Foster caring placement

Foster carer agreement and child’s planning agreement meeting

The Carer Agreement is an agreement between approved foster carers and the City of Edinburgh  Council. This is required under Regulation 24 and Schedule 6 of the Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009. It ensures that foster carers have a full understanding of their entitlements and obligations. Following approval and each subsequent carer panel, the foster carer agreement should be completed and signed by the foster carer and a representative of the Council. The carer will retain a copy and one will be retained and held in the foster carers file. 

When a child is placed with a foster carer a child’s planning agreement meeting, related to the needs of the child, should be drawn up between the carer and the child’s social worker. This agreement should be done, where possible, in advance of the placement being made and, for emergency placements, within three working days of the child being placed.  This will cover issues such as

• information to be supplied concerning the child’s background, community links, educational requirements, and arrangements,
• arrangements for the child or young person’s family time,
• any specific financial issues related to the child, eg clothing allowance/needs,
• arrangements for medical and other consents,
• the frequency of social worker visits to the child or young person and foster carer.