Changes to Terms of Approval
Scope of this chapter
This chapter deals with, changes to a foster carer's terms of approval, and emergency placements of a child with a foster carer outside the terms of their approval for up to 6 working days.
This is a separate issue from an exemption to the usual number of children in a foster home – see Exemptions to the Usual Fostering Limit Procedure.
There may be occasions where the placement of a child will involve both changes to terms of approval / emergency placement for up to 6 working days and an extension beyond the usual number of children.
- The terms of approval for a foster carer are determined at the point of their approval i.e. via a recommendation of the Fostering Panel and subsequently by the Agency Decision Maker.
- Good practice suggests that any changes in the terms of a foster carer's approval should only be considered at the time of the foster carer's review and agreed at Fostering Panel;
- However, there are occasions when it may be appropriate to consider temporary, short term changes in their terms of approval to accommodate children with specific needs. This change in terms of approval must be agreed by a Team Manager in the Fostering Teams.
- Please note that for the first 6 working days of a placement made in an emergency the carers terms of approval do not need to be amended, but if it is to be longer than this, their agreement in writing must be obtained during this period and their terms of approval amended.
- If it is determined by a team manager that it is necessary and appropriate for a carer's terms of approval to be amended immediately, and the foster carer is in agreement, then the process is as follows:
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- Open via mosaic workflow from the start menu - CS Amendment to Carers' Terms of approval;
- Select duration of proposed amendment;
- Select Effective Date of amendment;
- This workflow allows to obtain the views of the children and the children's social workers. It is essential that any additional support needs of the family are identified and it is clear in the report how these are to be met;
- The CS Amendment to Carers’ Terms of approval, a covering letter and the proposed Amendment to Terms of Approval consent letter are sent to the foster carer on the same day the placement is identified;
- The foster carer must return the consent from, within 6 working days of the date of the start of the placement or where stated within the letter, giving agreement to either the amendment being for the duration of this placement or as a permanent amendment. (The supervising social worker must obtain this from the carer if they fail to return it);
- The foster carer's agreement to the changes to their terms of approval and the CS Amendment to Carers’ Terms of approval is considered by the Agency Decision Maker who then writes to foster carers with an Agreement to Amend Terms of Approval Letter;
- The panel administrator will amend the foster carer register and all other records;
- Following the foster carer next Annual Carers’ Review, this will be presented at Fostering Panel;
- If the amendment is only for the duration of the placement, then the supervising social worker must notify the panel admin when the placement ends and new notice, advising the carer that their terms of approval have reverted back, will be sent by ADM via the panel administrator;
- The panel administrator will amend the foster carer register and all other records.
- If a foster carer review is undertaken which recommends an amendment to a foster carer's terms of approval, they will give explicit consent to this by signing the CS Approved foster carer review report.
- If the carer does not agree with the recommendation to change the terms of approval then they must make this clear at the end of the CS Approved Foster Carer Review Report in section Foster Carer(s) Comments.
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The proposed changes to the terms of approval, whether agreed by the foster carer or not, will be considered at the fostering panel.
If the recommendation of the Fostering Panel and the decision of the ADM is that the carer's terms of approval are amended, and the carer has given agreement to this, then no qualifying determination is required and a letter with an amended notice of their terms of approval is sent to the carer.
If the recommendation of the Fostering Panel and the decision of the ADM is that the carer's terms of approval are amended, but the carer has not given agreement to this, then a qualifying determination is sent to the carers. They then have the right to follow the usual appeals procedures
Last Updated: March 4, 2024
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