The following concludes part one of our Staying Put Guidance.
It is imperative that all managers, practitioners, foster carers and young people are informed of and are familiar with the statutory requirements and entitlements enshrined in staying put legislation, statutory guidance, good practice guidance, local policy and governance. In addition all key stakeholders need to be aware of and able to access the learning and development opportunities available.
It is for children’s services – particularly care planning services, leaving care services and fostering services – to develop and implement the specific means to ensure that good outcomes are achieved for young people and their former foster carers. This implementation guidance highlights the key elements of the legislation and statutory guidance from the source documents to assist children’s services in considering what must be done and how they can broker the right agreements and arrangements for care leavers as they transition into adulthood. There is no ‘blanket approach’ that can be advocated, but there are some basic questions and standards that should be addressed when considering whether their staying put service satisfies the outcomes identified in the Department for Education’s Children in Care Strategy – Statement of Intent that ‘children in care achieve stability in their lives’ and that this is realised by ensuring that the ‘carer is central to achieving these ambitions’.
