Ending a Placement

Placements can end naturally or because of a unforeseen situation. There are many reasons why a placement ends such as:

• The child returns to their family;
• The placement breaks down;
• The child is moved to another placement;
• The young person is old enough to live independently;
• The child/young person is adopted - either by another family, family member or possibly you.

Wherever possible when a placement is coming to an end, a plan should be developed to move the child/young people. The child/young person might be feeling worried about what is going to happen to them even if the move is one that they feel positive about.

You may feel anxious about the child/young person's move too, this is natural, that's why it is important for everyone that there is a clear plan about what will happen and who will do what. It is really important that you talk to your Supervising Social Worker, especially if you think that the move is not in the child's best interests.

You have an important part to play in helping the child to move and should be positive about it even if it is in difficult circumstances. When you are talking to the child about the move be positive about why they are moving and what will happen.

Plan "goodbyes" for friends and family members that the child is close to.

You should put together information about the child/young person's daily routine, likes/dislikes and any other important information that will help the new carer and let the child's social worker know if you are happy to talk to the new carer.

If the child/young person has photographs, life story book and other information about the time that they have spent with you, you should make sure that they go with them.

Make sure you pack all important documents such as their passport.

You should provide clear instructions about any medication or appointments the child may have.

The child's belongings should be moved in a suitcase or holdall and never be transported in bin-bags or other inappropriate containers.

Let the child know what contact they may have with you in the future and provide them with photographs and mementoes of their time with you.

If a placement ends without this being planned, a disruption meeting may be held. A disruption meeting is an opportunity for everyone who has been involved in the child/young person's care to look at what has happened, what went well and what could have gone better. This helps not only you as a carer but may help the child in future placements.

Placements ending in an unplanned way nearly always leave all those concerned feeling bad. Your Supervising Social Worker will want to work with you to make sure that everything is done to support you with children and young people living with you and to manage difficulties. A Placement Support Meeting maybe arranged.

When you are struggling, use your support mechanisms to help you to find a way forward.

However, not all foster care placements work out.  A disruption can also occur when Children’s Social Care feel the placement is no longer meeting the child’s needs or you decide that you are no longer able to care for a child or the child decides they do not want to stay in the placement.

It is vital that for whatever reason the placement ended, you make the move for the child as positive as possible. When endings are unplanned, the welfare and well-being of the child is paramount and your Fostering Service should support you to act at all times with this in mind. It is also important that the needs and feelings of other children living in your home are taken into account.

A Disruption Meeting may be arranged by the child's social worker.

These meetings may be held a little while after the actual disruption so that some of the immediate feelings of upset have reduced. They will consider all aspects of the placement in an attempt to understand what happened. Disruption Meetings can sometimes feel threatening, but it is important to recognise that their purpose is not to blame anyone but to reach a better understanding of what happened, including whether more support should have been provided. Most carers who have been through a placement breakdown have found the Disruption Meeting helpful.

Who may attend:

• You;
• The child, if appropriate;
• Your Supervising Social Worker and their Manager;
• The child’s social worker and their Manager;
• The proposed carer;
• Independent Reviewing Officer;
•  Any other relevant people. 

The Chair of the meeting should ensure that the circumstances that led to the disruption are reviewed, and that everyone has the opportunity to express their views in order to:

• Find out how and why the disruption happened;
• Learn from what happened and avoid the same thing happening again - for the child/others in your home;
• Identify the positive work and good experiences for the child amongst the difficulties;
• Support all parties involved and help them carry on and recover;
• Contribute to the future planning for the child;
• Identify work to be done and who will do it.

The Chair will make sure minutes are sent to all those involved. The report of the Disruption Meeting may be presented to the fostering panel. A Looked After Review should also be arranged.  A review may be held to look at your approval terms.