Family Time
The Local Authority has a legal duty to promote family time unless it is not reasonably practicable or consistent with the childs welfare.
Children in foster care will, where appropriate, have good, regular and consistent family time with their family and friends. Family time can be crucial to reuniting children with their family.
Family time can be through meetings, phone calls or letters with specific members of the family. Meetings can be unsupervised or supervised by social workers, foster carers, family time workers or other professionals, family members and friends.
Family time arrangements must be agreed when a child first comes to stay with you and is set out in the Placement Plan. Venues for family time vary. Some children may go home for visits; a neutral venue may be necessary, or family time may be arranged in the foster home with your agreement. Meetings can take place at different dates and times regularly or occasionally.
A Risk Assessment will be carried out by the Child’s Social Worker and Carers will be advised of any known risk.
Where supervision of family time is necessary, either due to concern about risk to the child or for purposes of assessment, the Social Worker, Family time Worker or another appropriate person should always be present. If there are court proceedings ongoing, family time may be directed by the court. All family time arrangements must be discussed with you, especially if the request for family time is in your home or you are being asked to help with transport.
Family time arrangements will be considered at the child’s review. You cannot change family time arrangements without consultation with the Child’s Social Worker. It is important you positively encourage family time and be available after family time to provide support to the child.
Sometimes children may return from time spent with parents or their family confused and upset. You can support the child by helping them to talk about their feelings and realising that the child needs time to readjust.
If you have any concerns about the family time arrangements that are taking place, contact the child’s social worker and discuss your concern with your fostering social worker.