Office of Public Sector Information

Regulation 5(3)

SCHEDULE 2 MATTERS TO BE SPECIFIED IN THE CHILD'S PLAN

PART I MATTERS TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE CHILD'S PLAN TO BE MADE AND REVIEWED FOR A CHILD BEING LOOKED AFTER BY A LOCAL AUTHORITY

1.  The local authority’s immediate and longer-term plans for the child.

2.  Details of any services to be provided to meet the care, education and health needs of the child.

3.  The respective responsibilities of–

(a) the local authority;

(b) the child;

(c) any person with parental responsibilities for the child;

(d) any foster carer or kinship carer of the child;

(e) the designated manager of that establishment who is responsible for the care of the child whilst in that establishment where the child has been placed in a residential establishment; and

(f) any other relevant person.

PART II MATTERS TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE CHILD'S PLAN TO BE MADE AND REVIEWED FOR A CHILD PLACED BY A LOCAL AUTHORITY

4.  The type of accommodation to be provided and its address together with the name of any person who will be responsible for the child at that accommodation on behalf of the local authority.

5.  The contribution the child’s parents or any other person will make to the child’s day to day care.

6.  The arrangements for involving those persons and the child in decision making.

7.  The arrangements for contact between the child and any of the categories of persons mentioned in section 17(3)(b) to (d) of the 1995 Act and, if appropriate, the reasons why contact with such a person would not be reasonably practicable or would be inconsistent with the child’s welfare.

8.  The expected duration of arrangements and the steps which should be taken in bringing the arrangements to an end including arrangements for the return of the child to their parents or other suitable person.

Regulations 10 and 22

SCHEDULE 3 INFORMATION AS TO PROSPECTIVE FOSTER CARER OR KINSHIP CARER AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD AND FAMILY

1.  Full name, date of birth, health (supported by a medical report), personality and marital status (including any previous marriage).

2.  Particulars of the other adult members of the household and their relationship to the prospective foster carer.

3.  Particulars of the children in the family, whether or not members of the household, and any other children in his household.

4.  Address and particulars of the prospective foster or kinship carer’s accommodation.

5.  Religious persuasion, degree of religious observance and capacity to care for a child from any particular religious persuasion.

6.  Racial origin, cultural and linguistic background and capacity to care for a child of any particular origin or cultural and linguistic background.

7.  Past and present employment or occupation, and standard of living.

8.  Leisure activities and interests.

9.  Present capacity to care for the prospective foster or kinship carer’s own and other children, and any previous experience of caring for the prospective foster or relative carer’s own and other children and ability to do so in this respect.

10.  Details of any criminal offences of which the person has been convicted including details of any convictions which are spent within the meaning of section 1 of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974(12) and which may be disclosed by virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exclusions and Exemptions) (Scotland) Order 2003(13) as amended.

11.  The outcome of any request or application made by the prospective foster carer or kinship carer or any other member of the household to foster.

12.  Particulars of any previous approval under regulation 22(3) or 23, or refusal of approval or termination of such approval, relating to the prospective foster or kinship carer or any other member of the household.

13.  An analysis of the motivation of the prospective foster or kinship carer in seeking to become a foster carer.

14.  References from third parties as to the character of the prospective foster or kinship carer and their suitability to be a foster carer.

Regulations 11 and 27

SCHEDULE 4 MATTERS AND OBLIGATIONS TO BE COVERED IN FOSTER AND KINSHIP PLACEMENT AGREEMENTS

1.  The provision by the local authority of a statement containing all information which the local authority consider necessary to enable the foster or kinship carer to care for the child and, in particular, information as to–

(a) the child’s plan prepared in accordance with regulation 5 and the objectives of the placement;

(b) the details of any supervision requirement or court order in relation to the child;

(c) the child’s personal history, religious persuasion, cultural and linguistic background and racial origin;

(d) the child’s state of health and need for health care and surveillance and the name of the child’s doctor during the foster placement; and

(e) the child’s educational needs,

including a requirement for the statement to be provided either at the time of the signing of the agreement or, where this is not practicable, within the following 14 days.

2.  The local authority’s arrangements for the financial support of the child during placement.

3.  Any arrangements for delegation of parental responsibility for consent to the medical or dental examination or treatment of the child, or consent to the child’s engaging in any activity.

4.  The circumstances in which it is necessary to obtain in advance the approval of the local authority for the child to live, even temporarily, away from the foster or kinship carer’s home or for someone else temporarily to take care of the child.

5.  The arrangements for visits to the child, in connection with the supervision of the placement, by the person authorised by or on behalf of the local authority and the frequency of visits and reviews.

6.  The arrangements for the child to have contact with their parents and other persons, including any arrangements in pursuance of section 17(1)(c) of the 1995 Act or any contact (within the meaning of section 11(1) and (2)(d) of the 1995 Act with any other person), or any contact required by a children’s hearing in terms of section 70(5)(b) of the 1995 Act.

7.  Compliance by the foster or kinship carer with the terms of the agreement set out in Schedule 5.

8.  Co operation by the foster or kinship carer with any arrangements made by the local authority.