National Care Standards: Foster Care and Family Placement Services

1-4 Services for children

1 Informing and deciding
2 Promoting good quality care
3 Helping you as an individual
4 Expressing your views

Informing and deciding

Standard 1
The agency makes sure you have all the information you need about the service and the role of your foster carer to help you and your family decide about using the service.

1 You have information that clearly explains about the service. Everything is written in plain English or in a language and format that is suitable for you. It should include:

• the aims of the service;
• how to use the service;
• the role of the foster or family placement carer;
• what is available in the service;
• contact names and phone numbers;
• the complaints procedure;
• policies and procedures for managing risk and recording and reporting accidents and incidents; and
• the most recent Care Commission inspection report about the service.

2 You know that the agency tries to recruit a wide variety of foster carers who will be best able to meet the cultural and faith needs of you and the other children and young people who are identified as benefiting from a family placement now and in the future.

3 You can be confident that the agency has a code of practice which upholds your rights as a child if it uses information about you in an advertising or recruitment campaign.

Promoting good quality care

Standard 2
You can be confident that the agency contributes to the provision of good quality care for you.

1 The agency makes sure that, wherever possible, you and your family have the opportunity to visit and to meet the foster carer and their family in their home before you begin your placement. Information is shared about your preferences and routines and any special needs you may have.

2 You can be confident that before your placement, the agency carries out a general risk assessment of the living arrangements and makes sure any recommendations are followed. It also makes sure that a personal risk assessment of your needs is available.

3 You can be confident that the agency makes sure that your foster carer has, or can access, the resources and skills to meet your needs. If you have been a victim of abuse, the agency makes sure that your foster carer has the necessary skills to help you.

4 You know that the agency has arrangements in place to make sure that there are appropriate links between you, your foster family and your birth family.

5 You know that the agency monitors your foster carer's ability to help you to keep up family contacts, and friendships, as set out in your care plan, and that it respects and responds to your family's need for information and support and supports your foster carer when necessary.

6 You know that the agency makes sure that your foster carer:

• helps you to get the healthcare that you need;
• gets involved in your healthcare;
• contributes to or makes decisions in partnership with you and your parents, where appropriate; and
• understands the implications of your culture or faith.

7 You know that the agency makes sure that your foster carer:

• provides you with an educationally-rich environment;
• helps to meet your educational needs; and
• helps you to develop the skills, ability and knowledge that you will need when you become an adult.

8 You know that the agency is aware of any equipment you may need and where you can get it from. The agency makes sure your foster carer has all the relevant information they need about adapting their home or vehicle if this is necessary and any help they may be offered.

9 You can be confident that the agency supports your foster carer to help you make use of therapeutic and other specialist services (for example, occupational therapy or psychology) that you need.

10 You can be confident that the agency encourages and supports your foster carer to help you to enjoy play and other leisure activities.

11 You can be confident that, if your placement starts at short notice, the agency will make sure your foster carer has the information they need to meet your needs and to keep you up to date about how long the placement will last.

Helping you as an individual

Standard 3
You can be confident that your identity and self-esteem will be valued and promoted.

1 You know that the agency recognises and reflects your individual needs and characteristics when it offers you a foster or family care placement.

2 You know that the agency makes sure that you are encouraged to take part in activities that develop your individual talents, interests and hobbies.

3 You know that the agency prepares and helps your foster carer to respect and understand issues of diversity, including sexuality and lifestyle choices.

4 You know that the agency enables your foster carer to help you find relevant information about your lifestyle choices and put you in touch with people who may support you.

5 You know that the agency makes sure your foster carer assists you with any intimate care needs you may have or any treatment you need in private and in a way which maintains your dignity.

Expressing your views

Standard 4
You and your family and foster carer are encouraged to express your views on any aspect of the work of the agency.

1 You and your family and foster carer know how to make a suggestion or complaint to the agency.

2 You know that the agency allows your foster carer to make representations or complaints on your behalf and also on his or her own behalf.

3 You and everyone else involved in a representation or complaint receive a report on the outcome within a time limit that is clearly set out in the agency's representations and complaints procedure.

4 You are given information about how to make a complaint directly to the Care Commission.

5 If you are disabled or if your first language is not English, you have access to translation, interpretation and communication support that you need to help you make your representation or complaint. These services are also available to your foster carer or your parents.

6 You know that independent advice and support can be made available.