Babysitters, Day Care and Overnight Stays

A fostered child should not have more than two regular babysitters wherever possible. Statutory checks, including DBS have to be completed for babysitters and have to be satisfactory in outcome before the "babysitting" can start. Babysitters are required to be 18 years of age and preferably be close friends, neighbours or family members. Any other arrangement must be agreed by a foster child's social worker in conjunction with the supervising social worker for the foster carers. This includes foster children who should not be given responsibility for the sole care of other children without previous consultation, as above.

It is important that the child's social worker and the child's parents reach agreement at the time of the child's placement as to some of the circumstances in which you can give permission to situations and that this is set out in the Placement Plan and recorded on the delegated authority form for the child. (See delegated authority form) This is also the case for Family and Friends Carers.

It may also be helpful to identify as soon as possible anyone who you may consider to be a baby sitter and discuss this with your Supervising Social Worker. This should be included in your Placement Plan and where appropriate recorded as part of the decision with regards to delegated authority.

Overnight Stays

It is recommended that all regular babysitters and families where children are to stay overnight unsupervised by the foster carers, again on a regular basis, are Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checked and identified in the Placement Plan at the 72 hour planning meeting.

If carers intend to be away overnight and a non-regular babysitter left to care, or if the child is to stay overnight in another household which is not part of an existing plan, the child's social worker should be informed. With regard to the latter, a 'cover-all' arrangement could be made in the child's Care Plan and individual Safe Caring Policy, or at a subsequent statutory review to allow more freedom in this matter.

The guiding principle is that foster carers should have the delegated authority to decide overnight stays with their friends, unless there are exceptional reasons to have other measures in place e.g. if the child is particularly vulnerable; and that social activities for children looked after are not unnecessarily restricted. This should be checked out by the carer as any responsible parent would do, and details of any proposed arrangements should be known but there is no requirement to undertake DBS checks. If exceeding 4 nights, a joint viability assessment completed by the SSW and CSW and agreed by the Fostering Service Manager needs completing.

If, as part of contact arrangements, the child/young person is due to stay away from placement with family members, the child's social worker will make all appropriate arrangements.

Record any decisions regarding babysitting, overnight stays or overnight contact in the child's running record.