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Recruitment and approval

The Department will seek to ensure there are enough foster carers with a range of skills to provide positive family experiences to meet the needs of children and young people who are looked after and that these carers are supported in the essential role that they provide.

Recruitment Publicity and recruitment campaigns should aim to reach all groups in the community. This will ensure that all needs of children, i.e. emotional, behavioural, racial, ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious, as well as any needs relating to disability, gender or sexuality, can be met.The Department should maintain (including contracting through other agencies) a range of foster carers to ensure suitable placement choices for each child and young person placed in foster care.The fostering and adoption team will target the Island community for the recruitment of carers to avoid children being placed out of Guernsey or Alderney.The Department provides resources to implement the recruitment strategy and to meet specifically identified needs in relation to family placements for children looked after.The recruitment strategy should encourage the involvement of approved foster carers in recruitment activities.

Actions

TaskResponsible OfficerRecord Timescale
MarketingFostering and adoption teamRecruitment strategyOn-going
Enquiry from applicantsFostering and adoption teamEnquiry FormOn-going
Information pack sentPA Fostering and Adoption TeamEnquiry formWithin 24 hours
Follow up initial enquiry with phone call and offer to visitFostering and adoption teamEnquiry form
As and when
Visit to applicant to provide information about fostering and provide application form for their use if they wish to proceedFostering and adoption teamEnquiry formWithin three weeks
Once application received Set up carer filePA Fostering and Adoption TeamCarer file
Once application received
Initiate agency checksPA Fostering and Adoption TeamCarer file
Once application received
Discuss with team manager if issues of concern ariseFostering and adoption teamCarer file
As appropriate
Meet with applicants to discuss concern/counsel out unsuitable applicantsFostering and adoption teamCarer file
As appropriate
Make decision about seeking advice from panel if there is a concernTeam managerCarer file
At next panel meeting
Allocate applicant to assessing social workerTeam managerCarer file
Once checks are returned and are satisfactory
Invite applicants to attend information evening and Skills to FosterFostering and adoption teamCarer fileAs appropriate
Undertake Form F (fostering) assessmentAssessing social workerCarer file4-6 months
Ensure all aspects of assessment and information regarding agency checks, referees, medicals, is recorded on the assessment formAssessing social workerCarer fileAs appropriate
If no Skills to Foster training is running then train applicant as part of assessmentAssessing social workerCarer fileAs appropriate
Counsel out unsuitable applicantsAssessing social workerCarer fileAs appropriate
Quality assure assessment reportAssessing social workerCarer fileAs appropriate
Send completed quality assured and signed report to fostering and adoption team managerAssessing social workerCarer fileAs appropriate
If report is not of required standard or is incomplete then send back to assessing social worker for amendmentsTeam managerCarer fileAs appropriate
Share report with applicants if report is satisfactoryAssessing social workerCarer fileAs appropriate
Ask applicants to sign report (and make comments) if they wish and leave them copiesAssessing social worker and carersCarer fileAs appropriate
Follow panel proceduresAssessing social worker/AdminCarer fileAs per panel procedures
Contact the applicant about the panel's decisionAssessing social workerCarer fileImmediately after panel
Send letter of approval,  ID application form,foster care agreement, code of conduct re confidentiality and handbook to carer. Handbook will include information on policy,procedure,allowances etcAssessing social worker PA Fostering and Adoption TeamCarer fileAs appropriate
Place carer's name on register of foster carers and provide name to GFCAAAssessing social worker PA Fostering and Adoption TeamCarer fileAs appropriate
Visit carers to complete foster carer agreementFostering and adoption teamCarer fileBefore any placements commence

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