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Community Foster CareProcedures Manual

Promoting Placement Stability

Contents

  1. The Definition of Unplanned Ending
  2. Identifying and Responding to Changes in Placement Stability
  3. Monitoring of Placement Stability

1. The Definition of Unplanned Ending

The Definition adopted by Community Foster Care and by Ofsted is the following one:-

Unplanned Ending

This is a 'placement ending that was not included in the social work plan either in the ending itself or the timing of the termination' (p 12). [Berridge D and Cleaver H, Foster Home Breakdown, Oxford: Blackwell, 1987]

An unplanned ending includes a placement which ended earlier than the original planned end date even if a new plan was in place when the child moved placement.

To ensure that this definition is embedded within the service:

  • Movement form to be updated with the definition of unplanned ending above;
  • SSW to record on the form whether the previous placement was an unplanned ending.
The Registered Manager is responsible for ensuring the correct definition is attributed to all placement ends and that this is accurately recorded in Charms.

2. Identifying and Responding to Changes in Placement Stability

A key aspect of this strategy is the recognition and positive response to factors which erode placement stability. Key features of this include:

  • Recognition and recording of the change and reasons for this;
  • The facilitating of a whole agency response and multi agency response;
  • The development and implementation of a plan to address the factors eroding placement stability. This plan should be monitored and reviewed.

As soon as Supervising Social Workers become aware of factors which lead their assessment of placements stability to be changed, they are responsible for updating the placement stability rating and associated notes on Charms.

If it is identified that placement stability is threatened, even at the earliest stage point then:

  • The SSW should brief the Foster Carer, Child's Social Worker and Registered Manager;
  • The Placement Stability Indicator in Charms should be moved from Green to Amber or Amber to Red;
  • The Registered Manager must inform the Council Placement Commissioning service and if agreed a stability meeting convened;
  • The views of the foster carer must be ascertained;
  • The child's situation should be discussed in monthly placement stability forum with Managers, SSW and PSW present where a placement stability plan should be devised;
  • This plan should be discussed with the Child's Social Worker;
  • The placement stability plan must be costed (The Business Development Manager should be consulted regarding the costs of additional services, not covered in the contract) and a decision taken by the Budget Holder as to whether these additional costs can be tolerated by CFC, or whether we must request the LA meet these costs;
  • The plan should be agreed with the Child's Social Worker and if there are requirements for the Local Authority to fund the plan, then also with the commissioning team. Agreement to changes in fee should be recorded under 'placement fee negotiations' in Charms.
In many of these situations a multi-agency stability meeting should be convened by the Local Authority. These can often lead to delays in responding, particularly where the factors are leading to stability eroding at pace. In these cases, it is important that an appropriate plan is in place to respond and that we work efficiently as possible to engage across the team around the child as this will create the most successful plan. The stability meeting when convened will then serve as a place to review and adjust current arrangements.

3. Monitoring of Placement Stability

CFC understands that by focusing on placement stability and unplanned ending, we will create a culture whereby we reflect and review and ultimately develop our practice with the aim of preventing unplanned endings.

To this end, we will commission SCN to develop a placement stability report which details changes in placement stability within a period.

We will monitor and report to trustees on a quarterly basis the stability of placements. Registered Managers will provide this figure within the NMS 25 report to trustees as well as routinely within the registered manager monitoring and the annual quality of care report.

Placement end review

In the spirit of a culture of continuous learning that we will foster at Community Foster Care we will embed a process of written reflective practice following all unplanned ending or placements ending after 6 months in length. These written reflective reviews will be completed on the c10 form by the SSW and foster carer, ideally with the child's social worker as well. These will be signed off by the Registered Manager. The Registered Manager will use these themes to inform the services annual quality of care report.

Consideration should be given to convening a disruption meeting in relation to children whose placement has ended abruptly or on an unplanned basis.

This may take place under the procedures of the placing authority. However, where this is not the case and it is considered that a disruption meeting should take place under this procedure, a discussion should take place with the placing authority about whether they are prepared to engage with the agency convening the meeting under this procedure.

In this case, the fostering manager will usually chair the meeting and the child and parents should be invited unless it is considered inappropriate to do so. The child's social worker, the foster carers and the foster carers' supervising social worker should also be present alongside other relevant professionals.

Ideally the meeting should take place within 10 working days of the end of the placement and the notes of the meeting should be kept on the child's record.

The purpose of a disruption meeting is to examine various elements of the placement in order to understand the sequence of events leading to the disruption and learn lessons from what occurred.

This will establish:

  • How and why the emergency/disruption occurred;
  • What happened to avoid the same thing happening again - for the child or others in the placement;
  • All the positive work and good experiences for the child amongst all the difficulties;
  • Support all parties involved and help them carry on and recover;
  • To identify work to be done and to ensure it is completed;
  • To ensure that appropriate notifications and other post placement arrangements have been undertaken.

Please note: The disruption meeting is not a planning meeting, but is an opportunity to review the past as a preparation for the child's future. Future planning should occur within the child's looked after review.

The meeting will ensure the child (depending on his or her age and level of understanding) is given the opportunity to understand the reasons for and be supported with managing the transition.

In order to understand the placement, it is necessary to consider the child's history and experiences of parenting the child has received, previous placement moves and any relationships in the child's life.

A crucial stage to look at is the matching process - i.e. the assessment of the child's needs at the time of seeking the placement to see how accurately these were understood at the time and the assessment of what the foster carers could offer and the support they were given in understanding and providing for the child's needs. The meeting will also look at the child's introduction to the placement, information they were given and any other issues relating to the placement.

The meeting should be recorded and any lessons for the agency addressed.