Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings

The term disruption is used to describe the situation where a family placement can no longer continue, and ends prematurely before the date, which was originally planned.

The concept of disruption was first developed in relation to adoption placements but can also be applied to foster placements.

The use of family placements for a wide range of children and young people, many of whom present significantly challenging behaviours, inevitably involves an element of risk. It is not reasonable, therefore, to expect a 100% success rate. Nevertheless, when disruption occurs, it is often experienced as an unexpected and traumatic event, and the feelings of all those involved frequently are centred on failure.

The purpose of a disruption meeting is to look at the sequence of events, and to learn from the experience in order to:

• Gain information about the child to inform future planning so the child's needs can be met;
• Look at the quality of preparation, matching and support offered to the child and family;
• Enable people to share views and feelings about the placement disruption;
• Help the family recover from the experience;
• Highlight areas for development in practice;
• Recognise that the disruption was not the fault of any one agency or individual;
• Produce a clear record for the child or young person of why their placement disrupted.

All those involved with the placement, therefore, usually attend the meeting. 

All unplanned permanent placement endings should be viewed as disruptions. The Foster Care Agreement requires carers to discuss ending a child's placement and to give reasonable notice so that endings can be arranged in a planned way.

Disruption meetings must take place where a foster placement ends in the following circumstances:

• Following the disruption of a permanent or long-term foster placement. A long-term foster placement is one, which has lasted, or was intended to last, for a period of three years or more;
• If a Looked After Child has experienced a number of disruptions within a short space of time. A request for a Disruption Meeting in this instance will be at the discretion of the child’s social worker and will be held once agreement to do so has been reached by the relevant child’s social worker Team Manager and Family Placement Service Manager. If an agreement cannot be reached, the final decision will be made of the Head of Service;
• Disruption Meeting are not appropriate when dealing with;
• Bridging placements;
• Short-term placements, unless there has been a breakdown in more than one of these placements and a pattern is emerging;
• Following any other disruption where the child’s social worker Team Manager and Family Placement Service Team Manager consider it appropriate.

The timing of the Disruption Meeting may vary.   Meetings are convened no sooner than 28 days following disruption and no later than 42 days afterwards. This is to allow time for those involved to recover and be able to remember and reflect on events. When an out of jurisdiction placement is involved, the agency with responsibility for the child usually organises the disruption meeting.

Participants required to attend the Disruption Meeting will vary depending on the nature of the disruption. The Head of Service will chair Disruption Meetings.

Careful consideration must be made by the chairperson in regard to who should be invited (and ultimately, attend).

The attendees should always include the carer(s) and the child's social worker and supervising social worker and their respective Team Managers. Others to consider inviting are: In addition consideration will be given to inviting the following participants;

• Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO);
• Previous carers and their supervising social workers for the duration of the Look After Child’s placement;
• Present carers;
• Relevant Service Managers;
• In some cases it may be appropriate for the child/young person to attend the meeting. The social worker should carefully consider and discuss with the child/young person the implications of their attendance. The final decision will rest with the chairperson. The child’s social worker will ensure that the child’s views and feelings are given to the meeting in the most appropriate way;
• Child’s advocate / representative;
• Previous childcare social workers, including child’s social worker at the time of disruption;
• Designated Teacher from school currently attended, previously attended and at the point of disruption;
• Health representatives e.g. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, or Health Visitor;
• Birth parents / family.

Participants who decline an invitation or are unable to attend will be required to present their views in writing.

If a Looked After Child is unable to attend the Disruption Meeting, It is the responsibility of their current social worker to obtain their views and opinion.

It is the responsibility of the fostering service to obtain the views and opinion of current or previous carer who are unable to attend the meeting.

The social worker for the child, in consultation with the supervising social worker, will be responsible for arranging the disruption meeting, with the chairperson.

The child’s social worker will invite people and will forward the agenda to those invited to enable them to adequately prepare for the meeting and bring relevant information with them.

The child’s social worker should prepare for the meeting by ensuring that they are familiar with the child's case records, and these should be available for reference at the meeting. The social worker should prepare and bring to the meeting a flow chart denoting the child's significant life events and changes of care giver.

The supervising social worker should prepare for the meeting by ensuring familiarity with the background of the carers. This is particularly important if the carers will not be attending the meeting.

It is imperative that as much information is made available to the chairperson in advance of the meeting to allow time for analysis. At the time of invitation to the Disruption Meeting a written report will be requested from the following:

• Child’s social worker;
• Carers’ supervising social worker;
• Other significant agencies.

The child’s social worker will also provide the chairperson with access to the file in order to inspect relevant records.

It may not be appropriate for all those invited to attend for the whole of the meeting, as some participants may be anxious about sharing sensitive personal information. The social worker should inform the chairperson if this situation should arise, as the chairperson will need to take this into account when managing the meeting.

When a person with significant information, (e.g. the carer) is unable or unwilling to attend the meeting, the chairperson should consider meeting with the person outside of the meeting to seek their views and perception of events.

A Placement Disruption Meeting will follow a set agenda which is available for staff.

The disruption meeting will consider the following matters:

• Reasons why the child came into care and details of the child’s life experiences and history;
• The carer(s)' background, including recruitment and preparation;
• How, and why the child was matched with the particular family, including the consideration of the match at Panel (if relevant), and the views of the family;
• The process of introducing the child to the family;
• The child’s history since being in placement and any significant events;
• The child’s placement experience;
• The carer’s placement experience;
• The disruption and subsequent events;
• Plan for the child’s future;
• Learning points, recommendations and actions.

The meeting will be supported with a minute taker and the chairperson will be responsible for producing a record of the meeting which identifies any areas of improvement in practice and learning form the disruption together with actions where required.

A Placement Disruption Meeting Template is available for staff. The chairperson is responsible for forwarding copies to those present and to the Service Managers for the Child Social Work Team and Family Placement Service.

A copy of the minutes will be placed on the child’s file by the child’s social worker and on the carer’s file by the supervising social worker

The child’s social worker and supervising social worker will present a brief report of the disruption, and any significant conclusions from the disruption meeting, to the Fostering and Adoption Panel.

In relation to the disruption of a permanent foster placement consideration may be given to holding an early Foster Carer Review to consider the foster carer's approval.