Health and Safety in the Foster Home

The National Minimum Standards for Fostering Regulations 2011 require fostering services to make available foster carers who provide a safe, healthy and nurturing environment. Skylark Fostering requires foster homes to be safe, secure, and provide a comfortable environment for children, protecting them from harm or the risk of harm.

To enable this process and as part of the foster carers' approval, all agencies need to be satisfied that their foster carers provide suitable accommodation that is safe and nurturing to care for children and young people they support. The social worker is required to complete a Health and Safety checklist during the assessment process.

This checklist should be updated as part of the annual review of approved foster carers. The Health and Safety checklist should form part of a wider assessment and ongoing supervision of the foster carers. The Health and Safety checklist should be updated when any structural work or changes to the existing property are made. If foster carers move, then a new Health and Safety checklist should be completed.

Supervising social workers should complete the recommendations and actions following the completed Health and Safety assessment with foster carers.

There is also a duty for supervising social workers to consider the Health and Safety Standards of any second homes, including holiday homes and caravans, if a child or young person is using these facilities.

There are a number of precautions which should be in place. The following is a basic guide:

See also Transporting Children Procedure.

It is the driver's responsibility to ensure that all passengers in the car use seat belts or appropriate child restraints. It is also the responsibility of the driver to ensure that passengers are carried safely, and vehicles should not be overloaded.

Cars must be well maintained, regularly serviced, adequately insured and covered by a current MOT certificate if the age of the car requires it. It is the responsibility of Skylark Fostering to check the foster carer's documentation initially. Adequate insurance should be in place for transporting children. Skylark Fostering will complete regular checks on car safety.

Car keys should be stored safely to prevent children or young people from taking the foster carers' car or losing the keys.

• Matches, lighters and sharp knives should be stored safely;
• Bleaches, disinfectants, aerosol sprays and other dangerous substances must be kept out of the reach of small children or locked away. Cupboard locks should be used - age-appropriate.
• Medicines, tablets, cigarettes and alcohol should also be securely stored in a locked cupboard or cabinet;
• Stair gates must be fixed securely where appropriate;
• Windows should be fitted with lock restrictors, and keys should be kept at hand in case of emergencies;
• Pull cords on window blinds can be a hazard to children and therefore should be reduced in length.

The foster carer should maintain standards around hygiene, cleanliness and infection control. Skylark Fostering should make sure, as part of the assessment and by ongoing monitoring, that this is the case.

The foster carer should advise Skylark Fostering if there is an issue around infection control within the household, such as Covid-19 or scabies, and Skylark Fostering should seek advice about whether this needs to be reported to the Health Protection Agency to seek further advice around treatment and isolation.

If a foster carer, child, or young person has Hepatitis B, then measures need to be put in place to prevent the spread of it, such as not sharing towels, taking care when cleaning wounds, and using gloves.

Foster carers should support a child and young person with healthy eating and offer a varied and balanced diet, avoiding any food to which the child may be allergic. Good hygiene standards are critical for food hygiene.

The Care and Placement Plan and Health Care Plan should contain the following:

• All known allergies and associated risks, including spotting the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis for the child/young person;
• Preventative measures should be detailed in the Plan - for example, following good hygiene routines in terms of utensils and crockery, hand washing, avoiding cross-contamination in the kitchen area, checking labels for allergens and any agreed allergen avoidance in the home;
• Actions to take when a young person has an allergic reaction. The plan should describe exactly what to do and who needs to be contacted in the event of an emergency. For example, when to use an Epi Pen and calling for an ambulance;
• Foster carers should be aware of the Plan and should have been trained to administer an EpiPen by a suitable qualified health professional;
• The child/young person should be educated around their allergies and what to do in an emergency - a young person may be able to self-administer their own EpiPen or take antihistamines. If this is the case, this should be recorded;
• Medication should be easily accessible so foster carers and/or the child/young person can access their medication in an emergency situation;
• A record should be kept of each episode, and any medication given should be recorded.

For further information see the NHS website or see Allergy UK Website.

Foster carers are expected to keep their homes in good repair, adequately insured and safe and hazard-free for children and young people. The foster home should be warm, adequately furnished and decorated.

All fixtures and fittings should meet regulated standards. All glass that children can reach should be toughened to relevant British Safety Standards or fitted with protective safety film.

Electrical equipment, such as portable heaters, should be well-maintained and in good working order. Landlords have a responsibility to provide tenants with an electrical safety certificate (The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020). For rental properties, the electrical safety certificate should be viewed and recorded within the health and safety assessment.

An appropriately qualified person should regularly service gas fires, boilers and all other gas appliances.

Foster carers must ensure they have adequate household insurance (which includes cover for any additional rooms created via extensions) and notify their insurers that they are fostering. Insurance certificates should be viewed and recorded on the health and safety assessment. Insurance companies will generally provide the same cover as for any other member of the household, but this will usually exclude cover for deliberate acts of damage by children. If such damage occurs and is not covered by the foster carers' insurers, then advice should be sought from Skylark Fostering and/or the child's social worker to see if any of the costs can be reimbursed.

The foster carers' house should have enough bedroom space for each child placed and should be able to comfortably to accommodate those who live there. The accommodation should reflect the child's assessed need for privacy, space and specific needs of a child who has disability. Consideration must be given to whether they need a downstairs room for access, an adaptable bathroom, etc. As good practice, bunk beds and cabin beds are not suitable for children under 6 years of age, due to the risk of injury.

Every child over the age of three should have their own bedroom. If this is not possible, this arrangement needs to be agreed by the placing Local Authority, and a risk assessment needs to be in place, considering the child's history, their wishes and feelings and any other factors that seem pertinent. Skylark Fostering should complete this with the child or young person, the children's social worker, and any other relevant party, such as the child's parent.

Locks on Bedroom Doors

Skylark Fostering promotes a home environment that is safe, inclusive, and nurturing. We do not permit the installation of locks on the bedroom doors of foster carers or other adult household members unless required in response to a specific situation to keep a child safe. Locks must not be fitted in advance of such a situation, as their presence may be perceived by children, young people, or placing Local Authorities as labelling, which can have a detrimental impact upon a child’s self-esteem. The potential impact on emotional wellbeing and fire safety is also considered. If a foster carer believes a situation requires a lock to keep a specific child safe, this must be discussed with their Supervising Social Worker as well as The Local Authority Social Worker and also the Local Authority Social Worker for any other child placed in the home and agreed by the Registered Manager before any action is taken.

Foster carers providing care to children aged 0 to 4 years are required to undertake training on safer sleeping.

Foster carers must ensure new mattresses are provided for each new baby.

The supervising social worker should visit within 24 hours of a new fostering arrangement for a baby. The cot, mattress, and cot position will be viewed. Ask the Registered Manager or Responsible Individual for the Skylark Fostering Safer Sleeping Procedure.

The Lullaby Trust (formerly The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID)) and the Department of Health and Social Care offer advice to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

Up-to-date advice is available from the Lullaby website, or the health visitor or midwife.

Skylark Fostering respect the privacy of children and young people; foster carers must not have a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) System installed within the home (This does not include external CCTV and video doorbells utilised for security purposes.)

The regulations and guidance relating to CCTV are covered by the General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA18). This legislation is regulated by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and foster carers must ensure that any CCTV system is operated within regulatory guidelines.

For the external use of CCTV,  anyone living in the home, or responsible for a child placed with the carer, should be shown where the cameras are sited. At no time should CCTV be an alternative to carers providing supervision or oversight of children and young people.

The Health and Safety checklist and safer caring plan should note that external CCTV is in place, and information should be recorded about who has been consulted.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) also publishes guidance, e.g. Guidance on the Use of Domestic CCTV and Guidance for People Being Filmed by Domestic CCTV.

Prospective foster carers must disclose if they hold or have access to firearms. The family placement supervising social worker must see where all guns and ammunition are stored. Firearms must be stored securely, and children or young people should have no access to or be involved in activities involving firearms in any way.

As part of the foster carer's review of approval, the security of arms and ammunition and the ownership of a current firearms certificate will be verified. Skylark Fostering should inspect the storage of firearms as part of any unannounced visit.

There is an additional section on the health and safety checklist which must be completed by Skylark Fostering if a foster carer possesses a firearm or other weapon.

Skylark Fostering should ensure that foster carers have adequate training and support around health and safety issues to carry out their role. Bespoke training should be provided if needed for a child, such as moving and handling.

Any concerns should be addressed with the foster carers. If the situation cannot be resolved, the Skylark Fostering manager and the panel should consider what action to take.