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18 Social Visits (Including Overnight Stays)
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135 <div class="panel-body">
136 <h1>
136 Social Visits (Including Overnight Stays)
136 </h1>
141 <div class="well">
142 <p class="bold">
142 SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER
143 </p>
144 <p>
144 This policy and procedure applies to Children in Care placed in foster homes in relation to
social visits and where overnight stays with friends are planned.
144 </p>
145 <p>
145 For the procedure relating to contact with family members and those with parental
responsibility see:
145 <a href="p_contact_parents.html">
145 Family Time with Parents/Adults and Siblings Procedure
145 </a>
145 .
145 </p>
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146 RELATED GUIDANCE
147 </p>
148 <p>
148 <a href="http://www.minimumstandards.org/fost_nine.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
148 National Minimum Standard 9 (Fostering Services) - Promoting and Supporting Contact
148 </a>
149 </p>
150 <p class="bold">
150 RELATED CHAPTERS
150 </p>
151 <p>
151 <a href="p_del_auth_fc_resid.html">
151 Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers Procedure
151 </a>
151 </p>
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152 Holidays and School Trips In and Outside of the UK Procedure
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153 </div>
160 <div class="section">
160 <h2 id="intro">
160 1. Introduction
160 </h2>
161 <p class="italic">
161 Looked after children say that problems obtaining parents' and local authorities' consent to
everyday activities can make them feel different from their peers, causing them
embarrassment and upset. It is therefore very important to agree upfront who can make which
decisions about a looked after child, and that this is understood by all key parties and
reviewed regularly.
161 </p>
162 <p class="italic">
162 The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 4: Fostering Services.
162 </p>
163 <p>
163 Decisions on social visits and overnight stays should normally be delegated to foster carers
and residential care staff. The arrangements for such decisions should be written into the
Placement Plan in line with the Care Plan taking account of any relevant court directives.
165 </p>
166 <p>
166 When the child's placement is made, information regarding significant relationships and
friendships should be obtained as part of this process and should be reviewed as
appropriate.
166 </p>
167 <p>
167 The parents' views on social visits and overnight stays with friends should also be
obtained. For procedures on Parental Consent, see
167 <a href="#parental">
167 Section 3, Parental Consent
167 </a>
167 .
167 </p>
168 <p>
168 The Placement Plan should include the parameters within which visits or stays away from the
home with friends may be agreed by the carer without prior consultation with the social
worker, and whether agreement to such visits requires the carer to obtain parental consent.
The Plan may state that the social worker and/or parent must always be consulted.
168 </p>
169 <p>
169 The guiding principle is that Children in Care should, as far as possible, be given the same
permission to take part in normal and acceptable age appropriate activities, such as staying
with friends, as would reasonably be granted by the parents of their peers. Judgment should
depend on the assessed risks to and needs of the child. See also
169 <a href="p_del_auth_fc_resid.html">
169 Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers Procedure
169 </a>
169 .
169 </p>
170 </div>
171 <div class="section1">
171 </div>
177 <div class="section">
177 <h2 id="conduct_up_to">
177 2. Social Visits/Overnight Stays
177 </h2>
178 <p>
178 The delegation of authority to approve a child making social visits to friends should be set
out in the Placement Plan which must be consistent with the child's Care Plan. The
arrangements must also be consistent with any Contact Orders in force in favour of relatives
and/or friends.
178 </p>
179 <p>
179 Overnight stays with friends are a regular part of most children/young people's experience
and often occur at short notice. It is neither practicable nor desirable to carry out police
and other formal checks on the adults resident in the friend's household, unless of course
there are particular reasons for concern.
183 </p>
184 <p>
184 Although agency checks are not normally be required as a precondition of a child staying
overnight with friends, in circumstances where it is considered necessary as a result of
specific risks identified in the risk assessment, or where the child is to stay with adults
regularly or frequently or for a prolonged period, checks on members of the relevant
household should be made through the Disclosure and Barring Service, the Children's Services
and Probation records for the relevant area.
184 </p>
185 <p>
185 Where there are exceptional reasons to require carers to seek the permission of the social
worker, a manager or a parent, or place specific restrictions on permitting a child to stay
overnight with friends, this should be because of reasons necessary to safeguard the
child's welfare. The child's wishes should be taken into account in reaching any such
decision.
185 </p>
186 <p>
186 Any such restriction, together with the reasons, should be clearly recorded in the Placement
Plan, and explained to the child where appropriate. Restrictions should be reviewed
regularly to ensure they remain relevant
186 </p>
187 <p>
187 In the majority of cases, it will be sensible for decision making about sleepovers to be
delegated to the child/young person's carer who will be best placed to know or find out
about the friend and monitor the frequency of sleepover visits.
189 </p>
190 <p>
190 Carers considering a request from a child to stay overnight with a friend should base their
decision on the following factors:
190 </p>
191 <ol style="list-style-type:lower-alpha">
192 <li>
192 Are there any relevant restrictions in the child's Placement Plan?
192 </li>
193 <li>
193 Are there any factors in the child's past experiences or behaviour to preclude overnight
stays?
193 </li>
194 <li>
194 Are there any grounds for concern that the child may be at significant risk in the
household concerned or from the activities proposed?
194 </li>
195 <li>
195 Is the child staying with another child or children, rather than staying solely with an
adult?
195 </li>
196 <li>
196 The age and level of understanding of the child;
196 </li>
197 <li>
197 What is the purpose and length of the overnight stay?
197 </li>
198 <li>
198 Whose idea was the overnight stay?
198 </li>
199 <li>
199 How well is the friend or family known to the child?
199 </li>
200 </ol>
201 <p>
201 Where the carer proposes to agree to the child's stays away, before allowing them to go
ahead, certain enquiries must be made by the carer; for example the name of the adult who
will be responsible for the child, the means of contacting the adult and the child during
the visit/stay and the arrangements for the child's return. There should be clarity about
the sleeping arrangements and what the arrangements are.
201 </p>
202 <p>
202 Prior to the child's stay away, the carer should arrange to meet the adult who will have
responsibility for the child unless they are already known in which case the prior
arrangements can be made over the telephone.
202 </p>
203 <p>
203 The arrangements for supervising or caring for the child must not compromise the safety of
the child or that of any one else; and the following considerations should apply:
203 </p>
204 <ol style="list-style-type:lower-alpha">
205 <li>
205 Have the arrangements been confirmed with the parent of the friend or the adult who will
have responsibility during the visit?
205 </li>
206 <li>
206 What are the arrangements for the child returning to the home?
206 </li>
207 <li>
207 Is there a contact number for the household in which the child will stay?
207 </li>
208 <li>
208 Is the child aware of what to do if they want to return to the home earlier than planned?
208 </li>
209 <li>
209 Does the child have a contact number for the carers where they can be reached at any time?
209 </li>
210 <li>
210 Does the child have access to a mobile phone?
210 </li>
211 </ol>
212 <p>
212 In all cases, discussions should be held with the child, dependent on their age, as to what,
if any, information should be shared with other adults to enable them to look after the
child appropriately.
212 </p>
213 <p>
213 This might include:
213 </p>
214 <ul>
215 <li>
215 Any specific health care needs of the child;
215 </li>
216 <li>
216 Any established routines for the child;
216 </li>
217 <li>
217 Any behaviour management problems which, if the adult is unaware of, could lead to
difficulties during the visit, for example the child may be over familiar with adults or
over assertive with younger children.
217 </li>
218 </ul>
219 <p>
219 Any decision to share information should be on a 'need to know' basis and recorded.
219 </p>
220 <p>
220 If the child refuses to allow appropriate information to be shared, then they need to be
made aware that this could affect the decision to allow the stay away from home.
220 </p>
221 <p>
221 If satisfied that it is appropriate to allow the child's stay away, a decision to allow it
to go ahead may be made.
221 </p>
222 <p>
222 The decision and the arrangements agreed should be recorded in full in the child's Daily
Record where the child is placed in foster care.
222 </p>
223 <p>
223 Even if it has been agreed that the social worker does not have to be consulted in making
these arrangements, s/he must still be informed as soon as practicable afterwards (within 1
working day) and the social worker should inform the parents as appropriate.
223 </p>
224 <p>
224 With older teenagers, there may be a greater risk to their safety and wellbeing as they
explore and test greater levels of independence. This applies to young people living at home
as well as to those who are looked after by a Local Authority and it is inevitable that in
some cases, despite the care taken, things will go wrong.
224 </p>
225 <p>
225 It is the intention of this procedure to protect children and young people and to carry out
our duty as reasonable and responsible parents. It is also intended to enable carers and
social workers to demonstrate that if something goes wrong, they have taken all reasonable
precautions to protect the child and young person.
225 </p>
226 </div>
227 <div class="section1">
227 </div>
233 <div class="section">
233 <h2 id="parental">
233 3. Parental Consent
233 </h2>
234 <p>
234 Wherever possible, parents' views and consent to contact with relatives and friends
including any overnight stays away from the home should be obtained by the social worker at
the time of the placement.
234 </p>
235 <p>
235 These views should be recorded including an indication of whether the parent wishes to be
notified or their consent obtained every time an overnight stay takes place and if so,
whether such consultation and prior consent is required before the contact can go ahead.
235 </p>
236 <p>
236 It should also be clearly recorded if parents do not consent to any continuing relationships
or short stays away from the home, and the reasons for their lack of consent should be
obtained.
236 </p>
237 <p>
237 If it is considered that contact is appropriate despite the parents' views, legal advice may
be required and any decision to allow such contact needs to be clearly recorded together
with reasons and explained to the parents.
237 </p>
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