Hello! Welcome back to my weekly post! When asking for feedback from my last post I came to a realisation that not everyone knows what the care system is, or how it works. It can be very confusing and hard to understand at times, so here I have broken it down, from placement types to care orders, hopefully you may get a better understanding from this. If anyone has anymore questions please leave a comment or dm us over on instagram and we’ll be right back to you!
Google definition: A system in which children who cannot live with their birth families are placed in a the care of a foster family, they should provide a safe, loving, and stable home. They should offer daily care, support and advocate for the children, working alongside professionals to ensure their wellbeing.
Lets start by breaking it down.
“ a system in which children who cannot live with their birth families are placed in a the care of a foster family”
Children who the local authority, or police believe are in unsafe in their home environment are placed usually with an emergency foster placement, this is almost always temporary, for a couple of months at most. Whilst the children are here the local authority will work with the family of the child to determine whether they can return home straight away, or if the parent/guardians need to some work (Often judged by assessments made of the parents by social workers). Whilst a child is in the emergency placement the local authority will come up with a plan to either reunite the family, or peruse a care order. A child can be moved from an emergency placement to a short term placement if it is evident they will not be able to return home within a couple of months. If the authority pursue a care order (Also known as a long term care order) they will have to take the case to court. This means that the child will stay under the care of the local authority until their 18th birthday at the minimum, however if in a settled placement they can stay until their 21st birthday, or as long as the carers agree to.
You may be confused about kinds of placements so I’m going to break them down.
Emergency placements:
An emergency placement is often used when a child immediately needs somewhere to stay. They can last up to a couple of months at most. These foster carers are always on call with rooms ready for babies, children and young people. They are most commonly used when children are removed from their families. From here the children are either returned home or sent to a short term placement.
Short term placements:
Short term placements are often used when the authority know that they will need time to make assessments on the family and to come up with a plan to either return the child home, peruse a care order or adoption.
Long term placements:
A long term placement is used as a permanent placement for those who are unable to return home, either by court order or agreement. These placements should provide a loving, safe and stable environment for children until they are 18. A child may be able to stay longer at the foster carers discretion.
Kinship Placement:
A kinship placement is where a child will be placed with another family member, or family friend where able. As expected they must pass several checks and assessments, and they are not allowed to give unsupervised contact between the child and their parents/guardians without permission of the relevant authority.
Residential placements ( Also known as Care homes):
A residential placement is typically a large house that has bedrooms for children, a communal area and kitchen, plus an office for staff members. These are used for children with more complex needs, like emotional or behavioural challenges. This will be used until a child can either return home, transition to a short or long term placement, or until they age out of the system.
Parent-Child placements:
Parent and Child placements (not to be confused with mother and baby units) are used for those in foster care who have children of their own. The carers should offer support, advice and guidance. And supervise both the mother and babies safety.
Respite placements:
Respite placements are used for children who are already in a placement. They can be used if the foster carers are temporarily unavailable, for example if they go on holiday, have medical issues, need a break etc.
Care orders and legalities:
If the local authority believes a child is unable to return home they will apply to the court for a care proceeding. The decision to apply is usually made by a large team of professionals within the local authority. They would only apply if they have serious concerns, for instance if they have been harmed physically or emotionally, or if they have been neglected and there is no sign of change or major improvements within the family life and home.
A care order can be issued by the court. This gives the local authority shared parental responsibility with the parents, however they can ult decide where the child lives, and make the big decisions in the child’s life. This will last until the child’s 18th birthday or if the court decides to end it sooner.
A supervision order is issued when it is considered best that a child remains with their parents, but a social worker will be involved offering support and resources to the family for up to a year, this can be extended by the court if necessary.
An emergency protection order is used in emergency situations when it is believed that a child is in imminent danger and should be removed immediately. The child will then be placed in an emergency placement while the next steps are decided.
There is also a placement order which is used before an adoption order is issued.
When a child is returned home the family will be closely monitored, and should not be something that is decided quickly.
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