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When children cannot be cared for by their parents, it is always better for them to be placed with people that they know and may already have an existing relationship with as opposed to being placed with a foster carer.
If the local authority become involved with children either through the Public Law Outline (PLO) process or because court proceedings are issued in respect of a child, parents are always asked at an early stage whether they have any family members (such as grandparents, siblings, great aunts/uncles etc.) or friends who they wish to put forward for assessment as a connected carer. It is important that such people are put forward for an assessment at an early stage to allow sufficient time for an assessment to be undertaken.
The assessment process is quite intrusive for the individual concerned and therefore is it vital that they understand this and are willing to go ahead with an assessment. The individual can also terminate the assessment at any time if their circumstances change or they simply feel unable to continue to put themselves forward.
The procedure for assessment follows a two stage process:
- Viability assessment. This will involve a social worker meeting with the individual, usually within their home and discussing the child with them, considering their relationship with the child, their understanding of the concerns of the local authority and whether they can safeguard the child from those concerns. It focusses on the key areas that may indicate whether the individual is potentially suitable to care for the child. This process takes approximately 4 weeks but can be undertaken quicker in an emergency situation. Once the assessment is completed a recommendation is made regarding whether a full, more detailed assessment should be undertaken. If the recommendation is positive, then the full connected carer assessment is commenced. If the assessment does not recommend that the individual is suitable for a full assessment, the individual is provided with a copy of the viability and given details of how to challenge this, if they wish to do so.
- Full connected carer assessment. This part of the assessment process builds on the information already gathered at the viability assessment stage and takes approximately 16 weeks. It is a very detailed assessment and will look at the background of the individual, their own upbringing, their previous relationships and any current relationship. A medical is undertaken and references are sought from a number of people who know the individual well. A formal DBS check is also obtained from the police. The author of the assessment will consider whether the individual can meet the needs of the child in question both in the long and short term. The assessment may indicate that the individual could care for the child with support being provided and if this is the case, the specific details of the recommended support will need to be given.
In some situations, it may be possible for a child to be placed with a connected carer whilst an assessment is being undertaken and in certain situations, the individual may also be eligible to financial assistance (known as fostering allowance).
In the event that the outcome of the assessment is that the individual is suitable to care for the child, the individual should be invited to seek independent legal advice (which is usually funded by the local authority). It is important that such advice is obtained as it will enable the individual to understand the legal framework under which the child is to be placed into their care and more importantly their rights and obligations as a connected carer.
Alternatively, if the assessment does not recommend that the child is placed into their care, the individual is still able to obtain legal advice on the assessment (although the local authority will not usually fund an appointment in this situation). In some situations, it may be that the individual wishes to challenge the outcome of the assessment.
Here at Churchers Solicitors, the Childcare Law team can offer you advice and guidance if you would like to be assessed as a connected carer or if you wish to seek advice on the outcome of your assessment (whether the recommendation be that the child is placed in your care or not). For further information, please contact the team on 023 9221 0170
