Specialist Foster Carer

Specialist fostering is a placement option for a small number of children and young people who persistently display the most challenging and complex care needs. These care needs are to such an extent that they cannot be successfully met in a mainstream foster placement and would otherwise require a specialist out of jurisdiction placement or residential care.

Children requiring specialist foster care have a high level of need and present a high level of challenge due to a combination of factors they present. The trauma and abuse a child or young person may have suffered does not in itself mean the child meets the criteria for specialist foster care. Mainstream foster carers and adoptive parents care for children who have experienced all levels of trauma.

To meet the criteria for specialist foster care the child or young person’s needs would sufficiently impact on their daily functioning and be characterised by disabilities or medical conditions and/or extreme and persistent challenging behaviours.  Due to this they may have experienced a number of placement moves and disruptions, be out of education or on a reduced timetable. These children require a significantly higher level of care and supervision to that required for children and young people who are placed in mainstream foster placement. See Specialist Foster Placement – Child Eligibility Criteria and Approval Process.

Specialist foster carers will not usually have any other vulnerable children and young people (under the age of 18 years) living in the household. Most specialist placements are permanent sole placements (except where siblings may be placed together). There may be occasions where a child with significant care needs requires a short-term specialist placement or where a child can be placed in a mainstream placement alongside another child in specialist placement subject to careful matching.

Young people who are in residential care may be assessed as requiring specialist foster care and, although their needs are extreme and complex, the assessment is that they could be met in a family placement with at least one full time foster carer who is not undertaking any other work.

The number of specialist foster placements is determined by the service.

Please refer to the Assessment and Approvals and Review of Foster Carers Procedure for information on the assessment and approval of foster carers.

The Family Placement Service take a lead responsibility in recruiting, assessing and supporting specialist foster carers for a small number of identified children who meet the criteria of specialist fostering provision. The types of background relevant experience of individuals is an important factor in being considered as a specialist foster carer. The qualities required include relevant skill and experience, emotional warmth, resilience, commitment to undertaking significant learning and development in relevant training and peer/group supervision. It is an expectation that specialist fostering placements should not disrupt and all steps should be taken to sustain placement stability.

In the event an existing mainstream foster carer is wishing to care for a child who meets the eligibility criteria for specialist fostering a reassessment of their capacity to provide specialist care must be completed following a decision being made regarding a child/young person’s specialist fostering eligibility. This assessment will be undertaken via an ‘Addendum Assessment Report’ presented to the Fostering and Adoption Panel for a recommendation on approval and the assessment and Panel Minutes will be provided to the Agency Decision Maker. Panel process will be followed. In all cases the assessment of specialist foster carers will require the Reparative Care Team to undertake additional screening measures to assess the capacity of the applicants to provide specialist foster care and this may include adult/child attachment screening measures.

The Specialist Foster Care Agreement will be completed and signed and an induction to specialist foster care will be undertaken by the Supervising Social Worker prior to a specialist foster placement being made and this sets out the responsibilities, requirements and expectations between the carers and the Service.

The level of support to be provided to the child and the carers will be agreed on an individual basis and will include Reparative Care Team support. The level of support will be kept under review.

This information must be read in conjunction with the ‘Guidance on Allowances and Payments concerning Children in Foster Care’ which applies to all specialist foster carers and children in foster care.

A specialist fostering allowance is paid regarding each child who meets the eligibility criteria for specialist placement. There is a clear process and clear criteria against which HSC assesses the eligibility of a child requiring a specialist placement.

Specialist fostering allowances are graded into 3 bands depending on the level of the child’s disability or level of need.

Upon approval, in addition to the specialist fostering allowance HSC pays a specialist foster care fee payment in accordance with the agreed banding. Should it be assessed that a child requires the full-time care of two specialist foster carers at home on a full-time basis the specialist foster care fee will be payable to each carer. Should it be assessed that the child requires the full-time care of one specialist foster carer one fee shall be paid to that full time carer. Where a child is placed in mainstream placement alongside a child in specialist placement no additional skill payment will be made as skill/fee payments are made per household, not per placement.

Specialist equipment for the care of children with disabilities or complex medical conditions who are in specialist foster placement will be provided by HSC.

Holidays for specialist foster carers

The specialist foster carer will be paid the full allowance and fee for the period they are on holiday up to a maximum of 4 weeks holiday per year.

Short break carers will be paid the specialist foster care allowance at the relevant band level for the child pro rata for the period they are caring for the child. The short break carer will receive either the mainstream skills payment or the specialist foster care fee according to their terms of approval.

Regular short breaks for specialist foster carers 

The specialist carer will be paid for the day the child leaves plus returns plus up to 2 days in between.

Short break carers will be paid the specialist foster care allowance at the relevant band level rate pro rata for the days the child is placed only. The short break carer will receive either mainstream skills payment or the specialist foster care fee according to their terms of approval.

Day short breaks for children in specialist foster placement

The hourly rate for short break care for children with disabilities will be paid to all carers providing day short break care for the hours provided. No skills payment will be made.

Tax

Specialist foster carers do not have to declare the allowance they receive from HSC when completing their Income Tax Returns, as allowances are not considered earned income and are not subject to Tax.

Fee payments are taxed at source and should be declared to the Revenue Office.

Retainer

A retainer may be paid for an agreed period at the discretion of the Service where a specialist foster placement ends and the specialist carer is available for placement but there is no further placement. The retainer consists of the specialist fostering allowance and fee payment payable for an agreed period of up to 3 months. In exceptional circumstances the retainer may be extended by agreement with the Associate Director.

Whilst a retainer is paid, and beyond this where the carer agrees and there is no child placed, the Service will support the specialist foster carer to obtain short term sessional work within the Service. This could be for example residential support work or other duties on behalf of HSC such as sessional or bank work in small family group homes. Once the retainer ends the specialist foster carers will receive payment for this work at the rate of pay for that employment. 

Due to the small number of children and young people requiring specialist foster placement and their specific matching requirements it may not be possible to place or match another child as a specialist placement with the specialist foster carer following an end of placement. The circumstances of the carer or the specific needs of a child requiring placement may limit the range of children whom they are available to take, and consequently they may encounter extended periods between placements that in turn will result in reduced finances. When placements end HSC will discuss the carer’s circumstances with them. The specialist foster carer can provide mainstream foster placements if suitable or seek alternative temporary employment if necessary. 

Where children with disabilities and additional complex needs are approaching 18 plans will be made to discuss options for their ongoing care as part of Pathway Planning in liaison with Adult Services.

Please refer to Payment for Skills Procedure for the requirements of level 4 skills payment.

Specialist carers will have proven significant experience e.g. significant previous fostering experience or equivalent or employment or related experience e.g. child care, youth work or teaching. An experienced foster carer moving to Guernsey from another agency may be considered for specialist foster care status upon approval. The evidence must be provided, within the assessment, training history and portfolio, that specialist competence is apparent or projected.

Specialist carers must be available at all times to meet the needs of the child or young person in placement, to attend training, or provide other support work, for example within the child’s education setting.

For the majority of placements one approved carer in the household must have a full-time commitment to fostering and no other paid employment commitments

In certain approved circumstances however, agreement may be given to an exception to this requirement, but such agreement will only be considered on a case by case basis and where this arrangement is appropriate for the particular child. For such agreement to be given the working arrangement must be flexible in order that the carer will be available immediately and at short notice in order to care for the child. Where such agreement is made the maximum working arrangement will be the equivalent of no more than one working day per week.

Specialist foster carers will be provided with the Payment for Skills Procedure. Specialist foster carers must meet the criteria for mainstream level 4 carers (please refer to Payment for Skills Procedure) plus evidence ability to:

• Be available to accept placements of children who meet the eligibility criteria and who have been assessed as requiring specialist foster care;
• Be able and willing, with appropriate supervision and consultation, to work closely with other professionals in carrying out individual therapeutic programmes and skill development, to appropriately manage and modify challenging behaviour and actively support specific educational programmes with children and young people;
• Evidence commitment to therapeutic services being provided for a child in placement via Reparative Care Team and to implement strategies in the home environment as recommended by the team;
• Provide therapeutic parenting strategies and undertake direct work with specialist/ therapeutic services for children and young people;
• Demonstrate ability to care for children who have experienced multiple separations, and as a result have had few positive attachments and little stability and be able to demonstrate an understanding of attachment difficulties and how they as carers might look after such children and young people in a way that may enable them to develop more secure attachments;
• Be able and willing to care for children and young people who present more challenging distressed behaviours and support more specialised placement commitments of young people who have experienced significant trauma;
• Maintain a positive attitude and behaviour towards a child and their family during periods of prolonged stress/challenging behaviour;
• Attend required training as identified in the Learning and Development Calendar and maintain a detailed Personal Development Plan, evidencing continuing development of high level fostering skills and competencies;
• Undertake additional mandatory training as required to that of mainstream foster carers;
• Demonstrate ongoing personal research and learning regarding relevant topics and evidence this during supervisory visits;
• Attend Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP) informed consultation sessions on an agreed frequency;
• Attend supervision or training facilitated by Reparative Care Team where requested;
• Participate in the delivery of new carer preparation training and other training in partnership with Family Placement Service staff where requested;
• Support and assist the Service in promoting a positive fostering profile including involvement in foster carer recruitment initiatives where requested;
• Work with other professionals on a complex Care Plan in which there will be a high level of monitoring and recording of Foster Carer Records.

In order to promote specialist carer’s continuing professional development, to ensure expectations are adhered to, for example with regard to recordkeeping for children in care and other expectations as specified and to guard against complacency (as an identified risk in a number of Serious Case Reviews) a carer’s fee level will be at risk if they fail to meet the requirements due to their lack of commitment to their own training/development. In general, where specialist carers do not meet fee level requirements, they will move down to mainstream skills payment. Where the recommendation is that the carer has not maintained their fee status and there are no extenuating circumstances this should be presented to the Team Manager for a decision on the appropriate level of payment. Where there are extenuating circumstances, these can be presented to the Family Placement Service Team Manager and an Action Plan set out to address any shortfall. Any Action Plan will include a date for review.

A carer who is not satisfied with the Family Placement Service Team Manager’s decision regarding their progression through the scheme has the right of representation. The carer should submit representation in writing within 14 days of the date of receipt of the decision. The Team Manager will arrange for a second opinion review of the decision by the Service Manager, Care Services. The Service Manager will make their decision about the carer’s representation within 14 days from the date of receipt. If the Service Manager accepts the reasons for the disagreement an Action Plan will be developed. The carer will then receive a letter about the outcome.

See Supervision and Support of Foster Carers Procedure.

Specialist foster placements will receive a high level of support from the Team around the Child. The Reparative Care Team will be involved in all specialist foster placements.

Specialist foster carers are entitled to take up to 4 weeks paid holiday a year without the child placed and arrangements are agreed on a case-by-case basis. The specialist foster carer will be paid the full allowance and fee for the period they are on holiday up to a maximum of 4 weeks holiday per year. Significant notice is required of any holiday arrangements in order that HSC can source suitable care for the child in placement.

Additional support may be provided through short break care which is agreed according to the needs of the placement.