, planning and supporting step down arrangements (see 7.5)

7.4 Specialist placements

The team leads on supporting specific children and people at risk of residential who are currently in foster placement and who are stepping down from residential to foster placements.

7.5 The team lead on recruiting foster carers to meet our sufficiency need in fostering for specific required foster placements. See 10.1.

7.6 Fostering support staff (sessional) evening and weekends

The team recruits, trains, and supervises the sessional support workers who provide direct support to internal foster carers and children placed in their care as follows:

Crisis intervention

Day care

Play

Recreational activities

Supporting the implementation of therapeutic parenting

Transport

Advice on some aspects of parenting styles and approaches

Direct work with children

Emergency support

7.7 Foster carer assessments, induction, training and development:

The team takes a lead on recruiting carers, including all marketing activities and events.

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The team coordinates all enquiries, initial visits and screens applications and allocations for assessments.

The team manager coordinates and oversees all assessments of applicants for foster carers and supervises all external assessors and identifies timescales for panel dates.

Following approval, the team manager ensures that an allocated worker completes the inductions of all new foster carers.

The team leads on all training and development for foster carers. A dedicated officer leads on supporting the team managers across the fostering service in arranging, facilitating and contributing to the annual training plan for all approved foster carers. This officer monitors training and development needs, attendance, and the impact of training, closely.

We provide one to one support to some carers where there are special circumstances. A training policy is on in place and provided to all approved foster carers. This policy outlines the service requirements for foster carers in relation to training and development.

We develop the training plan for carers in consultation with our foster carers, and feedback from foster home reviews, as well as identified areas from other sources, such as supervision.

8. Mainstream Fostering Team

Staffing of this team consists of:

Team manager for the fostering service

Senior social worker

5:8 social workers

1 full time fostering support worker

8.1 The team manager, mainstream, is responsible for the fostering service’s adherence and compliance with fostering National Minimum Standards & Regulations for fostering. Ofsted regulatory requirements in the provision of fostering service inspections by Ofsted, the provision of service reports, responding to Ofsted enquiries, implementation of any recommendations arising from Ofsted inspections of the fostering service. The team manager, mainstream, is the accountable lead officer in conjunction with the service delivery manager and other team managers for the review and production of the various policies, procedures, documents and guidance that are required of a fostering service.

8.2 Recruitment, assessment training and induction of foster carers

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This team works in conjunction with the family finding and targeted services fostering team to carry out the following:

Recruit foster carers through their participation in planned recruitment events throughout the year.

Participation in the delivery of ‘Skills to Foster’ training courses and other training courses for foster carers.

Undertake Form F assessments, reports for Foster Home Reviews, Risk Assessments, and Health & Safety Checks.

The induction of foster carers and the requirement that all newly approved foster carers comply with completing the training and development standards for newly approved foster carers

8.3 Supervision, support and engagement of foster carers

The team supervises and supports foster carers to meet the needs of our children and young people placed in their care, ensuring that foster carers comply with the National Minimum Standards and Regulations for the provision of Fostering Services.

8.4 We hold regular engagement, participation and communication meetings with all approved foster carers to obtain their active participation in developing and reviewing service policies, training and the provision of good foster placements.

8.5 Foster home reviews

The fostering service works closely with the independent reviewing service. The foster home reviewing officer is located within the independent reviewing service.

Both services ensure that all approved foster carers are subject to annual foster home reviews, of which we present all first reviews to the Telford & Wrekin fostering panel for consideration and recommendation to the agency decision maker.

We might also present subsequent foster home reviews, where there have been significant issues or an allegation to the fostering panel. All other subsequent foster home reviews are referred to the relevant team manager and then to the agency decision maker.

9. Fostering Service Operational Case Work

9.1 The fostering service delivers the following operational casework:

Support to foster carers including evenings and weekend delivered by sessional support staff as required

Out of hours triage – there is an on call service accessed via a dedicated phone line available

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Monday to Friday – 6pm to 8pm

Saturday – 10am to 4pm

(No service on Sundays or Bank Holidays)

Foster carers contact the triage social worker on duty who will discuss any concerns, provide advice, and assess if any additional support is required.

9.2 Foster Carers’ Engagement, Participation and Support

The team managers for mainstream and family finding and targeted services lead on supporting the involvement of our foster carers in:

Foster carer forums

Participation meetings

Meeting with the Foster Carers Association

Annual foster carer conference

Specific support groups for foster carers

Sons and daughters group (activity based annually)

Recruitment events

Events for foster carers and children (carers’ children and fostered children) in conjunction with the Foster Carers Association

10. Placements

10.1 Telford & Wrekin fostering service offers the following placements.

10.2 Emergency Placements: Foster carers provide emergency (same day/out of hours) and planned placements arranged by the Brokerage Fostering Team. The placements are for a time-limited period.

10.3 Short Term Placements: Foster carers provide placements for children whose cases are usually within care proceedings and where we have yet to identify their long-term care plan.

10.4 Long-Term: Foster carers who provide permanent or long-term

placements are committed to caring for children until they reach independence, and for providing ongoing support into adulthood.

10.5 Fostering Plus: Carers provide single placements for children and young people who are at high risk of entering residential care or making the transition from residential care into a family setting to stay until they reach independence. We also consider this type of fostering with carers who foster children with profound and/or complex disabilities and which require a higher level of skill.

10.6 Family & Friends: Carers provide placements for a child or young

person who is a relative or friend, (‘connected’ person) and who is

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approved as a foster carer specifically for them. These foster carers have equal access to support and training opportunities.

10.7 Children with Disabilities/Short Breaks: The family finding and target

services team links with to identify carers who can provide them with short stays on a regular basis. This can be anything from a few hours each week to a few days each month with the same carer.

10.8 Short Breaks/Shared Care: Is for children who have particular

challenging behaviour issues, which means parents or their carers, are under considerable daily pressure and would benefit from a break (Section 17 of the Children Act 1989).

10.9 Respite: Carers provide short breaks for children in care. We plan

short-term placements to support the aims of the child’s care plan, either to return home or to support the child’s main placement.

10.10 Parent and Child: Foster carers provide placements to parents and

their children where there are concerns about their ability to parent safely. This can include young people in care and their baby/young child or adults and their child/ren. Parent and child carers will support the needs of both the parent and their child. The foster carer will work in partnership with the parent and the children’s social workers to provide care, support and assessment, as required. They do not generally take a lead on the assessment, but will provide information that is included in any parenting assessment.

10.11 Staying Put: These are arrangements made with or between foster

carers and the children who have lived with them and wish to continue living with their foster carer until they are 21. Our leaving care team in conjunction with our fostering service leads these placements.

11. Recruitment 11.1 Sufficiency: The fostering service will continue to recruit more foster

carers for children in our care to ensure there is sufficient placement choice to enable us to make appropriate matches for children with foster carers and to ensure that our carers reflect the diverse population of Telford & Wrekin. The recruitment strategy identifies areas that recruitment will focus on.

11.2 The fostering service will also ensure that it has sufficient number of

supervising social workers for foster carers; to offer advice, support and supervision. We will ensure that we recruit for any vacancies without undue delay and that we put in place interim measures so that we continue to support carers. In addition to this, we provide support via support workers who will complete targeted work to support placements and the development of foster carers.

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11.3 The fostering service will ensure that we have a strong market presence and effective recruitment strategy is supported by (and is not exhaustive):

Dedicated team focussing on recruitment of foster carers

Recommend a friend reward scheme

Stalls promoting fostering at local events

Information evenings

Coffee mornings for people interested in fostering

Advertising in local publications and newspapers

Radio advertising

Sponsorship of specific targeted locations

Partnership with the community participation team to access local communities

Advertising in local authority buildings

Constant recruitment campaign and not ‘one off campaigns’

An active Facebook and Twitter feed

A strong Web presence

Presence in the local community

Targeting specific areas of Telford with spare bedrooms.

11.4 Enquiries: the Family Finding and Targeted Service Team receive all initial enquiries. Enquirers can contact us by calling our dedicated telephone phone number or complete an online enquiry form at www.telfordfostering.co.uk.

11.5 Telford & Wrekin Council will make a response to an enquiry within 24

working hours; we will take details of the enquiry and will make a decision concerning an initial visit.

11.6 We will offer enquirers an appointment for a home visit within five

working days. The visit enables the potential applicant to obtain more information about fostering, after which we will invite them to participate in the preparation training – Skills to Foster. Skills to Foster is three full day sessions providing enquirers an insight to fostering.

11.7 In two-carer households, both carers will complete the training.

Following the completion of the Skills to Foster training, if assessed as appropriate we will allocate an assessor and their assessment will commence.

11.8 Approved foster carer, who are transferring from another agency, would

also complete the Skills to Foster, although this does not need to be completed prior to their assessment commencing.

12. Assessment Process (not including family & friends foster carers):

12.1 When a person applies to become a foster carer, the fostering service

may assess their suitability to foster. There is a two-stage assessment process, and the allocated social worker will arrange to visit the

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applicants within 10 working days from receipt of the notice to proceed.

12.2 At stage 1, Telford & Wrekin fostering service will obtain the following information from the applicants.

The applicants full name, address and date of birth.

Details of the applicant’s health, supported by a medical report. We will give the applicants the (Coram BAAF) Form AH to arrange a medical examination through their GP, the cost of which the local authority will cover. Completed medicals are sent to the medical advisor for comments about the applicant’s fitness, and their suitability to foster.

Particulars of other adult household members.

Particulars of children in the applicant’s family (whether or not they are members of the household) and any other children in the household.

Particulars of the household’s accommodation.

The outcome of any request or application made by the applicant, (or any member of the applicant’s household), to foster or adopt children, or for registration as an early or later year’s provider, under Part 3 of the Child care Act (2006), including particulars of any previous approval or refusal of approval to foster.

The name and address of any fostering service that the applicant has been an approved foster carer for, in the preceding 12 months.

Names and addresses of four persons who will provide personal references for the applicants; (three, if a single applicant) and one complete a pro-forma reference and be interviews by the Assessing Social Worker. The referees must know the applicants well and be able to comment upon all aspects of their lives.

In relation to the applicant and each member of their household aged 16 or over, and enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Certificate. Following receipt of a positive DBS check, we will complete a manager’s positive DBS Disclosure Risk Assessment pro-forma for consideration by the County Manager (Fostering).

Details of any current and any previous marriage, civil partnership, or similar relationship.

Consultation with the local authority in whose area the applicant lives if this is different to the fostering service.

Telford & Wrekin will also request references and will undertake a visit to previous partners with whom the applicant has parented; also any significant partners.

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12.3 Stage 1 is completed 10 days following all the above information becoming available to the fostering service. If at any point during stage 1 of the assessment process, the fostering service’s agency decision-maker, decides that the applicant is not suitable to foster, they must write to the applicant informing them of this decision and giving full reasons for it. We will advise applicants how to make a complaint should they wish to do so.

12.4 Stage 2 of the assessment we may carry out in parallel with stage 1 in

order to avoid unnecessary delay. Telford & Wrekin uses the ‘Form F’ (Coram BAAF) assessment report to present the findings of the full assessment. The assessment requires the full participation of the applicants. Social workers will complete an assessment plan with the applicants and arrange to visit them, as required (needing usually 8-10 visits). The assessment plan and agreement will identify dates for the visits, the areas that they will cover at each meeting, information the applicants need to provide and a planned date to attend the fostering panel.

12.5 The assessment will collate information about the applicants and their

family’s motivation to foster, as well as their capability to foster. The assessment will take into account:

Lifestyle

Mental, physical and emotional well-being

Ability to be resilient and flexible

Understanding of the fostering task and the needs of children in care

Ability to manage and care for a child in care and to work with birth families and the team supporting the child.

Ability to meet cultural, ethnic, religious, health, and educational needs

Ability to provide suitable accommodation

Impact of fostering on the family

Ability to provide safe and stable care

Ability to understand confidentiality and to keep clear and accurate records

12.6 Preparation training will run in parallel with the assessment. The preparation training marks the start of ‘portfolio building’ for the ‘Training Support and Development Standards for Foster Carers’ (TSD Standards). We support all foster carers to complete the TSD Standards within 12 months of approval (18 months for family & friends cares). Applicants will begin to accumulate evidence for their portfolio during this training and assessment period.

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12.7 Assessment Form F reports must be completed and have a panel recommendation within eight months from the date of the application. Telford & Wrekin aims to complete the assessment within 20 weeks.

13. Family and Friends assessments

13.1 These assessments follow a similar process. We will contact applicants immediately and the child’s social worker will make a referral for either a ‘viability assessment’ or a full assessment. We will also allocate a fostering social worker from the family and friends team and complete a full assessment within 16 weeks of receiving the referral. We give family and friends applicants an information pack with guidance on the assessment and approval process.

14. Fostering Approval (Including family and friends)

14.1 We will share the completed assessment with the applicants prior to te fostering panel and will present it to the panel with a recommendation on whether the applicant is suitable to foster and what the terms of their approval should be. The recommendation to panel will set out the type of placement, number and age range of children to be placed. Alternatively, approval may be limited to specific children (for example, family and friends approvals). Some recommendations may be that an applicant is not approved.

14.2 Made up of children’s social care representatives and independent representatives who have a relevant background and experience that support their role (e.g. fostering, care experience, health, education etc.), the fostering panel meets twice a month to consider all applications.

14.3 Applicants are invited to attend the fostering panel with the assessing social worker and, as appropriate, the child’s social worker. Written information about the panel’s role and function will be available beforehand.

14.4 The fostering panel will make a recommendation about the suitability of the applicant to foster and the terms of their approval.

14.5 The agency decision maker receives the recommendation of the panel. The fostering panel makes available all information to the agency decision maker, including the panel minutes to enable them to make a considered decision within seven days of receipt of the recommendation and final set of minutes.

14.6 We will inform the foster carer or prospective foster orally of the decision within two working days and in writing within five working days, clearly stating the terms of the approval. Carers will be required to sign the Foster Carer Agreement before they can take a placement.

14.7 In circumstances where the agency decision maker does not approve, we will advise the applicants of their options in the agency decision

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maker’s letter as to how to appeal via the Independent Review Mechanism or the fostering panel.

15. Post Approval Support and Supervision

15.1 Approved foster carers have access to the online foster carer handbook, which sets out the expectations of and relationship with the division.

15.2 Newly approved foster carers are required to complete the Training, Support & Development Standards (TSDS) for foster care. This forms part of the framework of induction, core training and continuing professional development that will equip foster carers with the essential skills and knowledge to meet the needs of children in their care.

15.3 We expect carers to evidence that they have met the induction requirements by achieving a certificate of completion of the TSDS on completion of a portfolio of evidence of competency within the first 12 months of approval (18 months for family and friends carers). We expect foster carers to keep up to date and develop their knowledge and skills through their Personal Development Plan (PDP), which will contribute to the foster carer review process. Foster carers are required to maintain an ongoing ‘portfolio’ of training and development, which demonstrates how they are meeting the skills, required of them by the fostering service.

15.4 Foster carers’ personal development plans set out how we will support them to undertake ongoing training and development that is appropriate to their development needs and experience.

15.5 The fostering panel considers the foster carers annual review and recommends to the agency their ongoing approval, variation or de-registration. Foster carer reviews and independently chaired and involve the foster carer and fostering social worker, who provide written reports. The views of the children and young people in placement and their social workers inform the review. View of the carer’s own children are also invited. The review focuses on the performance of the carer, identifies training requirements and makes recommendations for future approval.

16. Post Approval Training

16.1 The fostering service has a strong commitment to the ongoing training of foster carers, recognising the valuable contribution training makes to their development, helping them to understand the fostering task, increasing their knowledge and skills, and underpinning the safe and appropriate care of children. The TSD Standards’ expectations that carers continue to engage with, and with core and continuing professional development training and learning opportunities reinforces this further.

16.2 The training programme is reviewed and updated annually and offers a range of training courses to meet the different requirements of our Foster Carers.

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17. Support

17.1 Support for foster carers is given a high priority in Telford & Wrekin and the services available to carers include:

Supervision and support from a named fostering social worker

A mentoring scheme for foster carers

Support groups who meet on a monthly basis

‘Men who Foster’ support group

Out of hours support via the Emergency Duty Team

Out of hours support provided by the Fostering Triage

Membership of the Fostering Network

Access to Fostering Network advice and mediation worker

Provision of equipment, necessary for fostering.

Financial support through agreed allowances.

Out of hours support workers

Support workers to directly support foster carers

Handbook for foster carers.

Newsletter for foster carers and foster children.

Up to date information through the website and text.

Foster carer forums

Bi monthly foster carer participation

Dedicated systemic consultant

In house therapist to support foster carers

17.2 In order to improve the life chances for children, the following list are some of the services that are available to children in placements:

LAC CAMHS: This service aims to provide a timely response to the needs of children and young people looked after and their carers, whose placements are under stress, or in danger of disruption.

Head teacher of the virtual school for looked after children, and education co-coordinators and mentors, linking into specific education services.

Named nurses for looked after children.

Access to drugs advisory workers.

The Voice project.

Advocacy service.

Hot shot annual celebration for looked after children

Family solutions

Teenage pregnancy support

18. Staying Put

18.1 Telford & Wrekin Council is committed to preventing social exclusion among care leavers and has developed a ‘Staying Put’ policy in order to ensure that, when appropriate, they can continue to live with former

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foster carer(s) after their 18th birthday and make the transition to independent living at a pace that suits their needs.

18.2 The primary aim of the policy is to allow young people to remain with their carers past their 18th birthday to promote a gradual transition to independent living. This recognises that many young people in care experience delayed maturity, and that their 18th birthday may be an inappropriate point to leave foster care.

18.3 The Staying Put Good Practice Guide 2014 provides information, for practitioners and managers, in making and supporting staying put arrangements.

19. Comments, Compliments and Complaints

19.1 Telford & Wrekin Council welcomes feedback on the service is provides to children, birth parents and foster carers, to enable us to make improvements.

19.2 We have a complaints procedure accessible to all service users and carers. There are two stages to the procedure, which can be found on the Telford & Wrekin Council website. All complaints should aim to be dealt with informally where possible, or escalated to the Council’s customer relationships team (customer.relationship@telford.gov.uk)

20. Contact details for further information

Service Delivery Manager – Fostering Wing A, 2nd Floor Darby House Lawn Central Telford TF3 4JA Telephone: 01952 380353 For Complaints or Representation re the Fostering Service Telford & Wrekin Council Customer Relationship Team Addenbrooke House Ironmasters Way Telford TF3 4NT Telephone: 01952 382006