The Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 were introduced on 24th April and have significant implications for family placement work in England. CoramBAAF have produced a summary of the changes, and the full regulations can be found here.
CoramBAAF have also produced a number of documents that we hope will be helpful to practitioners delivering services in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic:
- Ensuring adequate fostering capacity during the coronavirus pandemic [Version 2: 25 April 2020]
- Public health measures and the placement of children in foster care [Version 1: 30 March 2020]
- Supervisory and assessment visits by social workers [Version 1: 1 April 2020]
- Making arrangements for contact [Version 1: 27 March 2020]
- Accessing key resources: foster carers are priority social care workers [Version 1: 30 March 2020]
External resources
The Department for Education has provided some general practice guidance for local authorities on children’s social care that includes a section that is specific to fostering.
The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory have provided guidance on managing family contact during the coronavirus crisis.
National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC) has issued an update on how Child Contact Centres are operating during the Coronavirus crisis.
The Fostering Network has also prepared helpful guidance and advice for fostering services and foster carers on the Coronavirus outbreak.
Ofsted have also helpfully set out their position in relation to the inspection of fostering services in a message from Yvette Stanley, Ofsted's National Director, Social Care 27 March 2020
Message from Yvette Stanley, 3 April 2020
Message from Yvette Stanley, 9 April 2020