The purpose of the Pre-Placement Meeting is to make sure a child’s move into foster care is planned in a way that promotes safety, predictability and emotional security. The meeting gives the Supervising Social Worker, Local Authority Social Worker, and foster carer(s) the chance to share information, clarify expectations and agree the support needed to assess whether the placement is suitable. It also provides space to identify any gaps in knowledge, discuss risks and strengths and complete the necessary placement planning documents so that everyone involved has a shared understanding of how the child will be cared for. This reflects the agency’s trauma-informed approach, which prioritises collaboration, transparency and stability for children who may be arriving in placement after experiences of loss, uncertainty, or distress.
This procedure outlines the expectations and arrangements for attendance at pre-placement meetings during the matching and placement process coordinated by the RRT team.
1. Process
- At the time of matching foster carers through the RRT team, either ourselves or the Local Authority may request a pre-placement meeting prior to a child or young person moving into placement.
- Due to the nature of emergency and urgent placements, these meetings often need to take place within short timescales.
- In the case of emergency care arrangements, it is unlikely that there would be a pre-placement meeting.
- For all parent and child care arrangement, a pre-placement meeting must take place and the receipt of a satisfactory police check must be received before a care arrangement can be confirmed.
2. Attendance Expectations
The allocated Supervising Social Worker (SSW) should attend the pre-placement meeting wherever possible, as they are best placed to provide information regarding:
- The foster carers experience and strengths
- Current household circumstances
- Children and Young People already placed and/or arrangements
- Safer caring considerations
- Support needs and matching considerations
The SSW’s knowledge of the foster carer is essential in supporting informed decision-making and successful placement planning.
3. RRT Support and Alternative Attendance
- Where the allocated SSW is unavailable due to leave, workload commitments, or other operational reasons, an RRT social worker will attend the meeting on their behalf to avoid unnecessary delay to the placement process. The SSW or Team Manager must provide an update to the RRT Social Worker with information regarding the foster carer and any children or young people placed.
- Alternatively, the RRT team may work with the Local Authority and SSW to arrange a suitable meeting time that enables the SSW to attend, recognising that placement decisions remain urgent and time-sensitive.
- All teams are expected to work collaboratively and flexibly to facilitate placements in a timely manner.
4. Information Sharing
During the meeting, professionals should share relevant and appropriate information to support safe matching and placement planning.
If the Local Authority requests information relating to:
- Placement fees
- Foster carer allowances
- Financial arrangements
- Allegations/complaints/standards of care
SSW’s should advise that the RRT team will confirm this information following the meeting. SSW’s should make a note of the request and ensure this is passed to the appropriate RRT representative for follow-up.
5. Recording
A record of the pre-placement meeting, including key discussions, identified risks, agreed actions and placement decisions, should be recorded on the foster carer file on the Base using the relevant template (standard/enhanced, parent and child or step across).
