Is is legal to send a child out for hours from foster placement?

[Peace]

Hi

Please could you let me know if it is legal for a foster carer to send children out of the house for hours on end?

If the carer goes out she sends the children out and provides them with a time they need to return. Sometimes this is for a couple of hours but this week she sent them out for 8 hours as she went out for the day. The children are 13 and 16.

Also is there any guidance about leaving foster children on their own at a placement?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Many thanks

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Peace,

Welcome to the parents’ board and thank you for your post.

You ask in your post if it is legal for a foster carer to send a child out of the house for hours. You describe a situation whereby the foster carer asks 2 children, aged 13 and 16, to leave the home when she goes out. You say that this week, this was for 8 hours. You would like to know if there are is any guidance on leaving foster children on their own at a placement.

In response to your post, every foster carer and placement is different, due to the differing circumstances of each child and their specific needs. Nevertheless, if you have concerns that the children’s needs are not being prioritised, you can raise this with the allocated social worker. Alternatively, you can raise any concerns about the welfare of a looked after child to the independent reviewing officer.

You may find it helpful to look at the fostering services regulations for England and the national minimum fostering standards, as well as your local authority’s fostering handbook and local policies for further guidance.

I hope you have found this helpful.

Best wishes,

Suzie.