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Specialist ‘Team Parenting’ Fostering Placements
Specialist ‘Team Parenting’ Placements are for children and young people with complex needs. These may be characterised by extremely challenging behaviour, numerous placement disruptions or significant stays in residential care including secure units.
FCA staff and carers operate in an ethos of reflective practice. They form part of a multi-disciplinary team that support the child’s holistic needs. This is called FCA’s ‘team parenting’ model. It is unique in that, each specialist ‘team parenting’ fostering placement is sustained and supported by a team of specialist workers who offer practical, emotional and informed support which is underpinned by attachment and systemic theories. This practice is further developed by a focused training programme for staff and carers.
Specific education, health and placement stability outcomes achieved for the young people fostered with FCA are routinely monitored and reported. For example, over 87% of children and young people who have been placed with FCA continuously for over 2½ years have been in their current placement for at least 2 years.
To find out more about the types of specialist ‘team parenting’ fostering placements we offer please read on.
Emergency Placement
A placement that is made within 24 hours of it being requested and where there has been no prior plan. This can have a duration of up to 28 days whereupon if the child/young person is in the same placement it will convert to one of the categories listed above. FCA operates a 24 hour service and emergency placements can be identified out of the usual working hours.
These placements will include:
- Matching, risk assessment and regular Social Worker contact
- Support for contact, participation and social activities
- Support to foster carers from a multi-disciplinary team of professionals including opportunities for therapeutic consultation
- Identification of appropriate education provision, ongoing support and educational outcomes monitoring
Short Term Placement
A placement that is made for any purpose, such as assessment, bridging or remand, which is planned but not intended to provide a long term placement for the child/young person.
These placements will include:
- Matching, risk assessment, regular Social Worker contact and provision of Looked After Review reports
- Support for contact, participation and social activities
- Therapist led specialist ‘team parenting’ sessions take place to share ideas and solutions around challenging behaviours the child/young person may display. These sessions will lead to a placement assessment and report.
- Identification of appropriate education provision, ongoing support and educational outcomes monitoring. Additional tutoring for year 11s
Long Term Placement
A placement that is planned (prior to placement commencement or subsequently) to continue to be available to the child for at least two years and/or the remainder of his/her legal childhood. FCA has a specific Long Term Fostering Placements Officer who will look to identify placements from across all FCA carers for specifically referred children.
These placements will include:
- Matching, risk assessment, regular Social Worker contact and input to support and sustain the placement, provision of Looked After Review reports
- Support for contact, participation and social activities
- Support to sustain the placement by a multi-disciplinary team of professionals including therapist led specialist ‘team parenting’ sessions where appropriate
- Identification of appropriate education provision, ongoing support and educational outcomes monitoring. Additional tutoring for year 11s
Enhanced Placement
These placements are for those children/young people with care histories that include previous foster placement disruptions, unsuccessful residential care placements or imminent prospect of residential care. These young people can be supported in their foster placement by a range of additional services including individual education input and individual therapeutic sessions commissioned and agreed by the placing authority.
These placements will include:
- Matching, risk assessment, regular Social Worker contact and input to support and sustain the placement, provision of Looked After Children Review reports
- Support for contact, participation and social activities
- Therapist led specialist ‘team parenting’ sessions take place to share ideas and solutions around challenging behaviours the child/young person may display. These sessions will lead to a placement assessment and report.
- Identification of appropriate education provision, ongoing support and educational outcomes monitoring. Additional tutoring for year 11s
For these young people, there is an expectation that there will be need for additional support, to meet a specific crisis or demands and to meet a child/young person’s needs as expressed in their care plan. These services will only be utilised when agreed by the Local Authority/Trust in advance and reviewed on a regular basis.
Solo Placement
A placement where because of the child’s considerable needs the carer is required to offer constant supervision and support and which would preclude the placement of another foster child. This placement can be of an emergency, short term or long term duration. It’s status as a solo placement will be routinely reviewed.
These placements will include:
- Matching, risk assessment, regular Social Worker contact, provision of Looked After Review reports
- Support for contact, participation and social activities
- Therapist led specialist ‘team parenting’ sessions take place to share ideas and solutions around challenging behaviours the child/young person may display. These sessions will lead to a placement assessment and report
- Identification of appropriate education provision, ongoing support and educational outcomes monitoring. Additional tutoring for year 11s
