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Contents

1.	Placements Process - Planned Placements
	1.1	Definition of Planned Placement
	1.2	Placement Request
	1.3	Matching and Approval of Placement
	1.4	Placement Planning
	1.5	Notification of Placement
2.	Support, Monitoring and Ending of Placements
	2.1	Support and Monitoring of Placements
	2.2	Ending of Placements
3.	Long Term/Permanent Placements
	3.1	Identification and Approval of Placements
	3.2	Disruption

1. Placements Process - Planned Placements

1.1	Definition of Planned Placement
1.2	Placement Request
1.3	Matching and Approval of Placement
1.4	Placement Planning
1.5	Notification of Placement

1.1 Definition of Planned Placement

A Planned Placement is the placement of a child in a foster home following an assessment and planning process whereby, at the time of the placement, a Care Plan and Placement Plan/Placement Information Record are in place.

At the point that it is determined that a placement may be required, and throughout the subsequent process of identification, planning and placement, the social worker must consult and take account of the views of the following people:

1. The child;
2. The child's parents;
3. Anyone who is not a parent but has been caring for or looking after the child;
4. Other members of the child's family who are significant to the child or who have a Contact Order in their favour in relation to the child;
5. The child's school or the education service;
6. The Youth Offending Service, if the child is known to them;
7. Any other relevant person, e.g. nursery, health care professional, Children's Guardian;
8. The child’s Independent Reviewing Officer.

The views of these people should be given by them, in writing, or should be recorded by the social worker. If the child’s wishes are not acted upon, the reason should be given.

Except in emergency placements, the Placement Planning Meeting should be held before the placement. Where this is not possible, it should be held at the latest within 5 working days of the placement.

1.2 Placement Request

For placement with permanent/long-term foster carers, see Section 3, Long Term Placements.

In all other cases, where a decision has been made that a child requires a foster placement, the child’s social worker should contact the duty social worker in the Fostering Team to see if an in-house foster placement is available.

The social worker should provide information about the child, the type of placement sought, the Care Plan, the date by which the placement is required, the likely length of time for which the placement is required and the expected level of contact between the child and parents. The social worker should also outline any risks associated with the placement.

Where there is no in-house foster placement available or suitable, the child’s social worker should obtain the approval of his or her manager to make a referral to the Access to Resources Team for a placement with an external provider to be identified.

Before such a referral is made, consideration should be given to the following issues.

• How will support be offered to the placement if it is a distance from the borough?
• How will the child maintain their existing networks with family, friends etc.?
• How will the child be educated?
• How will contact with significant people be managed?

The Access to Resources Team will arrange for all placement requests to be submitted to the next available Placement Panel and will inform the social worker of the Panel date.

1.3 Matching and Approval of Placement

The matching process should consider the child's needs especially regarding the following key areas:

• The child’s education;
• The expectations around contact with relatives and friends;
• The child’s identify/race/culture;
• The child’s history;
• The child’s behaviour;
• The child’s health;
• The focus of the placement.

The matching process should also consider the carer's availability and:

• Their experience;
• Their strengths;
• The family composition;
• The distance from the foster home to the child’s school;
• Other children in the placement;
• The foster carer's children.

The duty social worker in the Fostering Team will liaise with the child’s social worker about the availability of an appropriate in-house resource, and seek clarification or more information, as necessary, for example whether the child may be a risk to other children living in the foster home. The duty social worker will then contact potential foster carers and discuss/clarify the possible placement with them including any associated risks.  If necessary there will be further discussions about the suitability of the placement between the foster carer, the foster carer’s supervising social worker and the child’s social worker.

In relation to the sharing of bedrooms, each child over 3 should have their own bedroom, or where this is not possible, the placing authority must agree to the sharing of the bedroom and this must therefore be addressed during the matching process.

In all cases, where there is a child already in the proposed foster placement, contact should be made with the social worker for that child and where the child is from a different local authority, the consent of that child's local authority should be sought by the duty social worker at the Fostering Service.

If a suitable in-house foster placement is identified, the Placement Planning process can start – see Section 1.4. If the placement is outside the foster carer’s terms of approval, the approval of the Designated Manager Foster Placement - Exemption is required. 

Where no in-house foster placement is available and a referral to seek an external placement has been approved by the social worker’s manager and made (see Section 1.2), the Access to Resources Team will identify possible placements with external fostering agencies and liaise with the social worker, as necessary, about their suitability. 

At this stage, the Access to Resources Team will hold initial discussions with the external fostering agencies as to the appropriateness of the referral, time-scales for vacancies and the basic costs of the placement. The Access to Resources Team will ascertain the services included in the basic cost, what would be regarded as extra cost and the conditions relating to the notice period, and liaise with the child’s social worker and relevant manager as necessary.

If an external placement appears suitable and a vacancy is available, the Access to Resources Team will:

• Obtain verbal references from other local authorities who have placed children with the fostering agency in the last 12 months;
• Cross refer to the Pan London Contract.

As long as no concerns have been raised in relation to a proposed external placement, the Access to Resources Team will arrange to visit the fostering agency and evaluate the placement (with the social worker if appropriate) and then discuss its suitability with the child’s social worker and manager.

The social worker will complete the Placements Panel Referral Form and attach a copy of the Initial Assessment, or Core Assessment if available, and the child’s Care Plan. The social worker should attend the Placement Panel meeting when the case is considered.

The Placement Panel will authorise the placement if satisfied that there are no alternatives to the child being/remaining Looked After. 

The Placement Panel will ensure that all internal resources have been explored before agreeing to a placement with an external provider.

In cases where a child has complex needs and issues of joint funding with Health and Education arise in relation to the placement, the case will be referred to the Complex Issues Panel. This will be arranged through the Complex Issues Panel Coordinator, who is based within the Access to Resources Team.

When the placement has been agreed as suitable, the Access to Resources Team will negotiate the terms and conditions of the placement with the fostering agency. Where the fostering agency is a member of the Pan London Consortium, this will be in line with the standardised Pan London Contract.

Where the proposed placement is with a foster carer living outside the borough, the views of the local authority where the foster carer lives must be sought and taken into account and the Out of Area Placements Procedure.

NB In addition to the above approvals, in order to avoid placements that disrupt a child’s education, the Nominated Officer must approve any change of placement affecting a child in Key Stage 4, except in an emergency/where the placement is terminated because of an immediate risk of serious harm to the child  or to protect others from serious injury – see Education of Looked After Children Procedure.

1.4 Placement Planning

Before the child is placed, there will be liaison between the child’s social worker, foster carer and the foster carer’s supervising social worker (where the placement is with in-house carers) or independent fostering agency to arrange a Placement Planning Meeting. This should be held before the placement takes place wherever possible or if not possible, within 5 working days of the placement.

Participants to be invited will include:

• The parent;
• The child (if appropriate);
• The foster carer;
• The supervising social worker;
• Any other relevant professionals, e.g. a representative from the child's school;
• Anyone else considered appropriate or who will have a role in the placement.

The purpose of the meeting is to share information about the child and the Care Plan, plan the timing of the placement and ensure that the Placement Plan (which will be recorded on the  Placement Information Record) is drawn up and a copy given to the carer and, where appropriate, the child.

The Placement Planning Meeting will involve a  discussion of the child's needs to ensure careful matching, including the child’s personal history, religious persuasion, cultural and linguistic background and racial origin, as well as the child’s health and education needs and how these are to be met. It will also include the arrangements for registering the child with local health professionals (GP, dentist and optician).

In addition the placement planning meeting will consider the type of introduction process required, for example whether arrangements should be made for the child, parents and the social worker to visit the foster home and/or whether it may be appropriate to have an introductory overnight stay. Children should be able to visit the foster home and talk in private with the carer. If this is not possible, arrangements may be made for the carers to visit the child and parents; or for information about the foster carers to be sent to the child and/or the parents, for example about routines in the foster home, bedtimes, meals, visitors, pocket money, school, privacy and the overall expectations in relation to the child’s behaviour within the home.

The meeting also provides an opportunity to ensure that the foster carers have a copy of any relevant court order and that full information is shared with them about the child's needs and any behaviour management issues.

For children placed in foster care, the Placement Plan should cover the following issues in addition to those for all placements set out in the Decision to Look After and Care Planning Procedure, Placement Plan (recorded on the Placement Information Record):

• The type of accommodation to be provided and the address;
• The child’s personal history religious persuasion, cultural and linguistic background and racial origin;
• Where the child is Accommodated, the respective responsibilities of the Local Authority and parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility;
• Any delegation of responsibility by parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility to the Local Authority/foster carers for the child’s day-to-day care;
• The expected duration of the arrangements and the steps to bring the arrangements to an end, including arrangements for the child  to return to live with parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility;
• Where the child  is aged 16 or over and agrees to being provided with accommodation under Section 20 Children Act 1989, that fact;
• The circumstances in which it is necessary to obtain in advance the local authority’s approval for the child to take part in school trips and overnight stays as part of social visits;
• The local authority’s arrangements for the financial support of the child during the placement;
• The obligation on the carers to comply with the terms of the foster care agreement.

Following the meeting, the child’s social worker will complete and arrange for the circulation of the Care Plan and Placement Plan/Placement Information Record to the child, parents and foster carers. 

The social worker should ensure that any Children’s Guide or other information about the placement that is available for the child is obtained and given to him/her. Children must understand house expectations before the placement is made.

If the child is being placed in a placement from an independent agency, the social worker must also ensure that the child is provided with information on using the authority’s Complaints Procedure.

In all cases, the child should be accompanied to the placement by the social worker and helped to settle in.

See also Placement Planning Meetings and Keeping the Placement Information Record Up to Date Procedure.

1.5 Notification of Placement

The child’s social worker must notify the placement to all those consulted and involved in the decision-making process. 

In order to ensure the appropriate arrangements to pay carers are in place, the Fostering team (for an in-house placement) and the Access to Resources Team (for a placement with an independent fostering agency) should complete a Start/Stop Form and distribute it in accordance with Administrative Processes in Relation to Stop/Start Forms Procedure.

In addition, the child’s social worker must complete a Change of Circumstances Form, providing the necessary information to the relevant administrative staff so that the child's electronic recording system can be updated. 

The social worker must also notify in writing, or arrange for the team administrative staff to send written notification to the following:

1. The Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Unit.  
   
   This notification will trigger, if necessary, the appointment of an Independent Reviewing Officer, who will contact the social worker to make arrangements for a Looked After Review If the child already has an allocated Independent Reviewing Officer, the written notification may be sent directly to that person;
   
   
2. The appropriate health trust, local education service and Children’s Services for the area where the child is placed. These notifications must be made in writing advising of the placement decision and the name and address of the home where the child is to be placed. They should be sent within five working days of the placement.

It will necessary for the social worker to ensure the child is registered with a GP, Dentist and Optician, either retaining practices known to them or in the area where they are placed. 

In relation to a first Looked After placement it will also be necessary for the social worker to arrange a Health Care Assessment before the first Looked After Review unless one has been conducted in the previous 3 months. In relation to a change of placement, the child's social worker must email the new placement address to the Designated Nurse for Looked After Children (see Contact Details Appendix) and Health Clerical Officer so that arrangements for subsequent Health Care Assessments can be made with the relevant medical practitioner. (See procedures contained in Joint Protocol for the Health of Looked After Children and Young People).

The social worker must also complete a Personal Education Plan which should be available for the first Looked After Review having been initiated as a part of the Care Plan. (See procedures contained in Education of Looked After Children Procedure.)

2. Support, Monitoring and Ending of Placements

2.1	Support and Monitoring of Placements
2.2	Ending of Placements

2.1 Support and Monitoring of Placements

The child’s social worker must visit the child in the placement within one week of the placement and then at specified intervals at a minimum, every six weeks during the first year, thereafter every six weeks (three months if the placement is intended to last until the child is 18). See procedures in Social Worker Visits Procedure.

Also see Placement Planning and Keeping the Placement Information Record Up to Date Procedure.

Where the placement is with an external fostering agency, the Access to Resources Team will maintain regular contact with the social worker and ask the social worker to complete the Placement Evaluation Form, to monitor the appropriateness and effectiveness of the placement.

The Access to Resources Team will arrange for the Placement Panel to review the placement at regular intervals as agreed at the Panel when the placement was authorised.

Where the needs of the child in the placement will involve costs in addition to those approved, the placement must be referred to the Placement Panel for authority for any such additional costs before they are incurred.

The social worker should attend the Placement Panel meeting(s) with the named worker of the Access to Resources Team.

Where a foster placement is considered to be at risk of disrupting, consideration will be given to calling a Placement Stability Meeting – see Placement Stability Meetings Procedure.

2.2 Ending of Placements

Where the placement was with an in-house foster carer, the child’s social worker should complete Form FSR1 ‘Report on Placement Ending’ and send a copy to the foster carer’s supervising social worker.

All children leaving placements with external fostering agencies should be given an opportunity to provide feedback on the placement.

Children must, when they leave the home, be helped to understand the reasons and be supported with the transition – including return home and independence.

Foster carers must be supported to maintain links with children who leave their care, where appropriate.

All those notified of the placement should be notified also when a placement ends, including the Access to Resources Team - see Administrative Processes in Relation to Stop/Start Forms Procedure.

All written information on the child, which the foster carer holds, should be transferred to the foster carer’s supervising social worker for transfer to the child’s social worker.

3. Long Term/Permanent Placements

See also Permanency Planning Procedure.

3.1	Identification and Approval of Placements
3.2	Disruption

3.1 Identification and Approval of Placement

This section sets out the process to be followed for long term foster placements which are in addition to those set out in Section 1.3 Matching and Approval of Placements and Section 1.4 Placement Planning above.

Where a child’s proposed placement with a foster carer is to achieve permanence for the child or the plan is for the existing placement to become permanent, the following must occur:

1. The plan to achieve permanence for the child through a long-term foster placement must initially be approved at the child’s Looked After Review;
   
   
2. In relation to children under 12, the plan should also be referred to the Adoption and Permanence Panel upon whose recommendation the Designated Manager (Permanence Plans) can give approval in principle;
   
   
3. A Family Finding Meeting should be convened, following which the child’s social worker should book the case for discussion at the Placement Panel in order to seek approval in principle for a possible placement with an external fostering agency where there are no identified foster carers, and the family finding social worker should begin advertising for the purpose of recruiting possible carers; 
   
   Where there are identified foster carers, who are not already approved as long-term foster carers, it will be necessary to conduct an assessment to obtain such approval.  The assessing social worker will complete a BAAF Form F in relation to the assessment.  (See Assessment and Approval of Foster Carers Procedure);
   
   When complete, the assessment should be presented to the Adoption and Permanence Panel (for children under 12), who may recommend to the Designated Manager (Permanence Plans) that the foster carers be approved as long term, at the same time as the Matching Report – see below;
   
   Where the assessment relates to the placement of a child of 12 or over, the assessment should be presented to the Fostering Panel at the same time as the Matching Report – see below;
   
   
4. Family Finding Progress Meetings will be held regularly to review progress in family finding until potential families are identified. Where potential families are already registered with an external fostering agency, before any such families are visited, the family finding social worker should liaise with the Access to Resources Team to check that the fostering agency concerned is included on the Pan London Approved Agencies List;  
   
   Once a family from an external fostering agency has been identified as providing a suitable match, the Access to Resources Team will take over and complete the negotiations with the agency – in the same way as for any other placement.  The Access to Resources Team will inform the   Fostering Team Manager and the LAC Team Manager by e-mail of the funding agreed;
   
   
5. The child’s social worker will convene a Matching Meeting to consider the suitability of the long-term foster carers to provide a permanent home for the child or children’s needs.  Once the Matching Meeting recommends a family as suitable permanent carers for the child or children, the child’s social worker and foster carer’s supervising social worker (if an in-house placement) or link worker from the fostering agency (if an external placement) should prepare a Matching Report to be presented to the Adoption and Permanence Panel (for children under 12) or the Fostering Panel (for children of 12 or over), for approval of the match;
   
   
6. Following approval of the match, where this means a change of placement, the child’s social worker will convene a planning meeting in relation to the introductions and placement; 
   
   Where the child will remain in the same placement, the date of the Panel meeting when the match is approved will be the date when the placement is regarded as permanent.  The Fostering Team administrative staff will complete a Start/Stop Form – see Administrative Processes in Relation to Start/Stop Forms Procedure;
   
   
7. If the placement is still successful after 6 months, the Placement Panel will further consider it and commitment will be given to the placement continuing long-term. The Placement Panel will then review the placement annually.

3.2 Disruption

It will always be the aim of the fostering service, in conjunction with the child’s social worker, that every effort will be made to prevent the disruption of a placement.

Where it appears that there will be a likely disruption, added support will be offered to address the issues of concern. This will be in the form of:

1. Consultation for the child, initially with their social worker, to enable them to express their views or to consider how behaviour can be changed to resolve issues of concern;
2. Support for the foster carers, initially from their supervising social worker to consider options where they could alter their practice or how the child could be encouraged to alter the behaviour that is likely to disrupt the placement;
3. Consultation from the HEART Service. This could be for the child alone or with their foster carer and/or social worker;
4. The HEART service may also be involved if the cause for the likely disruption is associated with education;
5. The convening of a Placement Stability Meeting, where a more intensive approach is required to consider the influencing factors that could result in a disruption of the placement. If the placement is considered to be in the best interests of the child, the professionals meeting will consider how best to support the placement to prevent breakdown. For further information, please see Placement Stability Meetings Procedure;
6. Added support in the form of respite or outreach services to give the child some “time out” and the foster carers a period of rest from the care of the child;
7. Ongoing monitoring of the issues of concern through effective sharing of information of professionals and foster carers via regular, organised meetings. There will be minutes of discussions for these meetings. In this way an effective chronology can be formulated of the child’s behaviour and responses to intervention;
8. If the responsibility for the disruption is considered to lie with the foster carer and his/her response to the child, a structured plan of work to improve responses to the child will be formulated along with an appropriate training programme. In these circumstances the issues of concern will be presented to the Fostering Panel at the foster carer’s annual review. In the case of serious concern the circumstances will be presented to the next available Fostering Panel - see Review of Foster Carers Procedure.

A foster placement will be considered to have disrupted if the ending is unplanned or sudden. This could be on the part of:

1. The child - ending the placement by absconding or indicating in other ways that he/she wishes to end the placement;
2. The foster carers - where they feel they can no longer care for the child;
3. The child’s social worker - where there is cause for concern that the placement does not meet the needs of the child.

Where all efforts to prevent disruption have failed to prevent a breakdown of the placement, a Disruption Meeting will be held. Wherever possible this should be held prior to the actual breakdown. If this is not possible it should be held as soon after the breakdown as possible.

In these circumstances, please see Disruption Meetings Procedure.

End