Private fostering -councils' responsibilities

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Although the arrangement is private, councils' social work services have an obligation to secure the welfare of every privately fostered child and make a series of reports and checks.

The information on this page deals briefly with some of the duties of local authorities. Please note that this information is only intended as guidance - it's not a statement of the law.

Councils' responsibilities

When a local authority is notified of a private fostering arrangement, they must decide whether the placement is appropriate for the child's needs. In doing so they must:

• visit the child and their parent/guardian either before the placement is made, or within two weeks of receiving notification, if that is later. This may mean visiting both parents and private foster carers if the child is already with the carer;
• obtain a statement on the child's health prepared by a fully registered medical practitioner; and
• as far as possible, find out what the child's wishes and feelings are regarding the placement, taking into account their age and understanding.

Once notified of the placement, the council will have continuing duties of visiting the child and must make other checks on the household of the private foster carer. This includes:

• visiting the premises where the child will be kept to check that they are adequate for the child's needs;
• interviewing the carers;
• obtaining a certificate from a fully registered medical practitioner stating whether the carers have any medical problems likely to adversely affect their ability as carers;
• preparing a written report on the outcome of the checks listed above, together with any other relevant written information, and deciding whether the placement is appropriate to the child's needs;
• giving written notification immediately to the parent and carer on whether or not they are satisfied that the placement is appropriate; and
• visiting the child at least every three months for the first year of a placement, and every six months (and on other occasions if the council considers it necessary) in other circumstances. A written report must be provided on each visit.

For more information about private fostering and the responsibilities of local authorities, please download the below leaflet from the Scottish Executive:

Private Fostering: Responsibilities of Local Authorities (Warning - this pdf may take a while to download due to large file size - 527 Kb)

You can also contact us for advice using the following details:

• email: childcare@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• phone: 0141 842 5159
• call in or write to us at:
  Renfrewshire Fostering and Adoption Services
  Social Work, 3rd Floor
  Renfrewshire House
  Cotton Street
  Paisley PA1 1TZ
  
  

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