Aim
The agencies aim to match fostering families who are trained, skilled, and equipped to meet the complex needs of Parent & Child or Baby Specific placements, while safeguarding the emotional and physical wellbeing of everyone involved. Stability and successful outcomes are promoted through robust matching, thorough planning, collaborative risk-assessment, safety planning, and sustained support.
Types of Parent and Child Placement requests:
| Description | Typical Duration | |
| 1. Assessment Placement | Supports the completion of an assessment report of the parent’s capacity to safely care for their child, with the parent fully informed of the assessment process and its purpose. | ~12 weeks |
| 2. Pre-Birth Placement | Helps prepare the expectant parent by exploring their needs and the anticipated needs of their baby, while promoting self-confidence and supportive relationships. | Variable |
| 3. Parenting Support Placement | Offers a safe and nurturing household where parents can learn and practise basic care, safety, warmth, and guidance for their child; may also provide safe accommodation when required. | Variable |
Foster Carers Considered for Parent and Child or Baby Specific:
- Foster Carers for Parent and Child or Baby Specific must have relevant transferable skills which they can demonstrate.
- Interested Foster Carers will complete an addendum to their Form F, to be presented to Panel and the Agency Decision Maker.
When undertaking the addendum to the Form F, participation feedback is shared with the SSW/Team Manager (TM).
- Foster Carers for Parent and Child and Baby Specific are required tocomplete two extra mandatory training courses, alongside the five other mandatory training courses. The courses MUST be refreshed every three years:
- Parent and Child and Baby Specific Safeguarding Training
- Parent and Child and Baby Specific Child Development Training.
- Foster Carers must demonstrate a robust personal support network.
- Daily reflective recordings are completed for both parent and child; these are reviewed by the SSW and shared with the Local Authority (LA) and the Courts as required. Carers may be asked to attend Court and will receive preparation and emotional support beforehand.
- Foster Carers must be able to continue to care for the baby/child if the Court separates the parent, or if the parent leaves the placement unexpectedly.
Finance:
All Foster Carers are given a standard payment for all parent and child placements.
For all parent and child foster placement, the allowance payable to foster carers shall be at the applicable rate of under 11 and over 11 for both parent and child.
Referrals for Parent and Child or Baby Specific:
Referrals are considered case-by-case. The agency expects:
- Full and comprehensive referral information so carers can make an informed decision.
- A thorough risk assessment, including mitigation strategies.
- Input from the team around the child, LA social worker (LASW) and TM.
- Joint consideration involving the RRT Manager/Senior Practitioner, SSW and TM.
- Further exploration with the LA only proceeds if all parties agree a potential match is feasible.
- Identification of any specific training needs for the Foster Carer/SSW.
Matching:
- Basic details of Parent and Child or Baby Specific.
- Reason for placement request (assessment, pre-birth, or parenting support).
- Placement history, including any breakdowns and reasons.
- Police checks (undertaken by LA) shared promptly.
- Information on family/friends and associated risks.
- CSE/CCE/gang risk details and management strategies.
- Contact plans and management arrangements.
- History of allegations.
- Behavioural concerns and current strategies.
- Fire-setting history or attempts.
- Location requirements and associated risks.
- LA support available.
- Drug or alcohol misuse history.
Planning (Pre-Placement):
- Provide the carer’s child-friendly profile and welcome book.
- Facilitate introductions among LA, parent, and carer.
- Hold a virtual meeting (parent, LASW and carer) to establish rapport and clarify expectations.
- Discuss finances (including Universal Credit) within the Parent & Child Individual Placement Agreement (IPA).
- Clarify shared roles and responsibilities (LA, parent, carer).
- Agree basic household guidelines that respect the family’s culture and promote psychological safety.
- Conduct an Initial Placement Meeting (ideally before moving in) to complete the Safer Care Policy collaboratively with the use of the parent and child risk matrix and any other associated risk matrices, e.g. CSE, CCE, etc.
Support to be offered to Foster Carers Offering Parent and Child or Baby Specific Placements:
- Comprehensive referral information with opportunities for questions.
- Structured introductory process and professional meetings.
- Weekly telephone support as a minimum (increased as needed).
- May require further agreed regular visits by the allocated supervising social worker would need to be reviewed with Agency Team Manager and Local Authority.
- Access to the agency’s Education Consultant (when the parent is CLA).
- Access to the agency’s Advocate (for a child/young person who is a parent and CLA).
- Targeted specialist training and peer support groups.
- Regular network meetings to review progress and identify further supports.
- Enhanced managerial oversight, with regular review of recordings to ensure timely intervention.
- The Team Manager may conduct a joint visit with SSW during the placement to review directly with the Foster Carer and Parent and Child, the care plan and any further support required.
- Training for Parent and Child in placement – In supporting parents of any baby or child placed the Foster Carer can request on their behalf access to E-learning to support the parent in caring for their child, as and when needed. The Foster Carer may make this request on parents behalf to their Supervising Social Worker.
Other Actions for the Agencies:
- Provide (or source) targeted training for SSWs and Foster Carers undertaking Parent and Child or Baby Specific work, including any LA-commissioned training set out in tender agreements.
- Ensure all carers understand and feel confident in incident-reporting procedures.
