Placements in Foster Care and Residential Care

Ealing is committed to ensuring that children and young people only become looked after when there is no alternative, and it is clearly in their best interests for this to happen. 

Ealing is focussed on enabling children and young people to live at home with their family wherever possible. We work intensively with children, young people, and their families - where there is a risk of the child or young person being looked after – with the aim to keep children within their family network. 

When it is not possible to keep children at home, we always aim to place them within a family setting. This could be with a member of the extended family or with a foster family. Ealing will only place children and young people within a registered residential children’s home in exceptional circumstances. 

The aim is always to place children in or near to Ealing, wherever that is possible. Occasionally it will be in a child’s best interests to place them at a distance but that should only happen in exceptional circumstances. 

In addition, we aim to work intensively with our most vulnerable and at risk looked after children and young people. Through intensive support and careful planning, we aim to ensure that children and young people do not experience multiple - or indeed any - placement breakdowns. 

To summarise, the key aim of our local placement policy and procedure is to: 

• Keep children with their families or in family settings;
• Keep children in the local area;
• Support stable placements and avoid placement breakdowns and moves.  

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.

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.

If a child/young person may need a placement, Social Workers must discuss this with a Manager/DTM. If they agree that a placement is required, they will seek agreement from a Head of Service who will then make a request to the Assistant Director Children's Social Care. Whilst awaiting agreement, Social Workers can call ART duty to discuss and seek advice. In some situations, a discussion with Ealing's Legal Department may be needed. Where this is the case, Social Workers should ensure they have obtained the agreement of a Manager/DTM before contacting Legal.

In making this request, the social worker will be asked to 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 a child already in a proposed foster placement, ART completes checks and seeks consent from the Local Authority responsible for the other child/children in placement.

If a residential resource has been identified, ART will contact the relevant registered manager directly. Wherever possible, the child's social worker should visit potential homes and as required consult with other professionals, prior to a decision about the appropriateness of a placement being made. The placement provider should be able to provide evidence that supports the appropriateness and effectiveness of any therapeutic approach or model of care they intend to use.

Equally, any placement made outside the local authority area should be able to meet the child's physical and mental health / emotional needs, particularly where ongoing treatment is being undertaken or is assessed as required (see also Health Care Assessments and Plans Procedure and Out of Area Placements Procedure).

If the proposed placement is with an external provider, the Designated Manager (Use of External Placements) must approve the specific terms and conditions of the placement, which must be included in the contract with the provider. Where the residential placement is outside the local authority area, see also Out of Area Placements Procedure

Once the relevant manager/s approves the placement, the placement planning process can start - see Section 7, Placement Planning. An understanding of the provider's therapeutic approach should inform the child's Placement Plan.

The social worker may then arrange visits to the proposed placement, with the child (if old enough) and parents (if appropriate).

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 identity/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.

Once a potential placement has been identified, the child's social worker will liaise with the foster carer's supervising social worker (who may be from an independent fostering agency) to agree arrangements for the placement. At this stage, the social worker will also discuss the child with the prospective foster carer and, in particular, share/clarify any risks associated with the placement with the foster carers and the supervising social worker. Wherever possible, the child's social worker should visit potential carers and as required consult with other professionals, prior to a decision about the appropriateness of a placement being made.

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.

Where the proposed placement is an in-house placement, it will then be presented to the social worker's manager for approval.

If the placement is outside the foster carer's terms of approval or an exemption is required, see Exemptions/Variations to Foster Carer Terms of Approval Procedure.

If the proposed placement is with an independent fostering agency, the Designated Manager (External Placements) must approve the placement and a written agreement must be drawn up with the fostering agency setting out the precise terms and conditions between the local authority and the agency in relation to the placement. Where the placement is with independent foster carers who live outside the local authority area, see also Out of Area Placements Procedure.

Placements at a distance

When a child/young person is placed outside of Ealing or neighbouring boroughs (Brent, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow) the placement must be authorised by the Assistant Director Children's Social Care. This will be organised by ART, Social Workers will receive an email with a Word attachment giving the authorisation. This will need to be uploaded onto MOSAIC.

N.B. In addition to the above approvals, in order to avoid placements that disrupt a child's education, Ealing's Virtual School Headteacher 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 Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children Procedure.

If the relevant manager approves the placement, the placement planning process can start - see Section 7, Placement Planning.

The social worker may then arrange an introductory visit to the proposed placement, with the child (if old enough) and parents (if appropriate).

Before the child is placed, the child's social worker will arrange a Placement Planning Meeting after liaising with the foster carer and the foster carer's supervising social worker (who may be from an independent fostering agency). The meeting will usually be held in the new placement. See also Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings Procedure.

Participants will include:

• The parent;
• The child (if appropriate);
• The foster carer/residential staff;
• 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 first Placement Planning Meeting is to finalise the Placement Plan (which will be recorded on the Placement Information Record within the Looked After Planning step. This 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.

For children placed in foster or residential care, the Placement Plan should cover the following issues in addition to those for all placements set out in the Decision to Look After Procedure and Care Planning Procedure:

1. The type of accommodation to be provided and the address;
2. Where the authority has, or is notified of, Child Protection concerns relating to the child, or the child has gone missing from the placement or from any previous placement, the day to day arrangements put in place by the appropriate person (placement provider) to keep the child safe;
3. The child's personal history, religious persuasion, cultural and linguistic background and racial origin;
4. Any behaviours which have been of concern to previous carers and which may have contributed to previous breakdown of a placement and how the Placement Provider will seek to manage and respond to these;
5. 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 and /or the foster carer(s)/residential staff in relation to the following matters ( and identifying any of these matters on which the local authority/parents/persons with Parental Responsibility consider that the child may make a decision): 
     • Medical and dental treatment;
     • Education;
     • Leisure and home life;
     • Faith and religious observance;
     • Use of social media;
     • Any other matters upon which the local authority/parents/others with parental responsibility consider appropriate.
   • 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.
6. 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 or overnight stays;
7. The Local Authority's arrangements for the financial support of the child during the placement;
8. Contact arrangements between child, birth parents, siblings and wider family or friends;
9. The obligation on the carers to comply with the terms of the foster care agreement/residential contract. 

The meeting also provides an opportunity to ensure that the foster carers/registered manager 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.

Except in emergency placements, the Placement Planning Meeting should be held before the placement. Where this is not possible, it should be held in order that the Placement Plan is prepared within 5 working days of the start of the placement.

Wherever possible, the Placement Planning Meeting should be used to plan any introductions to the placement, for example whether arrangements should be made for the child, parents and the social worker to visit a residential home and/or whether it may be appropriate to have an introductory overnight stay. If this is not possible, arrangements may be made for residential staff to visit the child and parents; or for information about the home to be sent to the child and/or the parents, for example about routines in the home, bedtimes, meals, visitors, pocket money, school, privacy and the overall expectations in relation to the child's behaviour within the home.

The child's social worker will complete and arrange for the circulation of the Care Plan and Placement Plan to the child, parents and foster carers/residential staff before or at the latest, within 5 working days of the placement.

At the time of the placement, the foster carers/residential staff should also be given any additional information about details of the child's day to day needs which are not covered by the Placement Plan/Placement Information Record but are important to ensure that the carers are in the best possible position to help the child settle in the new placement, for example any particular fears at night-time or the child's favourite toys.

The child's social worker must provide the child and the parent with written information about coming into care, including information on using the Complaints Procedure.

In addition, as indicated above, the social worker should ensure that any other information about the placement that is available for the child is obtained and given to them. Children must understand house expectations before the placement is made.

In all cases, the child should be accompanied to the placement by the social worker and helped to settle in. Suitable luggage should be used and a child's belongings should never be transported in bin-bags or other inappropriate containers.

The child's social worker will update the child's electronic records with the details of the placement and ensure that notification is sent to the finance section so as to trigger payments to the foster carer.

The notifications should be before the start of the placement, wherever possible, or within 5 working days.

Notification of the placement will also be sent by Business Support to the Designated Nurse for LAC, the education service, the relevant local Children's Services (if the placement is in the area of a different local authority) and the child's GP.

The child's social worker will notify all family members consulted and involved in the decision-making process of the placement.

The child's social worker must also notify the allocated independent reviewing officer or, if it is the first placement, the Planning and Review Officer of the placement. This notification will trigger the appointment of an Independent Reviewing Officer if it is the first placement, and the setting up of arrangements for a Looked After Review.

These notifications must be made in writing, advising of the placement decision and the name and address of the person with whom the child is to be placed.

The child's social worker should also notify - preferably in writing but it may be verbally - all those involved in the day to day arrangements for the child, including nursery/school and any health professional or YJS worker actively involved with the child.

It will be necessary for the foster carer or the child's social worker to ensure the child is registered with a GP, Dentist and Optician, either retaining practices known to them (which is preferable) 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 liaise with the Designated Nurse for LAC to arrange a Health Care Assessment - see Health Care Assessments and Plans Procedure for further details. The social worker must also contact the relevant school or, where the child does not have a school place, the relevant education officer with a view to the completion of a Personal Education Plan - see Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children Procedure.

For any new placement, every effort should be made to enable the child to remain at the same school unless there are reasons which would be detrimental to their well-being.

The child's social worker must visit the child in the placement within one week of the placement and then, 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). For children in long-term foster placements visits after the first year should not be less frequent than three monthly - see Social Worker Visits to Looked After Children Procedure.

The foster carer will also receive support and supervision from their supervising social worker (for in-house placements) - see Supervisory Visits to Foster Carers Procedure - and from the independent fostering agency (for external placements).

Where there are concerns in relation to the progress of the placement, consideration should be given to seeking additional resources to assist the carers.

Where there are any changes to the type of placement or to the child's legal status during the placement, the child's social worker must update the child's electronic records.

The records should be monitored for quality, adequacy and retention.

A looked after review should be convened where:

• The child is, or has been, persistently absent from the placement;
• The placement provider, parents or area authority are concerned that the child is at risk of harm; or
• The child so requests, unless the Independent Reviewing Officer considers that the review is not justified.

See also Looked After Reviews Procedure.

Where the local authority is considering ceasing to look after a child under 18 years of age, who has been accommodated under section 20 of the 1989 Act, this decision must not be put into effect until it has been approved by the Assistant Director Children's Social Care (see Appendix 2: Placements Flowchart).

Prior to any child ceasing to be looked after prior to their 18th birthday a Child and Family Assessment (CFA) must be completed and should include an assessment of parental capacity and what has changed to now make it safe for a return home. It should also include a clear plan of support that will be provided. If a young person returns home unauthorised the CFA should be completed with two weeks of the child absconding from placement. See Ceasing to Look After a Child Procedure.

When the placement ends, the child's social worker must update the child's electronic records and notify the finance section so that payments to the carer/provider will cease. The social worker will also send copies to those notified when the placement was made.

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

In appropriate cases, the foster carer should be asked to complete an end of placement report.

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.

Where the placement ends in an unplanned way, consideration should be given to holding a Disruption Meeting - see Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings Procedure.

Where a former carer's records are requested by a new agency, these must be made available within one month of the request.

A person who is approved as a prospective adopter may be given temporary approval as a local authority foster carer for a named Looked After child, where the local authority consider that this is in the child's best interests.

Before giving such approval, the responsible authority must:

• Assess the suitability of that person to care for the child as a foster care; and
• Consider whether, in all the circumstances and taking into account the services to be provided by the responsible authority, the proposed arrangements will safeguard and promote the child's welfare and meet the child's needs as set out in the Care Plan.

The temporary approval period expires when:

• The placement is terminated by the local authority;
• The approval as a prospective adopter is terminated;
• The prospective adopter is approved as a foster carer;
• The prospective adopter gives 28 days' written notice that they no longer wish to be temporarily approved as a foster parent in relation to the child; or
• The child is placed for adoption with the prospective adopter.

Where it is the case that the most appropriate route to permanence is long-term foster care, the regulations set out the arrangements for making such a placement, including:

• That foster care is the plan for permanence and is recorded in the child's care plan, (Reg 5(a));
• That the foster carer has agreed to act as the child's foster carer until the child ceases to be looked after; 
• That the responsible authority has confirmed the nature of the arrangement with the foster carer(s), the birth parent and the child; and
• The child and foster carer have a clear understanding of the support services they will receive to promote the placement.

The assessment and planning process for long-term foster care should address the child's current needs and likely future needs, and the capacity of the foster carer to meet these needs now and in the future. The length of placement will vary according to the child's age and the long-term plan for the child, including the transition to adulthood. These factors must all be taken into account in planning for support and services where long - term foster care has been identified as the plan for permanence for a child.

Before deciding to place a child in a long-term foster placement, (whether or not this means moving to a new carer) the ability of the identified long-term foster carer to care for the child both now and in the future should be assessed. The support and services which will be needed to ensure that the placement is stable, secure and meets the child's needs should be identified taking into account the carer's previous fostering or other childcare experience, family configuration (including placement of other children under fostering arrangements), existing relationship (if any) with the child, knowledge and skills and capacity to care for the child long term under a fostering arrangement.

It is imperative that the foster carer fully understands and explicitly agrees to the long term commitment they are making to the child [regulation 22B (2)(f)]. A record of the discussion of these matters including the outcome should be made as part of the assessment process.

The decision to place a child in a long-term foster placement with a particular foster carer should be discussed and recorded as part of the review process. This decision should then be recorded in the placement plan  and agreed and signed by the foster carer [regulation 9(3)].

Where it is agreed that the child will be placed in a long-term foster placement, this should be communicated clearly to the foster carer, the child's parents or any other person who is not a parent but has parental responsibility and the child. (Reg 2(1)).

Where the decision has been taken that the plan for permanence is long-term foster care and the child is in an existing foster care placement, it may be that the carer and (where appropriate) the child want the existing foster placement to be the long-term foster placement. Such a proposal should be considered in a reasonable timescale taking into account the existing relationship between the child and the foster carer, the length of time in placement, the child's relationships with the foster carer's wider family and community. Consideration should also be given to the progress the child has made in the placement, recorded through the case review process.

There may be circumstances where it is not considered appropriate to assess the ability of the current foster carer as the long-term carer for the child. In these instances, the reasons for this decision should be clearly set out in writing to the foster carer. This decision should also be communicated to the child  where it is appropriate to their age and understanding.

Social Workers must report any safeguarding concerns to their Manager immediately. All other concerns should be reported as set out below.

The ART team source placements from a variety of providers and will be involved with a placement until the young person is placed. Once the child/young person is placed it is vital that any issues/concerns are fed back to ART to enable ongoing quality assurance of providers.

If a professional has an issue or concern regarding a placement they should report it to the Access to Resources Team by emailing artduty@ealing.gov.uk.

This issue will then be dealt with by the Commissioning Officer responsible for that particular placement type.

Once a concern has been reported to ART, a confirmation of receipt of the issue/concern will be sent within 2 working days, ART will explore the issue/concern with the placement provider. Once this has been investigated the referrer will receive an update from ART.

If the issue/concern continues or the referrer is unhappy with the response from ART they should email the Senior Integrated Commissioning Manager for ART who will respond directly.

Appendix 1: Cease LAC Form

Appendix 2: Placements Flowchart