Annex B: National Fostering and Kinship Care Strategy Consultation questionnaire
Section 3 - What do children and young people tell us they need from fostering and kinship care? (Pages 7-14)
Getting the placement right first time - improving the matching of placements to the needs of children and young people
1. Do you think that setting a maximum number of placements for each foster carer would improve the fostering experience of the child?
Yes/No
If you've answered yes, please specify what the placement limit should be and please give reasons for your answer.
2. If introduced, setting a maximum number of placements would need to be phased in. What, in your opinion, would be a realistic timeframe for this?
3. Are you aware of any examples of good practice that demonstrate how best to involve the child or young person in the choice of placement? If so please give further details.
4. How do you think that the matching process could be improved (for instance, by combining the expertise of child protection and family placement services, or by using family group conferencing)?
Transition to adulthood and independent living
5. What improvements or changes do you think must be made to the current arrangements to enable young people to stay in their foster home beyond their 18th birthday, if they wish, or if it is appropriate?
Amendments to Regulations
6. The Scottish Executive has made clear its commitment to amend the Arrangements to Look After Children Regulations 1996 and the Fostering of Children (Scotland) Regulations 1996. 5 We invite comments on the proposed amendments at Annex A.
Section 4 - Meeting the needs of foster carers (Pages 15-20)
7. Do you agree that foster carers should be more closely involved in the development and review of a foster child's care plan?
Yes/No
If you've answered yes, what do you think are the best ways of involving them? (Please tell us about any specific examples of good practice you are aware of.)
Remuneration for foster carers
8. Do you agree that there should be a minimum or standard rate of fostering allowances?
Minimum rate of allowances Yes/No
Standard rate of allowances Yes/No
If you've answered yes, please give your suggestions on how this should be calculated.
9. Do you think that there should be a minimum or standard rate of fostering fees?
Minimum rate for fees Yes/No
Standard rate for fees Yes/No
If you've answered yes', please give your suggestions on how this should be calculated.
10. Do you think that financial support should include an element for replacing or purchasing one-off items, such as a washing machine or a car?
Yes/No (please give reasons for your answer)
Registration of foster carers
11. Do you think that registration of foster carers would enable them to improve their foster care service?
Yes/No
If you've answered yes, please tell us what improvements could be achieved and what form the registration should take.
Wider support for foster carers
12. Regarding the introduction of a national protocol for dealing with and responding to allegations, please tell us about any specific proposals for what this should include. As an example you may wish to look at the resource produced by The Fostering Network for the Department of Education and Skills in England. http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/resources-and-practice/IG00082/.
13. How should such protocols balance the rights of children and young people to have their allegations properly investigated with the needs of carers for timely and appropriate support and advice? What potential difficulties would there be in developing and implementing such a protocol?
14. What other information and support do you think would be helpful to carers in carrying out their job?
A support network for children of foster carers
A support network for foster carers
A key worker for foster carers
A regular training programme
A helpline to contact when problems arise, such as an allegation
Anything else (please specify below)
Section 5 - Family and friend carers - "Kinship Carers" (Pages 21-25)
15. Do you consider that further changes to the law are required to support the position of kinship carers (for example, in relation to assessment and payments)?
Yes/No
If you've answered yes, please tell us below about any specific proposals you think ought to be made.
16. The consultation paper covers the following topics in terms of foster care:
- the assessment process to match a child or young person to a carer (see paragraphs 3.6-3.9)
- amendments to existing regulations (paragraphs 3.27 and Annex A)
- proposals for further support measures (paragraphs 4.9-4.16)
On these issues, do you think that there are specific differences or additional points which should be considered for kinship carers? If so then please give details.
Section 6 (pages 26-27) - Private fostering arrangements
17. In relation to private fostering arrangements, do you think that there is a need for any additional action, by:
(a) the Scottish Executive Yes/No
(b) Care Commission Yes/No
(c) local authorities? Yes/No
Yes/No (If yes, please give further details on what you think this should be)
Section 7 (pages 28-33) - Fostering services, including kinship care - planning for the next 20 years
Developing a wider role for foster carers and kinship carers
18. Do you think that foster and kinship carers should become more involved in prevention and early intervention work?
Yes/No
19. If you answered yes at Q18, do you think their role could include helping children/young people and their families remain together in the parental home?
Yes/No
20. Please tell us below about any specific examples of good practice you are aware of involving foster and kinship carers in prevention and early intervention.
The recruitment and assessment process
21. What approaches, other than a recruitment campaign, have you used to recruit and retain foster carers?
22. Has your organisation run a fostering recruitment campaign?
Yes/No
[If you answered no at Q22, please go to Q25. If you answered yes at Q22, please continue with Q23.]
23. Following such a campaign, have you met your targets in attracting and sustaining applications?
Yes/No
24. Would a national campaign be of benefit to your local campaign?
Yes/No
(If yes, please provide details of the type of national campaign you'd wish for)
25. What would be the benefits of a more regionalised approach to recruitment and retention, for example a number of local authorities combining on a geographical basis? How could this best be delivered?
26. Do you have any further suggestions or any specific examples of good practice regarding recruitment and retention of foster carers? If so please provide details.
Training, learning and development
The National Fostering and Kinship Care Strategy will cover training, learning and development for both foster carers and kinship carers.
27. In your opinion, is there a need for mandatory training for:
a) foster carers
Yes/No
(If yes, please give details of the topic areas to be covered)
b) kinship carers Yes/No
(If yes, please give details of the topic areas to be covered)
28. Please tell us what kind of training and development opportunities would be most welcome in your opinion (tick as many boxes as appropriate):
| for foster carers | for kinship carers |
|---|
mandatory | optional | mandatory | optional |
|---|
Easier access to a Scottish Vocational Qualification | | | | |
Training for the pre-selection and selection process | | | n/a | n/a |
Following approval as a foster carer | | | n/a | n/a |
Child development issues and good practice in managing behaviour | | | | |
Legislation awareness (including relevant regulations and standards) | | | | |
Own local authority's plans for improving foster services in the local area | | | | |
Any other (please specify) | | | | |
29. What changes do you think need to be made to the provision of support services to foster and kinship carers by local authorities, independent and voluntary agencies?
Fostering support services: children's services partnerships
30. In addition, we want to know more about the extent to which foster and kinship carers and children and young people are involved in the local planning and improvement process. Are you aware of/have you been involved in any such arrangements? If so, have they involved:
(a) children in foster care or kinship care
(b) foster carers and/or kinship carers
(c) relevant independent agencies.
If yes, please provide specific details
Inspection and regulation
31. Do you think that inspection and regulation arrangements of fostering services and kinship carers are proportionate?
Yes/No (Please give reasons for your answer)
32. Do you think that the inspectorates and regulatory bodies currently provide adequate cover for the range of activities undertaken by fostering services and kinship carers?
Yes/No (Please give reasons for your answer)
If you wish to add any additional relevant issues, please do so below.
Respondent Information Form: Consultation on National Fostering and Kinship Care Strategy
