Edinburgh fostering and continuing care framework

Description

The Council is aware that to maintain the highest quality and meet the needs of the children and young people, it is in the children’s best interest to be looked after by foster carers linked to the City of Edinburgh Council. However, there are times that in-house resources do not fully meet the needs and the Council needs to look for alternate quality foster placements from independent providers. This Framework is an opportunity for independent providers to work with the Council. Lot 1: Mainstream Children requiring foster placements are aged 0 to 17 and come into care for a wide variety of reasons. The Service should provide high quality Placements for Children and Young People who require Foster Care and who may have a range of complex and challenging support needs. The Provider will work with the Council to ensure Children and Young People are matched to a Service that has been assessed as suitable for them and shall provide a healthy, secure, warm, safe and supportive environment in which the Child or Young Person can develop. Children requiring placement will have a range of background experience, environmental adversity, and attachment patterns, such as childhood abuse and trauma, neglect, young carers, additional needs and challenging behaviour. Lot 2: specialist/disability When placing a Child or Young Person with disabilities, the Provider is responsible for ensuring the Foster Carer has the level of skill and understanding necessary to meet the Child’s or Young Person’s special care needs. Any Provider offering a Placement to a Child or Young Person with a disability must show a clear understanding of their developmental and emotional needs with their needs as a child as the primary focus. Children who are assessed as needing specialist foster care have usually experienced varying degrees of neglect, abuse and disruption. Some of the children may have lived in residential care. They can present a higher level of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, but, with the right family, the children can grow, develop and thrive. Carers must demonstrate a clear knowledge of trauma informed practice. Lot 3: short breaks The children need carer families who can care for them for short periods of time. This can allow them to have a break from their parents or carers, to enable them to continue to care for children by giving them some time and space for themselves. These breaks can vary in length and frequency. Lot 4: Continuing care Foster Carers can provide Continuing Care Services if they have already been providing Fostering Services and their suitability to provide Continuing Care has been assessed and approved following procedures as required by the Care Inspectorate and The Council. This will be underpinned by The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 and good practice guidance and recommendations. The process to be followed to make arrangements for the change from Foster Care to Continuing Care will be agreed for each Placement. Lot 5: Permanent placements Children who need permanent fostering or adoption will have been looked after by the Communities and Families Department and are unable to return to their own homes for a range of reasons.