Transitioning for Young People with Extra Needs and Mixed Placements
REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS
The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011
Regulation 11 - Independent fostering agencies—duty to secure welfare
Fostering Services National Minimum Standards
STANDARD 12 - Promoting independence and moves to adulthood and leaving care
RELATED CHAPTERS
Contents
- Introduction
- What Needs to be in Place
- Eligibility Criteria under the Care Act 2014 for Adult Provision
- How the Agency and Shared Lives Services Should Work Together
1. Introduction
As an agency we recognise that some young people need to stay in placement either via Staying Put or because the young person has extra needs and is eligible for an Adult service.
For a smooth transition to occur, effective person-centred care planning is essential to help the young person and foster carer prepare for adulthood. Under the Care Act 2014, there is no set age when young people reach this point; every young person and their circumstances are different, and as such, decisions about when to carry out transition assessments should be made on an individual basis and as part of the LAC meeting. However adult services/ transition workers should be involved as early as possible to offer a smooth transition. It is important that both Children's and Adults' services work together to break down barriers.
Foster carers may wish to be considered as Shared Lives Carers and the assessment process can take time to be completed.
Funding also needs to be in place to pay for the continuation of the placement.2. What Needs to be in Place
There are several areas for consideration such as:
- What are the wishes of the young person?
- Do they want to stay with the foster carer and does the foster carer want to support them post 18?
- Are siblings in placement?
- And if so what are their views?
- What does the family want to happen?
There will need to be good communication between Children's and Adults services regarding eligibility of the young person and funding.
Adult and Children's workers should work together to offer a smooth transition. For example how contact can be managed post 18, how does the young person's history affect them, what education, employment and leisure opportunities will the young person be able to access, how documents will be shared between services and the Agency, how finances and benefits will be managed.
Good information should be provided from the Shared Lives Service re payment to the foster carer, assessment process, support offered, training requirements.
Good working arrangements need to be in place between the agency and the Shared Lives Service, putting the young person at the heart of the decision making process.
3. Eligibility Criteria under the Care Act 2014 for Adult Provision
The young person's pathway plan can indicate where there are gaps in a young person's abilities.
When determining eligibility, the adult social worker will look at the pathway plan and consider this against the eligibility criteria. Adult workers can advise on whether a young person's needs meet the criteria for an adult service.
Condition 1
The adult's needs for care and support arise from or are related to a physical or mental impairment or illness and are not caused by other circumstantial factors.
This may include a young person with physical, mental, sensory, learning or cognitive disabilities or illnesses, substance misuse or brain injury.
Condition 2
As a result of the adult's needs, the adult is unable to achieve two or more of the outcomes specified in the Care Act.
This also includes a young person who is
- Unable to achieve the outcome without assistance;
- Able to achieve the outcome without assistance but doing so causes the adult significant pain, distress or anxiety;
- Able to achieve the outcome without assistance, but doing so endangers or is likely to endanger the health or safety of the adult, or of others;
- Able to achieve the outcome without assistance but takes significantly longer than would normally be expected.
There is no hierarchy to the eligibility outcomes – all are equally important.
Condition 3
As a consequence of being unable to achieve these outcomes, there is, or there is likely to be, a significant impact on the adult's wellbeing.4. How the Agency and Shared Lives Services Should Work Together
Shared Lives assessments and fostering assessments are separate processes and independent of each service. Different legislation is involved in placing and supporting children and adults. However some processes are similar and information may be shared between the agencies when the need arises to help with the transitioning process.
If the carer decides they want to offer other Shared Lives placements then this should be agreed by the Agency.
As the Agency is responsible for placing children with the foster carer, any other placements should be agreed by the Agency.
Matching and discussions should take place between the two services to avoid problems and issues arising.
If no concerns are raised during the matching discussion then the Shared Lives worker will share the following information with the agency before the arrangement begins – the adult's name, date of birth, proposed start date of the arrangement, proposed end date of the arrangement, and copies of any risk assessment / risk management plans in place.
A DBS check will be needed for the young person/adult placed unless it is a continuation of a foster placement (as the young person's history is already known). If there are capacity issues then an adult social worker will need to complete a Mental Capacity Act/best interest assessment that the DBS check is in the best interest of the adult.
N.B Most Shared Lives placements are continuation of a former placement.
The current approval of the foster carer is not affected by the Shared Lives approval. However both services need to consider the size of the property, what the carer can realistically manage and any matching consideration.