Developing a Safer Caring Policy

Children should call you by your first name.

Discourage the children you are caring for from calling you 'mummy' or 'daddy' because it causes confusion about their own family.

Physical Contact

You must provide a level of care, including physical contact, which demonstrates warmth, friendliness and a positive regard for children.

Physical contact should be given in a manner, which is safe, protective and avoids the arousal of sexual expectations, feelings or in any way which reinforces sexual stereotypes.

The following include areas which could involve physical contact and which you might want to include in your safer caring policy:

Showing Affection

One of the prime tasks for foster carers is to work with the children to maximise opportunities for forming and benefiting from positive relationships with adults.

Warmth and understanding are essential, but everyone needs to know and understand when a relationship is inappropriate. Showing affection is a very important part of your caring role and should never be avoided because of the fear of allegations.

Children should always be asked first if they would like a kiss, hug or a cuddle. They need to be taught by a caring adult to say 'no' if they do not want to be touched and what touch is appropriate touch.

Families will all have different ways of showing affection and you need to be careful not to impose your way on others. If touch has meant something other than affection to a child in the past, they might not understand that when you try to show them affection.

Listen out when children are playing and check when they go quiet. Encourage children where possible to play in public parts of the home.

You may feel that the child should play with friends at your home particularly during the early days of a placement. This may be more difficult when they are older children. If you are not sure, talk to your supervising social worker.

• Put in place clear rules that say bullying is not acceptable and what actions will be taken if you suspect bullying or are told of bullying happening;
• Making it clear to children what is acceptable behaviour;
• Provide opportunities for children to think about the issue of bullying e.g. writing stories or poems or drawing pictures about bullying;
• Having discussions about bullying and why it matters;
• Being good role models as foster carers.

If possible, children should be supported and encouraged to undertake bathing, showers and other intimate care in relation to themselves without relying on the foster carers. If children are too young or are unable to bathe, use the toilet or undertake other hygiene routines, arrangements should be made for carers to assist them. Unless otherwise agreed, if at all possible, children should be given intimate care by adults who do not identify as a different gender.

The Bathroom/Toilet

Arrangements for intimate care of young and/or disabled child should be set out in the Placement Plan for each child.

Children who are old enough should be encouraged to wash themselves and should have privacy in the bathroom. It may be possible to sit outside the bathroom so a child remains safe yet is able to bathe in privacy.

Menstruation

Wherever possible, young people should be supported and encouraged to keep their own supply of sanitary protection without having to request it from carers. There should also be adequate provision for the private disposal of used sanitary protection.

Enuresis and Encopresis

If it is known or suspected that a child is likely to experience enuresis (bed-wetting), encopresis (soiling) or may be prone to smearing it should be discussed openly, but with great sensitivity, with the child if possible, and strategies adopted for managing it; these strategies should be outlined in the child's placement plan. Please be mindful of the fact that the review of the plan may be held in the presence of a variety of involved professionals and consider the child or young person’s sensitivities when discussing such issues. It may be appropriate to consult a continence nurse or other specialist, who may advise on the most appropriate strategy to adopt. In the absence of such advice, the following should be adopted:

• Talk to the child in private, openly but sympathetically;
• Do not treat it as the fault of the child, or apply any form of sanction;
• Do not require the child to clear up unless agreed as part of the treatment strategy; arrange for the child to be cleaned and remove then wash any soiled bedding and clothes;
• Keep a record of instances;
• Consider making arrangements for the child to have any supper in good time before retiring, and arrange for the child to have the opportunity use the toilet before retiring; also consider arranging for the child to be woken to use the toilet during the night.

Consider using mattresses or bedding that can withstand being soiled. You can request a mattress protector from the fostering service if you need it.

You have responsibilities towards the children in you care and towards those your ask to baby-sit or look after the children. You need to think what you can do to avoid putting everyone at risk.

You should be clear about what your supervising social worker considers as satisfactory arrangements for caring for children when you are out. You could make an arrangement with other foster carers.

If planning a journey by car, consider the risks posed by the child's behaviour and previous experience. Think about who travels alone in a car with a foster child. It can be a good way of the child having one-to-one contact because it can be easier to talk without any eye contact.

For current government guidance on use of car seats please visit GOV.UK, Child car seats: the law.

It should be clear in the Placement Plan who can sign to agree for the childs photo or video footage being taken in settings such as school.

If photos, videos, or the internet have been part of any abuse for the child/young person, you should check the best way forward with the child's social worker.

It is always helpful when you do take photos or videos, to ask the child's permission first and make sure that they get copies and that they know who else will see them and why.

Be sensitive to how children react to having their photo taken. Be prepared not to take photos at all. Do not take photos of children having a bath or wearing no clothes.

If you have CCTV or any other video recording device in your home then you need to have signed a separate agreement about this alongside your social worker, the child’s social worker and, in some cases, any other person with parental responsibility such as the child’s birth parents. For more information on this please refer to the Surveillance and Monitoring policy.

When the child uses the internet, take an interest in what they do and agree, when, where and how they will use it. It is important that you have software that filters inappropriate material for children. Technology is changing all the time and at a rapid pace; it is important that you keep your knowledge of technology and social media up to date so that you have the information you need to keep children safe online. If you are unsure about any technology or social media that the child may be accessing, speak to your supervising social worker.

Also see Internet, Photographs and Mobile Phones.

Children with a disability may be particularly vulnerable to abuse.

There may be more of a need for intimate personal care. Where a child/young person has a disability or complex health needs, you should speak to the child's social worker for advice.

You will need to make sure that a child/young person with communication difficulties is able to express their wishes about personal care, and this should also be recorded. You will receive training particularly in caring for a disabled child and safer caring.

It is important for people to dress appropriately when in the house. This action might leave others feeling confused, uncomfortable, and not knowing what to do. Make sure that your family, and foster children have nightwear.

Some parents like to let young children get into their bed to talk and listen to stories or for the child to be comforted when they are not well. It is one of the dilemmas you face when as a family you are trying to give your own children a ‘normal’ upbringing whilst wanting to provide a safe environment for the children you foster:

Sharing your bed can trigger the memory of abuse and give the wrong messages about what might happen and what is acceptable. It will be safer to provide all children with a time of affection outside your bedroom, telling stories and maybe having a hot drink together.

Your policy should be clear about bedroom rules.

Children over the age of 2 years should have their own room but there are exceptional circumstances when children can share, an assessment of this will happen. When this happens, they should have their own space in the room and somewhere to store personal possessions.

Children should not share beds. It may be decided that you should knock on their bedroom door before going in but understand in an emergency you may knock first but will enter.

Some children who have been abused or neglected might need their own space so that they learn that they have the right to be safe and private. Another important issue for a child is to have somewhere to keep their belongings safe.

Bedtimes are an opportunity for you to show care and warmth towards the child. Striking the balance between rules and safe caring need to be found for each individual child. The rules are similar to bath time. Consideration should be given to whether the child's previous experiences and preferences mean it might be better for either a carer identifying as a particular gender to carry out this task, or for both joint carers to do it together. Carers should leave the door open when putting children to bed.

Relationships and sexual health education are important for all of us as we grow up. This should also be age appropriate. Children need to be helped to think about what makes a good friend and what makes a bad friend. They need to learn how to avoid situations that might put them at risk of abuse and how to protect themselves and others. Children need to learn how to say ‘no’. Carers need to know how to explain the difference between what is and is not acceptable behaviour and how to help children change behaviour that is not right for their age. You may need to say that you are talking to them about relationships and sexual health to help them deal with situations, feel safer and as a part of growing up.

Families will have different approaches to this subject and how children get information about relationships, sex and sexuality and what they are told. You will need to find out from the child’s Social Worker what the family’s approach was and the best way of dealing with this, particularly if the child/young person has a different cultural or religious background from your own. You may also want to check out with school/educational setting what they are doing on the subject so you can be prepared.

Providing a safer environment means that other children in the foster home must understand that a relationship with a foster child is unacceptable. See Relationships and Sexual Health.

The most important thing is that the child feels they can come and ask you questions and talk to you about the subject if they are not sure. You should never share personal details about this subject with the child.

Discuss as a family what to do if a fire starts and practice an evacuation. Think about where keys are kept so everybody knows where they will be for the front and back doors as well as windows. Ensure that all members of the household are aware of escape routes.

1. Young people posing a significant, known risk should not be placed with children in your family who may be vulnerable to that risk. This is usually in relation to the other children's ages and the child to be placed but in certain circumstances where older children have disabilities they may also be at risk;
2. You must have all the information necessary to develop a safer caring policy. You may put yourself at risk of allegations and children in your care of abuse if you do not know key pieces of information;
3. No child who poses a risk should be placed if they have to share a bedroom with a vulnerable child;
4. Your supervising social worker should meet with you following placement to reassess the level of risk and put together a safer caring policy;
5. The child's social worker and your supervising social worker should monitor the level of risk within the placement and make sure that the safer caring policy is adequate;
6. At the one month Looked After Review the level of risk should be monitored and action taken if the level of risk has increased or becomes dangerous.