(Last reviewed 12/01/2025)
· Unannounced visits to foster carers are scheduled for 11 months so that they are completed within the year.
· The Supervising Social Worker (SSW) must make sure they carry out at least two unannounced visits each year. The dates of these visits are set up by Support Services and added to the SSW task list.
· Each unannounced visit includes a brief health and safety observation. This is not a full check; it is the SSW’s opportunity to observe the home and note any clear hazards or concerns. This is separate from the full health and safety check and is recorded in the Health and Safety App.
· During the visit, the SSW respectfully looks over every room in the fostering home as part of the health and safety observations.
· The full health and safety checklist is separate from the above and should be completed during a planned visit. Please see the Health and Safety procedures.
· The SSW meets each child who is looked after in placement privately, offering every opportunity for them to share their wishes, feelings, or any concerns about the placement. The discussion is recorded in the looked-after child’s file, and any concerns or wishes are formally shared with the local authority social worker and recorded.
· If the health and safety observations lead to recommendations, the SSW supports the foster family to put these in place and checks they are completed.
· If there are concerns about the standards of the home, the SSW records, tracks, and follows them up, showing how they are being addressed and the outcomes.
· When a foster carer welcomes their first child, an unannounced visit is carried out within eight weeks of the placement beginning. This reassures everyone that the foster family and child are settling in and helps identify any extra support or assistance required:
9a. Please note: This unannounced visit is in addition to the twice-yearly visits that appear on the SSW task list. If no placement has been made, the SSW asks Support Services to adjust the task list.
