Coronavirus (Covid-19) - support for fostering services

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We know that these are unsettling, unprecedented and challenging times for everyone - not least those involved in caring for and supporting children in foster care. We are extremely grateful to all those involved in fostering who provide support and stability to children and young people in foster care and we will do our utmost to play our part in this.

All four nations of the UK are experiencing some level of restrictions. Rather than reflect the individual changes on our website, we are linking to the latest country guidance that details government restrictions for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This page lists useful resources, helplines and advice and is being regularly updated. There is a similar page for foster carers.

This page was last updated on 17.12.21

How The Fostering Network can help

  • During this time of uncertainty due to coronavirus, all our helplines will remain open as usual for any fostering-related queries, including those which arise as a result of coronavirus.
  • Please let your foster carer members know that they can also make use of our stress support service and legal helpline. They can also join our online community for peer support.
  • Our practice staff across the UK are working with fostering services to advise on best practice in these unprecedented times, and we will keep responding to the needs of our members via our website, helplines and staff.
  • We are liaising with other organisations, including statutory bodies, across the UK to enable consistency of advice to fostering services, and to ensure the needs of our foster carer and fostering service members are being fed in to national decision making.
 
 

Useful practice information

We are pulling together useful practice information and best practice for fostering services, please check back to this page regularly as we add new information.

Read more about our policy and campaigns work during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Country specific information

England 

Relevant government guidance

The Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) (No2) Regulations 2020

The regulations that have provided flexibility around virtual visits, health assessments for approvals of adopters and foster carers, and minimum frequency of Ofsted inspections during the pandemic, expired on Thursday 30 September 2021. From Friday 1 October 2021 these regulatory flexibilities are no longer available. The regulations were always intended for use only when necessary and only in response to COVID-19 and, as we have moved into recovery, local authorities’ need to deploy these flexibilities should have lessened. 

The temporary regulations included a suspension of the minimum frequency of inspections for children’s social care provision. Following a public consultation The Childcare (Childminder Agencies) (Registration, Inspection and Supply and Disclosure of Information) and Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Fees and Frequency of Inspections) (Children’s Homes etc.) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 came into force on 1 October 2021. These require Ofsted to meet the minimum frequency of inspections “so far as reasonably practicable” between 1 October 2021 and 31 March 2022 and set out a different frequency of minimum inspections for certain settings for future inspection years.

Archived: 

Covid-19 restrictions and the fostering role 

Aspects of the fostering role such as contact arrangements, short breaks (respite) and social worker visits for example, are exempt from coronavirus restrictions and are able to continue. 

Just because the exemptions exist does not mean that they have to be used. Decisions to make use of any exemptions should be taken case-by-case, in the best interest of the child and take into consideration the views of the foster family and birth family such that all those involved are not placed unduly at risk.

If it is decided and agreed upon that a face-to-face meeting should happen, extra precautionary measures may need to be taken and any arrangements risk assessed in light of the latest public health advice.

Read the briefing

 

Archived: 

Guidance for young care leavers

Visit Become's website for advice about coronavirus

The Department for Education, along with other government departments, has produced a series of guidance documents and fact sheets to support young care leavers (aged 16 to 25) during the pandemic, which can be found on the care leaver covenant webpage. 

Other helplines and advice

Northern Ireland 

Relevant government guidance 

The Children’s Social Care (Coronavirus) (Temporary Modification of Children’s Social Care) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 

The Regulations were made in response to the COVID19 pandemic and were put in place for an initial period of 6 months. On 30 October 2020, a Statutory Rule was made to extend the Regulations’ period of operation for a further six months, until 7 May 2021. It remains the case that the Regulations may be revoked at an earlier stage if possible.

The Regulations amend a series of other regulations and put in place emergency arrangements, the bulk of which relate to children in care to enable Health and Social Care Trusts to continue to work more flexibly to safeguard and protect looked after children and young people. The Department of Health considers that this legislation is necessary as it anticipates increased demands on children's services. The Department has issued guidance to accompany the regulations. The guidance explains that the overarching aim of the regulations is to provide the Trusts, voluntary adoption agencies and independent providers of children's homes with flexibility to operate during Covid-19. 

Summary of the changes to the fostering regulations: 

  • Amends legislation to permit the approval of foster carers to proceed even if a full Enhanced Disclosure Certificate is still outstanding (subject to safeguards i.e. confirmation from Access NI.)
  • The requirement to undertake reviews of foster parents and their household within 12 months is removed.  Instead, guidance outlines an expectation that reviews will take place as soon as practicable
  • The maximum duration of an emergency placement of a child with an approved foster carer is extended from 24 hours to 14 days (so as to allow for self-isolation).
  • The maximum duration of an immediate placement of a child with a relative or friend of the child before approval of the placement is required is extended from 12 weeks to 20 weeks.
  • The pool of individuals with whom a child can be placed in an immediate foster care placement is extended to include approved prospective adopters and registered childminders, in addition to relatives and friends of the child.
     

Guidance to accompany the changes is available here.  

Covid-19 restrictions and the fostering role

Some exemptions to restrictions are listed in The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020. Some of these purposes relate to the fostering role, for example, to enable family time for children in care to continue with birth family face to face where necessary. 

Guidance to accompany The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 is available here. 

Just because the exemptions exist does not mean that they have to be used. Decisions to make use of any exemptions should be taken case-by-case, in the best interest of the child and take into consideration the views of the foster family and birth family such that all those involved are not placed unduly at risk.

If it is decided and agreed upon that a face-to-face meeting should happen, extra precautionary measures may need to be taken and any arrangements risk assessed in light of the latest public health advice.

Other helplines and advice

Scotland 

Relevant government guidance

 

There has been no fostering specific coronavirus related guidance published in Scotland. 

 

Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020

The Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 was passed on 1 April 2020.

Guidance on looked after children and children's hearings provisions was published 6 April. It includes information on: children's hearings, placement limits and certain time scales being extended.

Read the guidance

Covid-19 restrictions and the fostering role

Some exemptions to restrictions are listed in The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020. For example, family time for children can still happen face to face where necessary as it falls under the following exemptions: 

  • the fulfilment of statutory obligations and/or legal orders
  • the conduct of essential work
  • the provision of care to vulnerable people
     

Just because the exemptions exist does not mean that they have to be used. Decisions to make use of any exemptions should be taken case-by-case, in the best interest of the child and take into consideration the views of the foster family and birth family such that all those involved are not placed unduly at risk.

If it is decided and agreed upon that a face-to-face meeting should happen, extra precautionary measures may need to be taken and any arrangements risk assessed in light of the latest public health advice.

Other helplines and advice

Wales

Relevant government guidance

The Adoption and Fostering (Wales) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020

The Adoption and Fostering (Wales) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 came into force on the 1 November 2020 and ceased on 30 September 2021.  

These Regulations aimed to support the fostering sector during the pandemic by making an amendment to Regulation 26 of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (Wales) Regulations 2015 to extend the period that a local authority may make a temporary approval of a connected person / kinship carer from 16 weeks to 24 weeks.

They also allow foster carers to be approved with a self-declaration of health form. All foster carers approved utilising a self-declaration of health form must have completed a full adult health assessment and the service must have completed a review of their approval, under the regulatory first year review process, by 28 May 2021. 

Our friends at AFA Cymru have produced a good practice guide to the fostering provision in the Adoption and Fostering (Wales) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020.

Other helplines and advice

Welsh Government

Care Inspectorate Wales:

Children’s Commissioner for Wales: 

   
Voices from Care:

Social Care Wales:

  • Covid-19 information, signposting and resources to support those in the social care sector who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales. Visit the COVID-19 pages Ewch i'n tudalennau gave COVID-19
  • Social Care Wales is providing a social care worker card which allow access to priority shopping at major supermarkets in Wales. All social care workers are eligible for the card, including foster carers. Fostering services should be distributing the cards to their foster carers wither virtually or digitally.
     

Samaritans has launched a new confidential emotional support line for NHS and social care workers, funded by the Welsh Government. Foster carers and social workers are encouraged to use it if they feel they need the support, for example, this might be if they are feeling worried, stressed or overwhelmed, or just needs to talk things through. The helpline is open from 7am to 11pm seven days a week: 

  • English speaking number: 0800 484 0555
  • Welsh speaking number: 0808 164 2777

 

Further advice

 

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