Amendments
May 2024
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
This document has been updated. |
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Section 2, Fitness to Provide or Manage the Administration of a Fostering Service has been updated in line with updated Ofsted Guidance – Social Care Common Inspection Framework: Independent Fostering Agencies. |
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This chapter has been refreshed throughout. |
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This document has been updated. |
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A new Section 8, Other Harmful Practices has been added. The Health and Care Act 2022 has made it illegal to carry out, offer or aid and abet virginity testing or hymenoplasty in any part of the UK. It is also illegal for UK nationals and residents to do these things outside the UK. Information has also been added on Breast Flattening which is an offence as set out in CPS So-Called Honour-Based Abuse Legal Guidance. |
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Section 3.1, Assessment of Dogs has been updated to include XL Bully as a banned breed of dog under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (as amended). |
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Information has been added to reflect the reclassification of nitrous oxide as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (as amended). |
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This chapter has been refreshed. |
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| Removed Chapters | |
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| Next Update: November 2024 | |
Archive
November 2023
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Whistleblowing | This chapter has been reviewed and updated locally. |
| Persons Disqualified from Fostering | This chapter has been refreshed throughout. |
| Internet, Photographs and Mobile Phones | This chapter has been refreshed throughout. |
| Radicalisation and Violent Extremism | This chapter has been reviewed and updated. |
| Missing Children | This chapter has been refreshed throughout. |
| Health & Safety in the Foster Home | Information in relation to allergies has been added into Section 6, Diet, Nutrition and Allergies. |
| Transporting Children | This chapter has been refreshed throughout and local amendments have also been added. |
| Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management | This chapter has been refreshed and updated locally. |
| Health Care Assessments and Plans | Information in relation to allergies has been added into Section 4, Health Plans. |
| Medication and First Aid | A new Section 4, Allergies has been added. |
| Preparing Young People for Adulthood | This chapter has been refreshed throughout. |
| Contact with Parents, Siblings and Others | This chapter has been refreshed throughout. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Supporting Children and Young People with Disabilities | This chapter has been added to the manual. |
May 2023
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Finance Policy | This policy has been updated. |
December 2022
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Finance Policy | This PDF has been updated. |
November 2022
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Placements with Foster Carers | This chapter has been amended to add a link to the NYAS 'My Things Matter' Report – support and respect care-experienced children and their belongings when they move (see Section 3.2, Placement Preparation and Section 4, Ending Placements and Placement Moves Within the Agency). |
| Assessment of Pets | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Consultation and Participation | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Education | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Transporting Children | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Medication and First Aid | This chapter has been refreshed. |
| Contact with Parents, Siblings and Others | This chapter has been amended in line with a finding by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Leadership and Management | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
| Monitoring and Review | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
| Adoption by Foster Carers of a Foster Child Already Placed With Them | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
| Fostering for Adoption | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
| Advocacy and Independent Visitors | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
| Leisure Activities | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
| Care Planning | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
| Providing Personalised Care | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
| Recognising Abuse and Neglect | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
| Child Criminal Exploitation and County Lines | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
| Female Genital Mutilation | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
| Self Harm and Suicidal Behaviour | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
| Health & Safety in the Foster Home | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
| Offending and Anti-Social Behaviour – Guidance on When to Involve the Police | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
| Restrictive Physical Intervention and Restraint | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
| Transitioning for Young People with Extra Needs and Mixed Placements | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
| Risk Assessment and Planning | This procedure has been added to the manual. |
May 2022
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Safer Recruitment Policy | This PDF has been updated. |
| Fostering Panel | This chapter has been updated to reflect local guidance. |
| Recruitment, Assessment and Approval of Foster Carers | This chapter has been updated to reflect local guidance. |
| Finance Policy | This PDF has been updated. |
| Internet, Photographs and Mobile Phones | This chapter has been amended to note that creating or sharing explicit images of a child is illegal, even if the person doing it is a child. Also, Section 69 Domestic Abuse Act 2021 expanded so-called 'revenge porn' to include threats to disclose private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress (see Section 2, Web Enabled, Internet Technology/Social Networking). |
| Countering Bullying | This chapter has been amended to reflect Keeping Children Safe in Education Statutory Guidance, the outcome of Ofsted's thematic report, Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges and the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. See Section 2, Definition of Bullying. |
| Smoking | This chapter has been reviewed and refreshed where required. |
| Education | This chapter has been amended throughout to reflect Keeping Children Safe in Education Statutory Guidance and the outcome of Ofsted's thematic report, Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges. Please see Section 4, Safeguarding in Schools; additional material has enhanced the Education Policy (see Section 1, Education Policy); Section 2.1 Personal Education Plans (PEPs); and Section 3, What Foster Carers will do. |
Staying Put |
This chapter has been revised throughout. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Equality and Diversity | This policy has been added to the manual. |
November 2021
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Exemptions and Extensions | This chapter has been updated locally where required. |
| Safeguarding Children and Young People | This chapter has been refreshed to reflect local guidance. |
| Complaints | This chapter has been refreshed where required to reflect local guidance. |
| Complaints from members of the Public of LA – Local information | This local information has been updated. |
| Whistleblowing | This chapter has been reviewed and updated locally. |
| Internet, Photographs and Mobile Phones | A link has been added in Related Guidance to the NSPCC Report Remove Tool and the UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) Digital Passport. |
| Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation | This chapter has been updated throughout. |
| Information Sharing and Confidentiality | This chapter has been updated throughout to reflect local guidance and Working Together to Safeguard Children statutory guidance. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Conflict of Interest Policy | This policy has been added to the manual. |
May 2021
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Safer Recruitment Policy | This policy has been updated. |
| Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers | A revised link has been added to Prepare for a review panel: adopters and foster carers. |
| Disclosure and Barring Servicy Policy | This policy has been updated. |
| Finance Policy | This policy has been updated. |
| Whistleblowing | This chapter has been reviewed and updated. |
| Internet, Photographs and Mobile Phones | This chapter has been reviewed and updated. |
| Countering Bullying | This chapter has been reviewed and updated where necessary. |
| Identifying and Supporting Children and Young People Vulnerable to Violent Extremism including Radicalisation | This chapter has been reviewed and updated where necessary. |
| Education | This chapter has been revised with a revised section on Personal Education Plans and new sections added with regard to Section 2.2, Pupil Premium Plus (PP+) Funding and Section 4, Safeguarding in Schools. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Safeguarding Adults Policy | This policy has been added to the manual. |
January 2021
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation | Section 4, Referring Cases of Concern has been substantially updated and should be re-read. |
November 2020
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Supervision, Support and Training of Staff and Foster Carers | This chapter has been updated to add detail in relation to the foster carer's role and responsibilities with respect to the Fostering National Minimum Standards – Notification of Significant Events and relevant aspects of Schedule 6 The Fostering Services (England) Regulation 2011. |
| Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers | This chapter has been updated to reflect local guidance. |
| Safeguarding Children and Young People | This policy has been revised to include Family Care's Service Safeguarding Policy. |
| Managing Allegations Against Staff and Foster Carers | This chapter has been updated with regard to terminology and amended to reflect local guidance. |
| Notifications of Significant Events to Other Agencies | This chapter has been updated to reflect the latest Ofsted guidance for social care providers on the types of incident which they consider to be serious, and which therefore will require notification to the regulatory authority. |
| Complaints from members of the Public of LA – Local information | This document has been updated to reflect local guidance. |
| Behaviour Management and Support | This chapter has been updated to reflect local guidance. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Standards of Care Policy | This policy has been added to the manual. |
| Changes in the Foster Household Composition | This policy has been added to the manual. |
| Safer Recruitment Policy | This policy has been added to the manual. |
August 2020
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Supervision, Support and Training of Staff and Foster Carers | This chapter has been reviewed and updated locally with a new section added – Section 4, Supervision – Building a Culture of Critical Reflection. |
May 2020
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers | A link has been added to Information about the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM) for Foster Carers (see Section 6, Representations / Independent Review Procedure). |
| Behaviour Support | This chapter has been amended with links to relevant forms, see Section 9, Links to Relevant Forms. |
| Preparing Young People for Adulthood | This chapter has been updated to add information with regard to the local authority Local Offer for Care Leavers (see Section 2, Leaving Care). |
April 2020
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Finance Policy | This policy has been updated. |
November 2019
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
Safeguarding Children and Young People |
This chapter has been reviewed throughout and updated as required. Information has been added in relation to seeking parents' permission before discussing referral about them. |
Notifications of Significant Events to Other Agencies |
This chapter has been updated throughout. |
Behaviour Support |
This procedure has been reviewed and updated in Section 6, Searching and Section 8, Serious Incidents and Use of Restrictive Physical Intervention (RPI). |
Information Sharing and Confidentiality |
This guidance has been reviewed and updated throughout to reflect the revised DfE Information Sharing Advice for Practitioners Providing Safeguarding Services to Children, Young People, Parents and Carers. |
May 2019
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
Fostering Panel |
This procedure has been reviewed and updated. |
Placements with Foster Carers |
This procedure has been reviewed and revised where required. |
Parent and Child Arrangements |
This procedure has been reviewed and updated where required. |
Managing Allegations Against Staff and Foster Carers |
This chapter has been reviewed. |
Safer Care Practice, Personal Care and Relationships |
Section 7, Contraception and Pregnancy, has been revised where required. |
Alcohol, Drugs and Solvents |
This procedure has been reviewed, Section 2, Alcohol and Tobacco, was revised where required. |
Smoking |
This chapter has been reviewed. |
Education |
This chapter has been revised with a revised section on Personal Education Plans and new sections added with regard to Pupil Premium Plus (PP+) Funding, and Safeguarding in Schools. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
CFC Values, Mission and Vision Statement – local information |
CFC Values, Mission and Vision Statement has been added. |
Complaints from members of the Public of LA – Local information |
Complaints from members of the public of LA has been added. |
Finance Policy |
This new PDF has been added. |
Insurance Policy |
This new PDF has been added. |