Respite Procedure

(Last reviewed 25/04/2025)

As soon as a Supervising Social Worker becomes aware that a Foster Carer may need respite, they must consult the Positive Aspirations Respite Policy and the Respite Risk Assessment Template.

Introduction

When respite cannot be avoided, the agency’s policy is that, whenever possible, the child should be cared for by a familiar and trusted person, ideally identified from the Foster Carer’s support network.
The agency asks Foster Carers to avoid requesting respite that lasts longer than 14 days; such respite will normally be agreed only when no other option exists and it clearly serves the child’s best interests.

In very unusual situations, where genuinely exceptional circumstances mean a Foster Carer requests respite for 28 days or more, this period will not be treated as respite. It will be regarded as the end of the current placement. The Foster Carers who agree to care for the child during this extended period will be the child’s new placement, even if the child is expected to return to the original Foster Carers afterwards. Therefore, no one from the original Foster Carer’s support network can provide care for this length of time because an approved Foster Carer is required.
When Foster Carers are unable to make use of their Enhanced Support for respite (from 1 night up to 28 nights), the agency will, whenever possible, identify another agency Foster Carer. Such arrangements will only be made when they meet the child’s needs and the child’s placing authority has given consent.

This procedure exists to safeguard the Foster Carers, the Enhanced Support or Foster Carer who is providing respite, the agency, and, most importantly, the child or young person. The agency must quickly put the agreed arrangements in place so that the child has a positive, safe, and enjoyable experience while away from their main Foster Carers.
Whatever the circumstances, the Referral Response Officer must be informed and involved as early as possible in the process.

All respite must have authorisation from the local authority before it begins.

Actions for the Social Work Team

Before any period of care is arranged with anyone other than the main Foster Carers:

1. A discussion must be held with the Team Manager about whether the planned respite is appropriate.
2. Support Services, the Referral Response Team, and the Finance Team must be notified in writing as soon as the Supervising Social Worker becomes aware that respite is needed.
   2a. If the proposed respite family is part of a different social-work team, the Supervising Social Worker and Team Manager of that team must also be notified.
3. The Local Authority Social Worker must be told about the proposed respite as early as possible, and written permission for it to proceed must be obtained.
4. The compliance status of the person who will provide respite must be confirmed, including an up-to-date Enhanced DBS and local-authority check.
5. The training record of the person who will provide respite must be verified.
6. The Safer Caring Policy and Risk Assessment/Matrix must be reviewed, updated, and shared with:
   6a. the Enhanced Support or Foster Carer who will provide the respite,
   6b. their Supervising Social Worker if different from the usual Foster Carer, and
   6c. the Local Authority Social Worker.
   6d. A signed Safer Caring Policy must be in place, even if the respite lasts only one day or night.
   6e. Check in the hand-over meeting whether the Safer Caring Policy is current; if not, complete a new policy before the respite starts and share it with the Local Authority Social Worker. Do not simply copy the previous policy from the main Foster Carer; make sure it is up to date and relevant to the child and to the Enhanced Support or Foster Carer who is providing respite.
   6f. Confirm that the Enhanced Support or Foster Carer is up to date with mandatory training and has any additional training needed to support the Safer Caring Policy (for example, Child Sexual Exploitation or Self-Harm). If training is outstanding, ensure it is completed before the respite begins.
   6g. If other children are placed with the Enhanced Support or Foster Carers who are providing respite, identify any potential risks both to those children and to the child being placed. Explain how the Foster Carer and the agency will reduce any risk and what support network is available. The Respite Risk Assessment Template must be completed.
   6h. Make sure the relevant Risk Matrix is in place (for example, CSE, Self-Harm).
   6i. If the child sometimes absconds or goes missing, provide the “Missing from Care Information Pack” to the Enhanced Support or Foster Carer who is providing respite.
7. The Supervising Social Worker must ensure that the Enhanced Support or Foster Carer who is providing respite fully understands the child’s Safer Caring Policy.
8. The safety of the home where the child will stay must be checked and a report completed (unless this has already been done).
9. The Supervising Social Worker must hold a briefing meeting between the main Foster Carer and the Enhanced Support or Foster Carer who will provide the respite. If the respite Foster Carer has a different Supervising Social Worker, that worker must also attend. This meeting must take place whether the respite is being provided by Enhanced Support or by another Foster Carer.
   9a. The checklist for this meeting is set out below.
10. The child must be supported to understand why the respite is happening.
11. If the person providing respite is another agency Foster Carer who is not already known to the child, introductions must be arranged so that the child knows where they are going and who they will be staying with.
12. Check whether the Local Authority Social Worker needs copies of the Foster Carer’s recordings.
13. The Supervising Social Worker must make sure that staff on the Out-of-Hours rota are aware of the respite arrangements.

All the actions above must be clearly recorded on the agency’s recording systems.

Financial arrangements will be made directly between the main Foster Carer and Enhanced Support, without agency involvement.
When respite is provided by another Foster Carer within the Positive Aspirations Group, the fostering fee and child allowance will be paid directly to the Foster Carer who provides respite. The main Foster Carer will not be paid. A respite allowance was added to the fostering fee some years ago at the request of Foster Carers and should be set aside each week to cover the Foster Carer’s costs if respite is needed.
The Supervising Social Worker must visit the home where the child is staying during the respite period and, depending on the length of that period, make an unannounced visit. See the main policy for full guidance on visits.

Checklist for briefing meeting

1. Why the child is in care.
2. Basic information: full names, date of birth, Local Authority Social Worker contact numbers, Emergency Duty Team details, school or nursery details, GP, details of the other Supervising Social Worker, home address and any contact numbers of birth family, and the Welcome Pack (if the respite is with another Foster Carer) for the child to go through with the Supervising Social Worker or main Foster Carer.
3. Introductions: can an introduction meeting take place between the other Foster Carers, and has the child met them before respite begins?
4. Arrangements: confirm the drop-off and pick-up dates and times.
5. Safer Caring Policy/Risk Matrix: is it up to date? Discuss in the meeting. Do not copy the previous policy; make sure it is current, and check it with the other Supervising Social Worker. If the child absconds or goes missing, ensure a Grab Pack is available to the Enhanced Support or Foster Carers who are providing respite.
6. Health and Safety Report: confirm it is up to date.
7. Matching needs: ethnicity, culture, identity, and so on. Explain how any gaps or mismatches will be addressed.
8. Health: dietary needs, allergies, medication (include use of paracetamol or Calpol as appropriate, and check whether this needs to be added to the Safer Caring Policy), food likes and dislikes.
9. Mental and emotional health/behaviours: any appointments to attend, self-harm, self-medication, and strategies for supporting any particular behaviours.
10. Contact arrangements: telephone contact, face-to-face visits, supervision, transport to and from contact, and relevant contact numbers.
11. Education: college, school, or nursery journeys; whether the school or nursery needs to be told about the temporary change of carer; homework; and any meetings.
12. Activities/after-school clubs: can the child still attend, and if not, what alternatives can the Enhanced Support or Foster Carers provide?
13. Routines: mealtimes, bedtimes, handing in phones at bedtime, and so on.
14. Religion/celebrations: any religious observance for the child; birthdays (make sure presents and a card from the main Foster Carer are sent); and how the Foster Carer providing respite will celebrate the child’s birthday.
15. Meeting dates: any meetings, CLA reviews, or PEPs to attend, and whether the original Supervising Social Worker can attend to provide consistency.
16. Finances: pocket money and allowances—make sure everyone understands the arrangements.
17. Practical arrangements for the respite, for example, drop-off and pick-up times.
18. Agency recording systems: update recordings with notes from the briefing meeting.
19. Handover back to the main Foster Carer: agree how this will be arranged so that the main Foster Carers know what has happened while the child was not living with them.

For babies and toddlers

1. Check cots. Can the usual family loan the Enhanced Support or Foster Carer the baby’s usual mattress? If not, a new mattress should be provided.
2. Check stair gates, bed guards, child-proof locks, bottles, potties, and similar equipment.
3. Give the Red Book to the Enhanced Support or Foster Carer in case of an emergency or illness that requires medical treatment. Confirm immunisations are up to date and note any concerns.
4. Provide routines from the main Foster Carer. Supply usual washing powders, etc., to avoid skin irritation.
5. Send favourite toys, comforters, storybooks, etc., with the child to the Enhanced Support or Foster Carer.
6. Note any Health Visitor appointments or clinics that need to be attended.

Actions for the Referral Response Team

1. If notice of respite is received verbally, the Supervising Social Worker must put it in writing and email it to the Referral Response Team, copying their Team Manager and the Team Manager of the Enhanced Support or Foster Carer providing respite if that carer is in a different team.
2. The Referral Response Officer must speak with the relevant Supervising Social Worker to explore the child’s needs and any risks so that a suitable match can be found, and jointly discuss potential options for the most appropriate available Foster Carer.
3. If a potential Foster Carer has been identified, the Referral Response Officer must check whether that Foster Carer is on the vacancy list and confirm their availability to provide respite.
4. The Referral Response Officer must ensure that full background information about the child is shared with any potential Foster Carer, and, where the Foster Carer raises questions, obtain further detail from the Supervising Social Worker and pass it on.
5. When Enhanced Support cannot provide respite, the Referral Response Team should, where possible, look for a Foster Carer who only provides respite care or who is inactive, to avoid blocking beds that could be used for a permanent placement.
6. The Terms of Approval and compliance for the Foster Carer who will provide respite must be checked.
7. Once a Foster Carer is identified, liaise with the Supervising Social Worker to ensure the Local Authority Social Worker’s contact details are correct on agency systems, and email the Foster Carer’s Form F, Annual Review, and current statutory checks to the Local Authority Social Worker and Commissioning Team.
8. Notify the Finance Team of the planned respite so that the correct Foster Carer payments are made. Remember that the weekly fostering fee, including the child allowance, follows the child to the respite placement, and the usual Foster Carer is not paid while the child is on respite because this fee already includes respite.
9. Where relevant, obtain concurrent consent for the respite placement for any other child in placement. If it is difficult to obtain consent, liaise with the Supervising Social Worker for that child to help.
10. Actively follow up requests for concurrent consent and formal written consent for respite, and log all emails and telephone calls on the agency’s recording systems.
11. Once respite is confirmed, enter it into the Referral Response Team member’s diary or calendar.
12. Ensure that the Supervising Social Workers for the Foster Carer providing respite and the main Foster Carer know when respite will take place, and notify the Out-of-Hours Teams of the start and end dates. Record all contacts on agency systems.
13. When the Supervising Social Worker notifies the Referral Response Team that respite has started, record this on agency systems—if technical issues occur when moving children and young people internally, ask IT for assistance.
14. When respite ends, the Supervising Social Worker must tell the Referral Response Team so the agency systems can be updated.

All respite with another Positive Aspirations Group Foster Carer, and any time a child or young person moves placements, must have personalised matching forms on the relevant agency recording systems.

All the actions above must be clearly recorded on the agency’s dedicated recording systems.

Respite over 28 days

On the rare occasions when respite is needed for more than 28 days, it must be treated as a new placement:

1. The Referral Response Officer must update the Local Authority team that oversees placements for children and young people and send Form F and related documents.
2. The Referral Response Officer must input the start and end dates of the placement for the young person, using the agreed dates for the respite to begin and end.
3. Organise a Placement Planning Meeting and complete the Initial Placement Agreement.
4. Complete a new Safer Caring Policy.
5. Complete a 72-hour visit.
6. Continue visits in line with the requirements for children and young people who are newly placed with Foster Carers.