Private Fostering: Briefing for Education Professionals Created by Kelly Waters, Adviser – Education Safeguarding (February 2015)

2 Private fostering is when a child under the age of 16 (under 18 if the child has a disability) is cared for by someone who is not their parent or a 'close relative'. This is a private arrangement made between a parent and a carer, for 28 days or more. Close relatives are defined as step- parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, uncles or aunts.

Who are Private Foster Carers? Private foster carers could be: Part of the child's wider family e.g. cousin, great aunt or a co-habitee of a mother or father; A friend of the family; The parents of the child's boyfriend or girlfriend; Someone unknown but willing to foster the child. 3

4 What is private fostering? Children whose parents are unable to care for them, for example if they have chronic ill health or are in prison; A child living with a friend’s family because they don’t get on with their own family; Children living with a friend’s family because of their parents’ study or work; Children staying with another family because their parents have separated or divorced; Teenagers living with the family of a boyfriend or girlfriend; Children from abroad who attend a language school or mainstream school in the county and are staying with host families; Unaccompanied asylum seeking minors who are living with friends, relatives or strangers.

5 What is not a private fostering arrangement? When the arrangement has been made by Norfolk County Council e.g. when a child is Looked After by the Local Authority, placed in a residential home, hospital or school. When a child is living with a close relative: their grandparents, aunt, uncle, brother, sister or step- parents. When the person looking after the child is an approved foster carer. When the child will only be away for a one-off period of a few days or even a week or two.

The Role of Children’s Services By law, anyone involved in a private fostering arrangement in Norfolk must tell Norfolk County Council, ideally six weeks before the arrangement begins. Children’s Services has a legal duty to work with the parents and private foster carer to check and assess how suitable the arrangements are for them and the child that is being privately fostered. This involves: –Visiting the child and private foster carer regularly –An assessment of the child’s needs and what should be done to meet them –Offering advice and guidance to the child, their parents and the private foster carer –Supporting the carer in claiming any eligible benefits, such as child benefit

Signs to watch out for Has someone else started collecting a child from school on a regular basis? Has a child mentioned to you that they are staying with someone else or that their parent(s) have gone away for a long time? Is there something unusual or unclear in the pupil’s file? This may include copies of passports, visas and other immigration related documents which are unclear or do not clearly show that the child has rights of residence in the UK, or that it is unclear who has parental responsibility for the child. 7

What to do Whenever staff become aware of private fostering arrangements they should notify the Senior Designated Professional for safeguarding (SDP). The SDP or another appropriate member of staff should speak to the families of children who might be involved in private fostering and check that they are aware of their duty to notify the Local Authority of the arrangement. School staff should actively encourage the parents and/or carer to notify Children’s Services of the arrangement. If you believe that a private fostering arrangement has not been reported to Children’s Services you should contact them directly: If you suspect that a child who is living in a private fostering arrangement is being harmed or is at risk of significant harm (including suspecting that a child may be trafficked) and urgent action is required, follow your Child Protection procedures. 8

Further Guidance Private Fostering, Norfolk County Council WebsitePrivate Fostering, Norfolk County Council Website Children Living Away from Home (including Children and Families living in Temporary Accommodation), Norfolk Safeguarding Children BoardChildren Living Away from Home (including Children and Families living in Temporary Accommodation), Norfolk Safeguarding Children Board ‘Child Trafficking and Private Fostering’, ECPAT UK‘Child Trafficking and Private Fostering’, ECPAT UK 9