Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers
Scope of this chapter
This procedure applies to all approved foster carers, including short break carers and Connected Persons Carers.
Relevant Regulations
As from 1st April 2022, the Foster Care Annual Review (FCAR) will be recorded on CoramBAAF Annual Review Forms.
Amendment
This chapter was updated in March 2023 in line with Local Procedure/Guidance.
The Fostering Service Regulations 2011 require foster carer Reviews to take place every 12 months. It is possible to review a foster carer’s approval more frequently and this normally occurs when the Fostering Service or the foster carer wishes to change the approval terms.
An early Review can also be convened when there has been a complaint or allegation made against the foster carer, or if there are significant changes to the household (such as a new partner).
Preparation for a Review will begin 8 weeks prior to the meeting. The Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) business support will email separately the foster carers, their Supervising Social Worker and foster child’s social worker with confirming details of the time and venue of the Review meeting.
The email to the Supervising Social Worker (SSW) will also contain a request for contact information regarding persons currently involved in the fostered child’s Care Plan, for example school, nursery, health visitor; where these professionals are actively involved and could provide valuable insight with regard to the care the child has received.
The SSW will be invited to complete the form FR-A before forwarding onto their respective Team Manager for verification. The completed FR-A must be returned to the IRO business support no later than 4 weeks prior to the Review meeting.
The IRO admin will also forward form FR-F1 to the appropriate professionals listed for their completion and return no later than 4 weeks prior to the Review meeting date.
Similarly, no later than 8 weeks prior to the Review meeting the IRO business support will email (or post if not on e-mail) the foster carers confirming details of the time and venue of the meeting. The email will request the completion and return of the forms FR-B, FR-C and FR-F2 no later than 4 weeks prior the meeting.
The IRO Admin will also email to the foster child’s social worker details of the foster carer's Review date and enclose attachments FR-D, FR-E, FR-F3 and FR-F4 with a request for these forms where appropriate, to be completed and returned no later than 4 weeks prior to the Review.
The FR-D should be completed by the fostered child independently but where this is not possible the child’s social worker should support the child to ensure the form is completed and returned. Unless specifically requested to do so it is not advisable that the child’s foster carer or Supervising Social Worker to support the child in completing the FR-D form.
All children who have been placed with the carers within the preceding Review period must be offered a consultation document (FR-D). To achieve this, the IRO business support should scrutinise the placement history and forward the FR-D document to the child’s social worker 8 weeks before the carer review, for return 4 weeks before review date.
On receipt of forms FR-A to F the IRO Admin should gather them together in both an electronic and hard copy folder and ensure the hard copy folder is either handed to the Reviewing Officer or placed in their in-tray within 2 weeks of the Review meeting.
Should any of the forms FR-A to F not be returned within 4 weeks of the Review the IRO Admin will email a standard reminder to the person and their manager with a request the FR form to be returned within 5 working days.
If individual reports are not submitted by the required deadline, the IRO business support will notify;
- Fostering Team Manager for supervising social worker (FR-A), foster carer (FR-B), Birth Children (FR-C) and other household members (FR-F2) reports;
- Service Manager IRO services for Child’s IRO (FR-F1) report;
- Foster child’s social worker’s Team Manager for Foster Child’s report (FR-D), Child’s SW report (FR-E), Birth Parent (FR-F3) and Parent in Placement (FR-F4).
It will be the responsibility of each manager to make contact with the relevant worker to ensure documents are provided within 5 working days, i.e. 3 weeks before the Review.
The foster carer IRO should be cc’d into any such reminders.
IRO business support must submit a monthly summary detailing compliance for each Review held to Fostering Service Manager.
It is the responsibility of the Fostering Team Manager to ensure the FR-A report by the Supervising Social Worker reflects accurately the work and performance of the foster carer during the review period and the forms are written and presented in a suitable format.
It is the responsibility of the Supervising Social Worker to support the foster carer if requested in completing the FR-B form and where necessary verify the information for accuracy.
It is the responsibility of the manager must to ensure the FR-E report by the child’s Social Worker reflects accurately the views and opinions of the Children's Services regarding the care of the child in placement.
It is the responsibility of the Reviewing Officer to provide constructive feedback to contributors to the Review meeting where appropriate and to highlight areas for service and/or policy development to the Fostering and Adoption Manager.
The Review meeting will always be attended by the foster carer and the Supervising Social Worker. It is possible for other FR contributors to attend the meeting but this should be agreed with the Reviewing Officer prior to the meeting.
The Review should broadly consider the following areas
- The impact of fostering on the foster carers and their immediate family;
- The foster carer's ability to meet the needs of the child/ren in placement;
- The ability of the foster carers to work as part of a team;
- The foster carers own development.
The Reviewing Officer having considered the information presented before and during the meeting will agree a recommendation of the Review. The Reviewing Officer will complete the FR-G form electronically and forward to the Fostering Team Manager and IRO business support within 14 days of the meeting. The IRO Administrator will enter the next Review date onto the IRO calendar.
Following a foster carers Review the Fostering Team Manager will complete the Form FR-H.
Where there are significant changes of approval being recommended, e.g. changes in number of children approved for, or in terms of new categories (Emergency, Long-Term etc.) these should be presented to Panel and ratified by the ADM.
The Agency Decision Maker will receive the FR forms A to H and the Panel minutes (if appropriate). The Agency Decision Maker will complete their decision and return it to the Panel Advisor within 7 days. Within 1 day of receipt of the Agency Decision the Panel Administrator will send to the foster carer, their letter and Foster Care Agreement (if necessary)Where there are only minor amendments to the foster carer’s approval e.g. the inclusion of the age range 0 to 18 or 5 to 18 these should be presented directly to the ADM for ratification unless the case should be presented to the Foster Care Panel in line with all foster carers annual reviews being presented every three years.
In cases where there is an amendment to the terms of approval and the foster carer indicates their agreement to the Agency Decision following a period of 28 days, the Agency Decision Maker will send the final decision with a copy of a revised Foster Care Agreement.
Newly approved foster carer's first annual review must be presented to Panel, after this the usual frequency is every 3 years.
Where, as a result of a review, the termination of a foster carer's approval is proposed, written notice of the proposal and the reasons must be sent to the foster carer within 7 days of the decision and they must be advised that if they wish to challenge the decision. Foster carers have the opportunity to make representations to the Agency Decision Maker or to request a review by an Independent Review Panel under the Independent Review Mechanism as set out in the One Adoption South Yorkshire Procedures manual.
The foster carer will not have the right to request a review by an Independent Review Panel if they are regarded as disqualified as a result of a conviction or caution for a specified offence - see Persons Disqualified from Fostering Procedure.
If no written representations or notification of a request for a review are received within the period, a final decision to terminate can be made.
If written representations are received within the period, the matter must be referred to the Fostering Panel for further consideration. Foster carers wishing to make representations in person to the Panel may be accompanied by a friend or supporter. Where a foster carer wishes to make representations in person, the Panel Chair may consider the Panel meeting as a smaller quorate sub-group.
The Panel will make a new recommendation in relation to the foster carer and a final decision will be made by the Agency Decision Maker taking into account any fresh recommendation made by the Panel.
Written notice of the final decision, together with reasons, must then be sent to the foster carer within 7 working days of the decision.
Where the termination of the approval of a foster carer is being considered, plans for any children placed to be moved will also be required and made as appropriate.
Where the approval is terminated, the Agency Decision Maker, in consultation with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) will decide whether to refer the former foster carer to the Disclosure and Barring Service for inclusion of the carer's name on the Children's Barred List.
Where the Foster Carer is in Agreement
Where, as a result of a review, the it is proposed to revise the terms of the foster carer’s approval, a statement must be sent to the foster carer setting out whether it is considered that the foster carer or members of their household (including any children placed there) may have additional support needs as a result of the proposed revision and, if so, how those needs will be met, and request the foster carer’s agreement in writing to the proposed revision of terms.
Where the foster carer’s written agreement is received, the decision to revise the terms of approval may be made immediately.
The Agency Decision Maker’s decision in such circumstances is not a Qualifying Determination and the foster carer may not apply for an independent review of the decision by way of the Independent Review Mechanism.
Foster carers must not be pressured to accept changes to their terms of approval.
Where the Foster Carer is not in Agreement
Where the foster carer does not agree in writing to the revision of their terms of approval, then the representations/review procedure as set out in Section 6.1, Proposal to Terminate Foster Carer's Approval will apply.
Where there is a dispute between the Fostering Team Manager and the Independent Fostering Reviewing Officer regarding the Review recommendation, the matter will be referred to the Service Manager responsible for the Fostering Service within 14 days of the Review meeting. The Fostering Service Manager will decide on a suitable course of action and prepare a report for the Agency Decision Maker, having been presented with the FR-A to I forms and where necessary interviewed the relevant contributors to the Review.
Distribution of Review Documents After Review Process Completed
The Supervising Social Worker should ensure that copies of all documents are retained on the foster carer's electronic file.
Disclosure and Barring Service checks must be updated every 3 years and if necessary, a review of the foster carer's approval should be carried out immediately to take account of any new information.
See: Persons Disqualified from Fostering Procedure.
Whilst there is no statutory time interval, as good practice medical information should also be updated at least every 3 years by writing to the foster carer’s GP. In the event of any serious concerns about the foster carers’ health, a review of the foster carers’ approval should be carried out immediately.
A foster carer may give written notice at any time of their wish to resign from the role. Once written notice has been given, their approval will automatically be terminated 28 days after receipt of the notice. The foster carer cannot withdraw their notice once it has been received, nor can the Agency Decision Maker decline to accept the resignation. Should a foster carer who has resigned subsequently wish to foster again, they will need to be assessed. See One Adoption South Yorkshire, Recruitment and Assessment of Adopters. There is no requirement for the fostering panel to be notified of resignations. However, the panel may find it helpful to be advised, as part of its monitoring role.
Last Updated: February 13, 2024
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