![[TELEPHONE]](/images/tel.gif)
Something that causes potential or actual significant harm to a child or young person. Harm can be caused through physical, emotional or sexual abuse, or by neglecting the needs of a child or young person.
This term refers to children and young people who are provided with accommodation by the local authority as a result of a voluntary agreement with their parents or others with parental responsibility. This facility is regulated under the Children Act 1989.
A legal process by which identified adults take over the parental responsibility for a child or young person not born to them. An adoption order can only be made by a court. The most recent legislation regarding adoption was produced as the Adoption and Children Act 2002.
This is a person who is employed to support a child or young person to put forward their views or address issues on their behalf.
‘After care’ is a service provided under section 24 of the Children Act 1989 to young people who have been looked after by the local authority to ensure that their ongoing needs are met.
This is the person identified by the fostering service provider to make decisions about Foster Carers, based on the recommendations of the fostering panel. It is usually a senior manager within the agency.
An adult must be present when a young person is interviewed at a police station in connection with a criminal investigation. The person would normally be a parent or person with parental responsibility, but in their absence the local authority may need to arrange for an ‘appropriate adult’ to be present. Foster Carers may be asked to perform this role.
This is the original term that was used when children and young people were ‘boarded out’ with other families. Usually, the term is now only used when referring to the Boarding Out Allowance. This is a sum of money which is provided to meet the costs of looking after a child or young person.
BAAF is a national charity working for children separated from their birth families. It undertakes family finding, produces publications, and provides training and conferences, as well as consultancy and advice.
These are important documents belonging to a child or young person which may be needed for obtaining passports, national insurance cards etc.
Children and young people who are ‘Looked After’ are often more vulnerable to bullying. Bullying can include name calling, physical violence, taunting, excluding etc. It can take place one to one, in groups, on the telephone, through texts or in cyber space. In extreme cases it can cause emotional harm.
A Care Order is made by the court under section 31(1) (a) of the Children Act 1989. Care Orders are made on the basis that the child has suffered or is likely to suffer significant harm. A Care Order means that the parent/s and local authority share parental responsibility.
An agreed individual plan that outlines what is required for each child or young person to be looked after well.
A person under 18 years old.
A court order under section 43 of the Children Act 1989 that permits a child to be assessed for up to 7 days. Child Assessment Orders may be sought where there is concern about a child’s well-being or lack of parental co-operation, but insufficient evidence for an Emergency Protection Order or Care Order.
The Children Act 1989 introduced the term ‘Child in Need’ for the first time into statute. The legal definition states that a child shall be taken to be in need if:
• He or she is unlikely to achieve or maintain, or have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision of services.
• His or her health or development is likely to be significantly impaired, or further impaired, without the provision of services.
• He or she is disabled.
The Children Act places a duty on local authorities to identify such children and to target them for preventive services.
A register maintained by each local authority area listing all children and young people who are at continued risk of abuse or neglect and for whom there is a child protection plan. The register provides relevant agencies with information about children on the register.
A range of local partnerships and initiatives to support children and adolescents with mental health difficulties.
An allocation for clothing is usually included in the Boarding Out Allowance paid to Foster Carers.
Regulation 28 of the Fostering Services Regulations 2002 requires there to be Representations and Complaints Procedures which can be used by Foster Carers, children and young people and their families, fostering provider staff and others.
Computers are a source of information, leisure activities and are often seen as a useful aid to the education. The use of some computer websites can put children and young people at risk ie social networking websites. Foster carers should ensure that no records in relation to children and young people are stored on their personal computers.
This is a Youth support service for all 13-19 year olds. The aim is to enable young people to take up learning and training opportunities and offer practical support to help them into work. Personal advisers provide advice, guidance and support, as well as being advocates for young people.
The Children Act 1989 places a duty on local authorities to promote contact between children and/or young people who are looked after and their Carers. Regulation 14 of the Fostering Services Regulations 2002 places a similar duty on fostering providers. ‘Contact’ is a legal term which covers visits, meetings, telephone calls, letters, emails etc. A court can make a Contact Order specifying arrangements for contact under section 34 of the Children Act 1989.
A national organisation that holds records about individuals’ criminal offences. Checks are undertaken at two levels: standard and enhanced. Everyone working with children is expected to have an enhanced CRB check. This must be renewed every three years.
The Data Protection Act 1998 covers both computer held and paper records and provides details of who can store personal information about other people.
A child or young person is considered disabled if he or she is blind, deaf or dumb, suffers from mental disorder of any kind or is substantially and permanently handicapped by illness, injury or congenital deformity.
A court order under section 44 of the Children Act 1989 enabling the Local Authority to apply to the court if there is an urgent need to protect a child or young person. The order lasts for up to eight days (extendable for up to 15 days) and permits the local authority to remove or detain the child in order to safeguard their welfare.
Every Child Matters – Change for Children. This is a government framework that identifies five key outcomes for all children and young people:
• being healthy
• staying safe
• enjoying and achieving
• making a positive contribution
• achieving economic well-being.
A social worker or probation officer appointed by the court in care and related proceedings to represent the child or young person’s interests, investigate and provide a report to the court. The Family Court Adviser does not represent the child, but usually appoints a solicitor to do so.
Court proceedings under a range of statutes listed in Section 8(3) and 8(4) of the Children Act 1989 in which the court can make any Section 8 order or a Care Order.
This document outlines what is expected of Foster Carers and sets out what fostering providers undertake to provide by way of support, training and other arrangements. It should be signed a staff member of the fostering provider and the Foster Carers, following their approval.
The review is undertaken annually to ensure that Foster Carers continue to meet the required standards. It is also an opportunity to review how things are going and to consider training and development needs.
This is a group of up to 10 people who meet to consider the assessments of potential Foster carers. The Panel make recommendations on the approval, terms of approval, review of approval and termination of foster carers and advise on policy and practice.
This agreement sets out the arrangements for the care of an individual child or young person placed with Foster Carers. It should be drawn up prior to or immediately after placement.
These regulations are mandatory for fostering providers. All fostering providers are inspected against the Regulations and 32 National Minimum Standards. The Regulations require certain matters to be monitored and reported to the appropriate regulatory organisation ie Ofsted.
The Gillick case was heard in the House of Lords. The judges decided that a doctor can treat someone under 16 years of age without the permission of parents or guardians. However, the doctor must be satisfied that the patient understands the nature and consequences of the treatment.
See Family Court Adviser
This is an individual who is appointed by the local authority for a child or young person who has little or no contact with their family. The visitor has a duty to visit, advise and befriend the child or young person.
The Internet is a source of information, leisure activities and a vital aid to education. It can also be a source of danger to children or young people. Safeguards should be discussed with social workers before children and young people use a computer in the foster home.
(previously Area Child Protection Committee)
A multi-disciplinary forum for promoting effective co-operation between partner agencies involved in child protection. The Local Safeguarding Children Board is responsible for developing, monitoring and reviewing child protection procedures.
A shortening of the phrase ‘Looked after by the local authority’. This term was introduced in the Children Act 1989. It was a phrase that replaced the term ‘in care’ for a while but both terms are used interchangeably.
The Looked After Children initiative is a national project promoted by the Department of Health. Based on extensive research, it aims to improve outcomes for children who are ‘Looked After’. Local authorities are encouraged to use a raft of specially designed LAC forms and procedures to ensure the very best planning and monitoring for children and young people.
FCA is required to provide fostering services in line with the national minimum standards and Fostering Services Regulations 2002/2003. The standards aim to ensure high quality foster care for children and young people. All fostering providers should be inspected against the standards.
Single or repeated failure to take appropriate action which results in harm or distress being suffered by the child or young person.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) came in to being on 1 April 2007. Under the Education and Inspections Act, inspectors undertake inspections of and regulatory visits to organisations providing services to children and young people. (This Office replaced the Commission for Social Care Inspection.) The focus is to promote service improvement, ensure services focus on interests of users and ensure that services are efficient, effective and provide value for money.
The exact terms and conditions relating to overnight stays for children and young people away from the foster home vary with local authority policies. It is best to check these out at the start of a placement when you are agreeing a foster placement agreement and consult your social worker as necessary.
All the rights, duties, powers, responsibility and authority a parent has for a child or young person and their property.
If a child or young person needs a passport for a holiday or school trip, planning should start early. An application form can be obtained from a post office, but the application should be discussed with the local authority and will involve the person with parental responsibility signing the passport. It may be important to check who pays for the passport. A copy of a child or young person’s birth certificate will be required.
A meeting to agree arrangements for a child or young person’s placement. This meeting should take place before or immediately after the placement is made.
Each local authority should have agreed amounts of pocket money dependent on the child or young persons’ age.
The police have powers under section 46 of the Children Act 1989 to remove and detain a child for up to 72 hours (without a court order) for a child or young person’s protection.
Foster carers should respect the privacy of children and young people who are fostered. This should include providing them with a safe place to keep their belongings, allowing them to make phone calls in privacy, respecting the confidentiality of personal mail and ensuring there are agreed rules about entering their bedrooms.
This is a Court order under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 prohibiting certain action relating to a child without court permission.
This is a Court order under section 8 of the Children Act 1989. It specifies who a child shall live with.
A break from fostering to enable the children or young person who is ‘Looked After’ and foster family members time away from each other. This should always be arranged in such a way as to ensure the child or young person does not feel rejected.
A set of ‘home rules’ to ensure that a foster home is a safe place for children and young people to live. The rules should be discussed and agreed with the child or young person.
This term refers to a threshold used by social care workers and courts to identify services and orders. It is defined in section 31 of the Children Act 1989. Harm means ill-treatment or the impairment of health and development. The child or young person’s health and development is compared with what could reasonably be expected of a similar child, in determining if the harm is significant.
A document required under the Fostering Regulations 2002, which defines the objectives of the fostering service, and covers those issues set out in the Regulations and National Minimum Standards.
This term is sometimes abbreviated to SEN. It is based on the Education Act 1993, Education (Special Educational Needs) Regulations 1994 and Code of Practice. A child is defined as having special educational needs if she or he has a learning difficulty which needs special teaching or support. A learning difficulty means that the child has significantly greater difficulty learning than most children of the same age.
This is an order made under the Adoption and Children Act 2002. It appoints one or more individuals to be a child or young person’s ‘special guardian’. This means that the appointed individual or individuals takes on the parental responsibility for the named child or young person.
This is a court order under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 in which the court directs how a particular matter relating to a child is to be decided.
The Education Act 1996 requires local education authorities to identify and assess children who have special educational needs and to determine appropriate provision for them by way of a Statement. This Statement is reviewed annually and gives parents considerable rights.
A qualified social worker who supports and supervises Foster Carers. The supervising social worker should ensure that each Carer is informed in writing of, and accepts, understands and operates within, all standards, policies and guidance agreed by the fostering service.
A court order, available only on proof that the child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, placing the child under the supervision of a local authority.
The term ‘young person’ usually refers to adolescents.
Often referred to as YOTs, these are multi-agency teams set up by local authorities to prevent young people committing crime. They undertake risk assessments, provide reports to the courts and act as supervising officers for community orders.