Foster Carers Household Safe Care Plan

Appendix 1

Carer’s Name: Name of Children Placed:

Safe Caring issues to be addressed Solutions to minimise risk Additional information (add as appropriate) If two unrelated foster children are sharing Subject of a variation agreed by Slough Fostering Panel the same bedroom

The use of names Use first names preceded by aunty and uncle is preferable Carers should avoid using the terms ‘Mummy & Daddy’

The use of Language Carers need to establish which words & what terminology the Most families have words & terms they use to child uses as quickly as possible describe parts of the body or bodily functions such as going to the toilet. Carers need to consider the words they use & their potential meaning for foster children Clothing Carers should make sure that all members of the household No member of the household should walk and fostered children have a dressing gown and slippers as around in underwear or nightwear. well as appropriate nightwear.

Touching Games that involve physical contact such as tickling or play- The safest rule is that no one in the household fighting should be avoided, as they can over-stimulate touches another person’s body without that children and involve uncontrolled touching that can be person’s permission. Children should misinterpreted. generally be asked first if they want a hug, and they need to be taught that it is perfectly acceptable to say no.

Bathing Encouragement should be given for children to be as Carers in a partnership should discuss with independent as possible in terms of washing their own bodies. each other and the child’s social worker who is Doors can be left unlocked and left ajar. Conversations can the most appropriate person to give the child a take place with someone outside the bathroom so the child feeling of safety and confidence in the knows there is someone else around. bathroom. It is not a task that should be given to the carer’s older children.

Bedtime A chair that can be pulled close is the solution to chats that This calls for the same kinds of considerations may be necessary at night. Doors should be left open. as bath time, for the same reasons. Carers should resist entreaties to get into, or lie on, It is preferable for a female carer or both a male and female the child’s bed carer to be involved in putting a child to bed and the bedroom door should be kept open.

Children’s Bedrooms Where someone does go into a child’s room, whether they are Where children are to share bedrooms, another child or an adult, the door should always be kept open. consideration needs to be given to how each Careful consideration is needed before the use of sending a child is afforded some privacy, both for their child to their room as a sanction as for some children this will possessions and their need for personal space. trigger memories of prior abuse.

Consideration needs to be given as to when It is preferable for a female carer or both a male and female others may enter the bedroom. Except in an carer to be involved in putting a child to bed and the bedroom emergency, people should be expected to ask door should be kept open. permission before entering the room and older children should be given increasing control over who goes into their room. Adult’s bedroom If a child is unwell and in need of comfort and supervision Many parents allow their own children to share throughout the night, the carer may need to stay with the child their bed for a variety of reasons – for play, to in their bedroom, sleep nearby, or the child may need to sleep read or to be comforted. While fostered on the sofa with the carer in an armchair. children have the same needs, the sharing of carers’ beds should be avoided. Playing Children should not normally be allowed to play with other Consideration is needed as to where in the children behind closed doors, although carers will need to house children may play unsupervised. balance the need for safety against the need for privacy for Carers should ensure that children are kept older children within earshot and checked on when they go quiet. Transport Carers will need to consider the appropriateness of transporting Carers need to be mindful of the legislation children alone in a car. Where possible, this should be avoided, regarding children and car seats. All children especially for men. If the carer has to travel alone with a child, up to 135cms tall (around 4’ 5”) or the age of then the child should sit in the back of the car. 12, whichever comes first, in the front or rear seats of cars, vans and other goods vehicles must travel in the correct child restraint for their weights with very few exceptions Baby Sitters & alternative carers Fostered children should not be left alone in the sole charge of Ideally two people should be used to baby-sit a carer’s own child, however willing they are, unless this is or provide alternative care. Supervising social specifically cleared with the child’s social worker. workers should ensure that a Criminal Records Bureau check is sought for regular alternative carers. The babysitter must also have sufficient awareness of safe caring considerations, as well as the authority and experience to deal with the children confidently.

Photographs & videos Photos and videos can be important elements in contact Carers need to be sensitive to the feelings of arrangements. They need careful consideration and decisions children and their parents in this area. Many on a case-by-case basis as they may have implications for the children and adults will object to having their security of the placement and the child’s feeling of safety. image recorded on film for religious or cultural reasons and their rights should be respected. Any filming for permanency purposes (i.e. to share with (Note: Where it is likely that a photograph of prospective long term carers/adopters does not include other the child will enter the public domain (e.g. LAC children. foster carers’ outing featured in the local paper) it is essential to obtain the permission of the parents/holders of parental responsibility.)

Contact Given that contact may take place in the foster home, carers will need to devise strategies to manage this in a sensitive manner, but also in a way that ensures the safety of the child.

Where the contact needs to be supervised, the arrangements for this should be agreed in advance with the child’s social worker and the carer should ensure that they are able to dedicate all of their time to this task. If the contact takes place in the foster home, a specific risk assessment for individual cases is completed.

The internet, social network sites & mobile  Site the computer in the family living room, where . phones adults are always around. This is particularly These facilities are now a fundamental part of important if a webcam is available, as predators are everyday life and children are often more deterred by the sight of a normal household in the advanced in their technical knowledge and background experience than the adults caring for them.  Actively show an interest in what they are doing on the The risks and dilemmas they present are very computer real, and carers need to encourage responsible  Agree a maximum amount of time per day allowed on and safer practices. the computer, which could be more at weekends  Add password protection within the operating system so that unknown sites cannot be accessed accidentally  Look together at their internet history files  Use firewalls, security, and anti-virus protection, and understand the use of privacy settings so you know how much strangers can access (see Further Information)  Block any inappropriate websites that the child may have accessed  Ensure the child understands that ‘stranger danger’ applies to the internet. Advise the child never to give personal or identifying details, without special permission from their carer, and never arrange to meet anyone from a chat room, unless their carer is with them  Advise the child never to respond to nasty or suggestive messages and tell their carer about them (see cyber bullying below)  Discuss the issues with the child. Make sure they know they would be victims and never at fault if they become drawn into a situation with a stranger on the internet Social Networking sites In addition carers can minimise risk by: Slough Borough Council’s policy on social  Ensuring that children and young people make their networking sites (currently awaiting approval own profiles only accessible to people they know from CFMT) states that no member of staff offline within Education and Children’s Services nor  Encouraging children and young people to keep their any foster carer approved by the Borough is personal information to a minimum permitted to accept or initiate contact in a  Discussing with the child or young person the risks personal capacity with a child or young person posed if they include a personal photograph of who is a client of the local authority via a themselves or their friends in their profiles and social networking site. advising against this. Members of staff and foster carers are also not permitted to place any photographs or information about a child or young person in care or in receipt of services with whom they come into contact in their own personal entries on these sites. Mobile phones  Ensuring the use of mobile phones is discussed at the Difficulties can arise, particularly from the time of placement, and that this issue forms part of the contact a mobile phone allows with people fostering agreement from whom the child needs protection.  Deciding whether it is more appropriate that the Dangers range from the intentional or mobile is pay-as-you-go, to monitor expenditure, or a unintentional undermining of placements and contract that enables calls to be monitored more emotional abuse/ bullying of the child, through closely through itemised billing to the incurring of excessive costs and placing  Avoiding Bluetooth or infrared phones for younger or the child at risk of being mugged for their more vulnerable children phone.  Turning off/ restricting access to the child’s mobile phone after bedtime/ overnight  Not permitting young children in foster care to have a mobile phone, for their own protection Cyber bullying New technologies provide an apparently anonymous method by which bullies can torment their victims at any time of the day or night. While the bullying may not be physical, the victim may receive an e-mail, chat or text messages or be the target of unfavourable websites or social networking profiles that make them feel embarrassed, upset, depressed or afraid. As stated above, carers need to ensure that children in their care can talk to them about any inappropriate messages, conversations or behaviours that they have been subjected to.