Private fostering

Exeter Homestay UK offering host family accommodation in Devon for UK and overseas students for over 10 years!

Thinking of becoming a Private fostering parent for our overseas students ?  

  • What is private fostering?

Private fostering is the term used to describe the situation where a child aged under 16 (or under 18 if disabled) is cared for, supplied with accommodation, by an adult who is not a relative (for example, a grandparent, brother, sister, aunt or uncle), for 28 days or more, by private arrangement between parent and carer.

Private Fostering is different from the care of children by local councils through approved foster carers. A privately fostered child is not looked after by the local council under the Children Act 1989, but local councils can provide further information about private fostering if required. Private fostering placements are normally arranged by a birth parent. Private foster carers do not hold parental responsibility.

Private fostering can involve children sent to the UK for education or health care by parents living overseas, children living with a friend’s family as a result of separation or divorce, teenagers living with the family of a boyfriend or girlfriend, or children whose parents’ lifestyle involves unsociable hours which makes it difficult for them to use ordinary day care or after school care.

Private Fostering Application Form - PF1(for the host family)

SS(C)PF1

Devon’s Children’s services                                                                              

PRIVATE FOSTERING

CARER NOTIFICATION

If you are intending to, or already privately fostering a child under the age 16 (under 18 if the child is disabled), you must let Devon County Council know.  You should notify the council at least 6 weeks (and not more than 13 weeks) before the child or young person comes to stay with you.  If the young person is already living with you, or if they arrive at short notice, you must let the council know within 48 hours.

Please complete this form.

If you have any queries please telephone 0845 6000 388














    1. Prospective Private Foster Carer(s)’ Details

    1st Applicant
    		 
    Current Address

     
    Previous Address (when less than 5yrs in current address)

     

    		 
    		 
    		 
    2nd Applicant
    		 
    Current Address

     
    Previous Address (when less than 5yrs in current address)

     
    		 
    		 
    		 
    Applicants must notify the Private Fostering Team of any change of address, before it occurs



    2. Household Details

    Other Occupants of the Household
    		 
    Full NameGenderDate of BirthOccupation/SchoolRelationship to applicant(s)

    Applicants must notify Children’s Services if anyone leaves or joins the household, by contacting the Private Fostering team, within 48 hours.


    3. Child's Details

    		 



    4. Arrangement Details

    To be completed by Exeter Homestay UK staff only

    Applicants must notify Children’s Services when the private fostering arrangement ends.

    References

    Personal referees need to have known applicant for at least two years and not be a relative

      Doctor
    Name, address and phone number    		 2 Personal References Names, addresses and phone numbers (2 per household)
    Applicant 1
    Applicant 2


    Declaration (*select as applicable)

    Select declaration for 1 or All Applicants  
    I understand that it is necessary for the Strategic Director to make enquiries regarding my circumstances. This will include enquiries of my G.P., the Health Visitor, local authority in which I live and any other local authorities in which I have lived for the last five years, and the Probation Department if applicable.

    I understand that information about my medical history and present medical condition is required by Devon County Council the above named agency. I consent to a medical report and to any further enquiries.

    We understand that it is necessary for the Strategic Director to make enquiries regarding our circumstances. This will include enquiries of our G.P., the Health Visitor, local authority in which I live and any other local authorities in which we have lived for the last five years, and the Probation Department if applicable.

    We understand that information about our medical history and present medical condition is required by Devon County Council the above named agency. We consent to a medical report and to any further enquiries.

    Does anyone in the household have a criminal conviction?*
    Does anyone aged 16 or over stay in household overnight on a regular basis?*
    If yes we will need to carry out a DBS check in respect of that person(s) 
    Do you give permission to Devon County Council to initiate a DBS check on any convictions or cautions that may be recorded against you?*

    Declaration regarding suitability to Foster Children Privately

    Section 70(a) of the Children Act 1989 provides that a person who makes any statement in this notice or information which he knows to be false or misleading, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5.

    Have you ever applied to a Local Authority to be a child minder, day care provider, foster carer or adopter?*
    Have you ever:
    Been convicted of any offence against a child?*
    Had a child removed from your care by the order of any court?*
    Had registration as a child minder, or other provider of day care,refused or cancelled?*
    Had your rights and duties with respect to any child vested in a Local Authority?*
    Had a prohibition imposed on you by the Local Authority prohibiting you from fostering privately?*
    Been disqualified from acting as a Local Authority foster parent?*
    Been disqualified in any capacity, or subject to disciplinary proceedings involving the care of children?*

    If you have answered Yes to any of the above questions please supply dates and circumstances
    (please use additional information field at the end of the form)

    Access to Medical Reports Act 1988 (select as applicable)

    I/We have been informed of my/our statutory rights under the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988 and:

    I/We declare that to the best of my/our knowledge the information I/we have supplied is correct and accurate.

    		 

    Patients rights under the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988
    As part of the application, we should like to ask your present Doctor to submit a report to us.
    These notes are to explain your rights under the Access to Medical Records Act, which are as follows:

    • You do not have to give your consent to a medical report, but if you withhold it please bear in mind that we may not be able to proceed with your application.
    • You can ask to see the medical report before the Doctor sends it to us. If you do want to, you must make an arrangement to do so within three weeks of signing this form.
    • If you disagree with anything on the medical report you can ask the Doctor not to send it to us at all, or you can ask for some remarks from you to be attached to it when it is sent to us.
    • If you have not seen the report earlier you can ask to see the Doctor's copy of it after it has been sent in at anytime up to six months after you signed this form.
    • The Doctor can refuse to show you the report, or part of it, but only if some of the information is provided by someone else, or if the Doctor thinks it will harm you if you see it.
    • Your Doctor may make a reasonable charge for you to see the report, for which you would be responsible.

    If you have any queries about your rights under this Act, please ask your Social Worker.

    Please note – you must report any change in circumstances including the end of the private fostering arrangement, within 48 hours.

    Email: privatefostering@devon.gov.uk
    Or alternatively contact your allocated worker from the Private Fostering Team

    Additional Information

    all fields marked with * are mandatory

    Parent or Carer private fostering Form - PF2 (for the agent)

    SS(C)PF2

    Devon’s Children Services

    PRIVATE FOSTERING

     PARENT or THIRD PARTY NOTIFICATION

     If you are the parent of a child who is privately fostered, or you are planning to let your child be privately fostered, you must let Devon County Council know.  You should notify the Council at least 6 weeks (and not more than 13 weeks) before the private fostering is due to start.  If it starts at very short notice or had already started, you must let the council know immediately.

    If you are involved in helping to arrange private fostering for someone else’s child, you also have a duty to let the council know about the arrangement.  You need to do this at least 6 weeks (and not more than 13 weeks) before the private fostering is due to start and if it starts at even short notice or has already started, you must let as know immediately.

    Please complete this form.

    If you have any queries please telephone 0845 6000 388

    (Please note, you must complete a separate form for each child)














      1. Child's Details

      		 
      Home Address* 



      2. Details of parent(s) or person(s) with parental responsibility

      Current Address




       
      Previous Address (when less than 5yrs in current address)




       






      Current Address




       
      Previous Address (when less than 5yrs in current address)




       







      3. Private Fostering Placement details
      To be completed by Exeter Homestay UK staff only

      Name of proposed private foster carer(s)

      Current address

      Phone number(s) including mobile

      Email address

      Date private fostering arrangement due to start/date started

      How long is the arrangement expected to last?

      What is the purpose of this arrangement?

      Have you ever placed this child with private foster carers in the past?
      If yes, please give details (names & addresses of carers, when, how long)

      Does this child have any brothers and sisters?
      If so please give their names, dates of birth and brief details of the arrangement for their care

      Name, address, phone number & status of any other person involved in making the Private Fostering arrangement

      Organisation making private fostering arrangement if applicable

      Explanatory Note

      Local authorities have a duty to ensure that arrangements for the child are satisfactory. Upon receipt of this notification, Children’s Service will make further enquires about the child’s circumstances and assess the private foster carer(s)’ ability to care or the child. In the interests of the child’s welfare, it is an offence to obstruct the Local Authority from carrying out its duties, and it is an offence to give false or misleading information in this notice

      • I will notify the Local Authority of a change of my address.
      • I will notify the Local Authority of the ending of the private fostering arrangement including details of the address of where the child is living, and who with.
      		 

      all fields marked with * are mandatory

      What is the difference of Private Fostering or fostering?

      The Differences between Fostering and Private Fostering are:

      Private Fostering has consent for the child to be placed PRIVATELY from the guardian or parents for reasons being they work away or have very demanding jobs, they want their child to become fluent in English and to adopt the british culture

      but: local or private fostering is often only a temporary solution to provide children with a safe home while other arrangements are being made.

      Although some young people are fostered until adulthood.  Foster carer's look after the child on behalf of the local authority who work closely with the child's birth parents wherever possible.

       

       

      Private Fostering Options

      Private Fostering for our Overseas students
      What is Private Fostering?

      If you are looking after somebody else,s child for more than 27 days and the child is under 16, or 18 is disabled? and the arrangement was made privately this is PRIVATE FOSTERING

      The process:

       

      Firstly you will apply to EHUK as a host, you can then fill in the PF1 form application or found in our Library, we then arrange a more in depth visit to all of your family where we can go through all the necessary paperwork. This unfortunately is a process that can't be rushed and the carers have to be explained what's involved to ensure the process is correct, but please be reassured it's not scary! We must then inform the Private Fostering Team of Devon County Council's children services before the child comes to the uk and in ours/your care, where a visit will be made just to verify all the details we have supplied to them.  We will always liase with the PF Team, host & carers to ensur e the child is well matched, safe and well cared for in the arrangement.

      What is our role:

      We will: Make sure our carers are trustworthy, everyone in the household aged 16 and over have a valid DBS Fully Enhanced certificate.

      We will: Support both parents and carers to ensure that the child,s physical, emotional, educational and cultural needs are met

      We will: Help parents and carers consider finance, consents and contact needs.

      We will: Contact the child and carers regularly, providing advice and support where needed.

      We will: Be a listening ear for the child, parents and carers for any concerns or difficulties that may araise.

      EHUK are experienced in processing all the documents required for the procedure, and our staff will offer informed guidelines to the student, parents, agent, school/college and homestay family.

      Compliance of Private Fostering

      Birth Parents/EHUK must:

      • advise the local private fostering team for the arrangement at least six weeks in advance or, where an arrangement is made in an emergency, within 48 hours, and at the end of such an arrangement
      • retain parental responsibility and participate in all decisions about their child
      • provide the prospective carer, host family with as much information about the child as possible, including their health, dietary preferences, school, hobbies, religion and ethnicity
      • accept responsibility for ensuring that the proposed private fostering placement is suitable for their child

      Private foster carers or EHUK must:

      • advise their local PFT of the intention of a foster carer becoming to foster a child at least 6 weeks beforehand or, where a child is received in an emergency, no more than 48 hours afterwards
      • notify their local PFT within 48 hours when a child leaves their care, giving the name and address of the person into whose care the child has been moved

      The local Private Fostering Team must:

      • check the suitability of a private foster carer
      • make regular visits to the child and monitor the overall standard of care provided
      • ensure that advice to carers & host family is made available when needed

      NOTES: Local PFTeams are not always notified about Private Fostering arrangements, despite this being an offence under the Children Act 1989.
      When they are notified, it is often after the fostering has started. This is a problem as Privately Fostered children are a particularly a vulnerable group and need the safeguards provided through the Children Act and associated regulations.

      It is also EHUK responsibility as an agent to notify all concerned on first acknowledgement of a child coming into the Uk under our care.

      Private Fostering - Video

       

      Private Fostering Leaflet

      Private_fostering_leaflet_dcc


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