Keeping records

As a foster carer you will need to keep records relating to the child or children you are caring for.

These records are sometimes called ‘daily logs’ or ‘diary sheets’ by different fostering services, but the frequency of your recording will be agreed when a child first comes to live with you. 

Your Fostering Service

Your fostering service should provide you with information and training on how to maintain accurate records of the work you do (and the progress that is made) with the children and young people you foster. These records will be very important to children later in life as they look to understand their life story and explore their memories. They will also help you review what is working well and what might need to change. Social workers may find your records useful too, as they will aid their planning and decision making for children. 

Why is it important to keep accurate records?

It is important to keep accurate records for several different reasons:

• Records provide clarity about important aspects of children’s lives, including their health, development, education and family time. This will help children to understand their life story and memories in the future.
• This information also helps foster carers to demonstrate that a child is being well cared for and that their needs are being met (especially in relation to their care plan).
• At times, such as during an allegation investigation, records will be reviewed to provide context around what has been alleged and aid your memory. Recording who visited the home, or where the child went and who the child interacted with, can be helpful details to include in a daily record that may otherwise be forgotten. Descriptions of a child or young person’s behaviour, what may have prompted certain behaviours, how long they lasted and how you responded can be helpful to an investigation. In addition, details of any accidents or injuries, arguments or upset, all help form a picture of what may have taken place for the child or young person you foster.
• Records may be used by courts to help reach important decisions about a child’s future.
• You may also be asked to submit written contributions for meetings you attend about the children in your care. Records can help you to provide a comprehensive overview of their experiences.

Guidance for keeping records 

• Daily records do not need to be long documents. They can be short accounts, if they capture all the relevant details of a child’s life.
• All fostering services should provide their foster carers with clear guidance about how they should record and store information about their fostering and the children in their care.
• Your daily records should be read by your supervising social worker on a regular basis. They should sign and date the record after they have reviewed them. If your social worker hasn’t reviewed your records recently, you can ask to discuss your records at your next supervision session.