Foster Carers Recording Policy

Within their role, foster carers have access to a wide range of information and records.

This policy and guidance aims to:

• Identify the types of information and records that foster carers hold;
• Recognise to whom the records belong;
• Explain how the records should be stored;
• Set out what should be recorded and how it should be recorded.

It must be stressed that foster carers have to keep separate records for individual children. It is not sufficient to keep collective records when fostering 2 or more children.

Once a child's placement has ended, foster carers must ensure that any information relating to that child is returned to their supervising social worker.

The information that foster carers may have can be broadly categorised into three main areas

• Information about fostering in general;
• Information about themselves;
• Information about children placed in their care.

The table below lists the sorts of records and information that a foster carer may have:-

For the duration of their registration, foster carers will keep the following information:

• The general fostering information which is not confidential but foster carers need to have access to the information to assist with the task of fostering.

For the duration of each placement, foster carers will keep the following information:

• The information about any child placed with them and their families is to be kept confidential and should be stored in a lockable filing box. The supervising social worker will check the contents of the box as part of their supervisory role - see Supervision and Support of Foster Carers Procedure.

On ceasing to be a foster carer the following arrangements apply:

• Any information that falls into the category of general fostering may be kept. However, care should be taken not to share information about other foster carers that may be contained in newsletters (e.g. addresses of carers involved in the Hillingdon Foster Care Association);
• Foster carers may keep any information that they have been given about themselves, including copies of records of their own supervision and reviews;
• Any child based information held by foster carers, whether it has been provided for them or if they have made the record, must be returned to their supervising social worker once the placement has ended or if the foster carers cease to foster. The only exceptions are if the foster carers secure the child’s placement with a Residence Order, Child Arrangements Order, Special Guardianship Order or Adoption Order).

Foster carer files are kept for a minimum of 10 years after they cease to be foster carers. Information kept on Looked After children’s files is kept for 75 years after their 18th birthday.

Please refer to the London Borough of Hillingdon's ICT Useage Policy.

Increasingly foster carers are being asked to keep records about children placed with them, in much the same way that records are kept in residential care services. Foster carers may be asked to provide:

• Written contribution to children’s Looked After Reviews;
• Written contribution to Child Protection Conferences;
• Daily records;
• Medication records;
• Contact records.

The reasons these records are required are:

• To accurately recall behaviour or incidents and provide a balanced picture of events;
• To assist in looking at the progress of a placement over time and developing a picture of the child’s pattern of behaviour;
• To inform decision-making at reviews, planning meetings and conferences;
• To help the foster carer to review and develop practice;
• To provide information needed for court proceedings;
• To support an application for additional help e.g. therapy;
• To reduce the risk to foster carers and their families while the child is placed, and, in some cases, after the child has moved on.

Additionally the foster carer may keep a diary for appointments.

All carers will receive a loose leaf folder with dividers, to record information about children. The dividers are so that separate recordings are made about individual children. 

At the Placement Planning Meeting, there should be a decision as to:

• what recording is required;
• who the information shall be shared with;
• by what means the information will be shared;
• how frequently the information will be distributed.

In terms of writing records, foster carers should follow some basic guidelines:

• The language should be simple and jargon free;
• The record should not be over long, enough information to be able to recall the event. A daily record would be ideal but weekly summaries are better than no records;
• Whilst the records are in part designed to record events that may affect the well-being of the foster carer’s family, they should also be used to provide a picture of family life for the child to help them recall interesting, amusing and even sad family events;
• Record facts;
• If opinion is recorded then say this is your view and why you think it;
• The record should be made contemporaneously, signed and dated. If any information is changed or added later this should be clear from the record;
• Remember that the record may be shared with the child and/or birth family. They should be aware that you are keeping records about them. It may be possible for them to contribute to the record or at least read it regularly. Where there is disagreement it is helpful to make a record of it.

The sorts of things that should be recorded are:

• Dates and brief details of meetings/visits by social workers and other professionals;
• Dates of reviews or any other meeting concerning the child, list the participants and the key decisions;
• Dates of any school or education meetings, list the participants and key decisions. Keep a record of achievements, schools attended;
• Dates of any health appointments, list the participants and key decisions. Keep a record of any treatment, immunisations and illnesses;
• Details of any contact visits or telephone calls, letters etc. Name the person who has contacted the child. Note any reaction the child may have to the contact. Keep a record of where the child’s family is living;
• Details when the child is away from home, visiting family or friends, or if they are missing;
• Details of times, when alternative care is given – babysitting arrangements - please note: your supervising social worker requires all details of any proposed baby-sitters prior to the baby-sitter looking after a child);
• Details of any specific incidents or complaints or disagreements;
• Details of any behaviour or comments from the child that give rise to concern. Make a note of your actions. This may help to identify what triggers such behaviour and what stops it;
• Details of any accidents or injuries. Describe what, when, where and how the accident happened and what follow up action was taken. Record when the incident was reported to which social worker;
• Detail any theft or wilful damage caused by the foster child. This will be required for any claims;
• Detail any involvement with the police, noting the date, which officer was involved and the reason for the involvement;
• Detail any request made to the agency for support or resources and any difficulties reported, note the date of the request, the response and when it was received.

Foster carers will follow the procedures set out in Administration of Medication to Looked After Children Procedure.