Role of Supervising Social Worker

All approved foster carers will be supervised by a named appropriately qualified social worker, known as the supervising social worker. This will include Carers who are temporarily approved under Regulation 24 (Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations (2010)).

The role of the supervising social worker is to assist the foster carer in their task of providing care to a child in care which will improve the child's well-being and life chances by promoting the individual outcomes for children. The supervising social worker should ensure that they observe the children in the placement and develop relationships with them. All work must be child focused.

The supervising social worker will ensure the foster carer has access to adequate social work and other professional support, information and advice, to enable the foster carer to provide consistent, high quality care for a child or young person placed in their home.

The supervising social worker's relationship with the foster carer should be based within professional boundaries with a clear understanding that the primary responsibility is to the child in placement. It is good practice to agree the type of support and frequency with the foster carer over the statutory requirement.

Supervising social workers will meet the requirements of Doncaster Children’s Service’s recording information in a timely manner.

Assessments will be child centered, proportionate and of a high quality. They will be holistic, balanced and jargon free.

Assessments must comply with the Fostering Regulations 2011, Regulation 26 and Doncaster fostering policies and procedures in relation to foster carer assessments.

Family and Friends foster carers will also be assessed in accordance with the 2011 Regulations but may also be assessed and temporarily approved as foster carers under Regulation 24 of the 2010 Regulations. When an emergency placement is required a joint visit will take place by the child social worker and a supervising social worker to assess if this can be a suitable arrangement.

Assessing social workers to adhere to timescales given to ensure that there is no drift or delay in attending panel.

Checklist to accompany assessments:

• Enhanced DBS for all applicants, adult household members and alternative carers;
• LA check(s);
• Health visitor or school reference for all applicants' own children and any children that are already placed;
• AH medical with response from medical advisor;
• Current employer reference;
• Reference from any previous employment or voluntary work involving children and vulnerable adults;
• Reference from previous/current fostering agency;
• 3 personal references (1 family member per applicant and 2 friends) that can comment on both applicants;
• Significant ex-partner reference;
• Interview with all applicant’s children;
• Overseas checks;
• SSAFA checks;
• Social media checks;
• ECO map, family tree and chronology for both applicants;
• Health and safety, safer care and pet assessments; o Ensure a Personal Development Plan is completed for both carers if there are two approved carers in the household and has their signature to confirm. This is completed annually.

See also: Recruitment, Assessment and Approval of Foster Carers.

Following allocation the Supervising Social Worker will:

• Ensure a signed Foster Carer Agreement is on the foster carer file;
• Ensure a signed Financial Agreement is on the foster carer file;
• Ensure the foster carer is supplied with copies of the Foster Carer Handbook, Children's Guide and Foster Carers' Charter;
• Ensure that the Foster Carer register is updated with any changes when required;
• Identify in partnership with the foster carers their training needs and how these will be met;
• The foster carers Personal Development Plan PDP should be consulted at every supervisory visit to reflect on what training has been completed/advice taken.
• Ensure that the foster carer has a Safer Caring Policy and guidelines (see Guidance on Safer Caring Plan) for their household and specific to the children in placement ;
• Ensure all risk assessments such as pet, house check etc. are on file and pertinent to the carers and their family;
• Ensure that any complaint by or against a foster carer is investigated in accordance with the relevant procedures and this has been presented to fostering panel;
• Ensure the lines of communication between the foster carer and the child's social worker are open and effective;
• Will work in partnership with families & other professionals in regards to a child's care plan and supporting achieving positive outcomes;
• Maintain regular and effective communication with the child's social worker and where necessary share information about the foster carers onto a child's file;
• Provide the foster carer with assistance in dealing with other relevant services such as Health and Education;
• Respond by the next working day to telephone calls and correspondence from the foster carer and agree a suitable level of support that is individual to the foster carer and children in placement, but that also meets Doncaster Children’s Services requirements and National Minimum Standards;
• Ensure that foster carers complete weekly update logs and notify any schedule 6 & 7 incidents
• Ensure specific support needs of Foster Carer's own children are addressed. Where possible the children who foster should be spoken to individually and give the details for of the birth children support group.
• Ensure statutory visits are undertaken initially on a weekly basis for the first six weeks of placement, then on a monthly basis until the TSDS workbook is completed and then as a minimum every 6 weeks, ensure that foster carers are appropriately supervised;
• The contents of supervision notes should be agreed between the supervising social worker and foster carer prior to being signed off. Should there be a differing perspective of the conversations that took place and agreement cannot be reached, both perspectives should be written on the notes and then signed off. These documents are evidence for both foster carers and staff that conversations did or did not take place.

Foster carers must be provided with a copy off all supervision notes.

• Carry out a foster carer review (or review after significant change) on at least an annual basis or following a significant event or change in circumstances, this should be done to ensure the Foster Carers Annual Review does not exceed timescales of 12 months. The

Review will be chaired by an Independent Fostering Reviewing Officer based in the Independent Reviewing Officer’s Team;

• Ensure that DBS checks and Health checks are completed on everyone in the household (above the age of 18 years) and regular care givers to the child/children. This includes young people at the age of 18 years for DBS who may be remaining on a 'Staying put' arrangement;
• Ensure that DBS checks and Health checks are updated every three years or if there is a change in the foster carer's circumstances;
• Ensure that there is a minimum of two unannounced visits completed each year, one undertaken by the SSW. The other will be by a peer SSW, not known to the foster carers.

Following a Schedule 7, allegation or identified foster carer care standards concerns, there will be an additional unannounced visit within a four-week period by the Supervising Social Worker.

• Ensure the child's social worker provides the referral and Information Record, Care Plan and Placement Plan to the child and that the carer is given any other relevant information needed to provide appropriate safer care;
• Ensure payment is made promptly and is correct;
• Ensure the foster carer has the required equipment;
• A visit by the supervising social worker must be undertaken within 7 days of a child moving into the placement (where possible the supervising social worker should be with the child's social worker when a child or young person is placed to ensure all information and paperwork is shared); If there is a gap in the required paperwork the supervising social worker will immediately follow this up and if after five days of the Placement Planning Meeting his is not forthcoming will escalate to the Team Manager for follow up.

Please refer to the Escalation Policy for Supervising Social Workers.

• Visits to Regulation 24 foster carers will take place 4 weekly until their application is considered at panel and Skills to Foster training will be delivered.
• Arrange a Placement Planning Meeting with the foster carer and the social worker within 10 days of placement being made or before the placement if a planned placement. The plan must include any further financial payment needed to support the placement including for contact and equipment. It should also record the Care Plan with a date for the 28 day Review;
• Complete at the Placement Planning Meeting a Safer Care risk plan for the child in placement, before any planned placement and within 7 days of an emergency placement. Safer care/ risk information should be shared at least verbally with each carer at the point of placement;
• On the first visit to the new placement the supervising social worker to meet with child, explain their role and ensure they have a copy of and understand the child’s guide to fostering.
• Visit every month or six weeks as outlined above whilst the child is in placement, coordinating visits with the child's social worker to ensure maximum support to the foster carer and supervision of the child in placement. The supervising social worker will make sure children understand their experiences by working with the foster carer and the Child's social worker;
• For newly approved foster carers they should have a package of support agreed prior to placement, such as weekly visits for the first 6 weeks.

• Record and agree the visiting arrangements and telephone contact between the supervising social worker and the foster carer;
• Ensure telephone contact is maintained with the Foster Carer when there are no children in placement;
• Ensure the foster carer is involved in all Child and Carer Review Meetings and is kept fully informed of any changes to the child's Care Plan;
• Ensure any plans in relation to the foster carer or a child are SMART and purposeful and outcomes focused. The supervising social worker will make sure that the plan that is in place for each child has a positive impact on their life – and if it doesn't will work with the foster carers and Child’s social worker to address this;
• Ensure that no child will be subjected to "drift or delay" in terms of the planning, support and permanency;
• Ensure the foster carers training needs are identified and appropriate training attended as outlined in the foster carers Personal Development Plan;
• Ensure the necessary changes are made to the Foster Carer Register by the next working day in respect of placement starts and ends;
• Ensure that foster carers have a completed delegated authority and what their role is;
• Ensure carers record weekly logs and significant event sheets, this is to be reviewed within each supervisory visit;
• Ensure carers have materials to undertake life-story work, regularly collating photographs and information, this is to be reviewed within each supervisory visit;
• Ensure that they receive information about Doncaster Children Services through Parent talk, DCFA, Fostering Network and have contact details for them;
• Newly approved carers to be allocated a foster carer Mentor/ Buddy.

Supervising social workers will:

• Attend child in care Statutory Reviews and care planning meetings for children in placement including where Family Finding activity is taking place;
• Cover the Fostering Service Duty System Rota;
• Undertake assessment of additional family members who may provide short break care for the child as part of the support of the placement and ensure they have up-to-date DBS checks;
• Complete an SGO assessment in conjunction with the child’s social worker for foster carers wishing to convert to a Special Guardian for the child in their care (if in accordance with their care plan) with support from the Kinship & Private Fostering Team
• Supervising social workers share with the child's social worker the responsibility for safeguarding the child/ young person whilst in foster care;
• Ensure carers records are up to date, jargon free and show clear decision making;
• Ensure all National Minimum Standards are understood and adhered to;
• Ensure all Doncaster Fostering Services policies and procedures are read, understood and adhered to;
• Ensure recording is completed in a timely manner, in line with this policy and Doncaster’s Fostering practice guidance/ standards;
• Ensure record keeping is effective, clear and concise.

All newly approved foster carers, including those who have transferred from another fostering agency, should have a package of support agreed prior to placement, such as weekly visits for the first 6 weeks. Thereafter supervision will be undertaken on a MONTHLY basis for the first 12 months or until the TSDS workbook has been completed and successfully signed off by a manager. All foster carers will receive a minimum of TWO unannounced visits each year.

After this a minimum of SIX weekly supervisory visits and a minimum of TWO unannounced visits each year is required. If there are two foster carers in the household, both carers must receive supervision. The second carer will receive supervision at every other supervision visit.

The following supervision should be confirmed with the foster carer during supervision, this allows for good time management and planning. The second foster carer should be part of alternate supervision sessions any deviation of this will require Team Manager’s approval.

A supervisory visit is required on a regular basis to see and speak with both carers, carers own children and any child that is placed with the family.

Visiting arrangements will remain under regular review. For example, when a child is matched long term at Panel. The agreement should be a formal contract and signed by the foster carers, team manager and the supervising social worker.

For foster carers offering staying put placements they will continue to be approved if they are providing placements to children under the age of 18 years. Staying Put Foster Carers will be deregistered if they only provide accommodation to a young person aged 18 or above.

The main purpose of the unannounced visit will be to look at the home environment and conditions that a child in care is living in. These should be completed on different days and times. There is an expectation that children will be seen as part of the unannounced visit. There will be two per year.

The supervising social worker must complete an annual review of the foster carer's approval. All documentation for the review must be shared with the foster carer prior to the Review Meeting.

Review documentation must be provided to the Independent Fostering Reviewing Officer, who will chair the meeting, at least 14 calendar days before the date of the Review Meeting. This must include a contribution from the social worker, IRO, Children in placement and any sons and daughters, end of placement reports, Health and safety, safe care and Personal Development Plan. Completion of children's contributions but should be supported by the supervising social worker or Child’s social worker and not the foster carers.  If documentation is not provided to the Independent Fostering Review Officer at 14 calendar days before the date of the Review meeting, the Independent Fostering Reviewing Officer will escalate following the Foster Carer Review Alert Process.  Please refer to the IFRO Escalation Policy.

Following the Review the supervising social worker must address the actions identified in the Foster Carer Review within timescales. These actions should be included on to the supervision document to ensure the fostering team manager has oversight.

All reviews will outline the strengths and vulnerabilities of the foster carers, a personal development plan and agreement of the skill level met by the foster carer. Reviews should always be conducted with the supervising social worker, child's social worker and the foster carer as a minimum.

It is the responsibility of the supervising social worker and the Independent Fostering Reviewing Officer to ensure the review takes place and is completed, with ADM within the annual year. This will require planning in most cases and note they should not be completed on the week a review is required in the event panel or ADM need to consider approval the status of the foster carer(s).

The Agency Decision Maker is also responsible for deciding whether a person and their household remain suitable to foster, and whether the terms of approval remain suitable, following each review of the foster carer's approval. The decision should be based on the written report of the review; it must take account of any recommendation by the fostering panel (which must be provided on the occasion of the first review and may be provided for subsequent reviews) and any recommendation of the IRM.

After a supervisory visit is completed it is the role of the supervising social worker to complete the written account within 5 working days.

All case notes must be added to the system within 3 working days. Case notes should be routinely recorded as soon as possible. 

After an unannounced visit is completed it is the role of the supervising social worker to complete the written account within 3 working days. If the unannounced visit was unsuccessful this needs to be recompleted within a 4 week period, unless is already due and then at the nearest possible opportunity. Unsuccessful unannounced visits must not be recorded on the unannounced visit form, they should be recorded within case notes. 

An unannounced visit is a safeguarding visit conducted by the fostering team and there may be circumstances whereby the manager or head of service requires a higher level of unannounced visits to occur e.g. following an allegation, Schedule 7 notification.

All social workers will have access to or have received a copy of:

• The Foster Service Standards and Regulations 2011;
• All policies and guidance used to comply with the Fostering Service Standards;
• Code of Conduct;
• Doncaster Children’s Services (Fostering) Supervision Policy;
• The role of the supervising social worker;
• Any other relevant policies,

All social workers have the professional responsibility to ensure that they have read and understand the expectations of their role. They must ensure their own professional development is addressed via supervision and if they are not able to achieve this with their line manager, they should raise the issue with the Manager for the Fostering Service (Mainstream or Friends and Family).

Glossary of Timescales