The Fostering Network is delighted to endorse the Initial Family and Friends Care Assessment: A Good Practice Guide which is launched today. The guide, which was developed by Family Rights Group in partnership with an expert working group, of which The Fostering Network was a member, aims to provide social workers with a clear framework for undertaking preliminary assessments of family and friends (commonly known as viability assessments). The expert working group consisted of a wide representation from stakeholders involved: kinship care organisations, local authority social workers, legal practitioners, third sector fostering organisations, research institutions, ADCS, CAFCASS, and others.

Judy Bell, practice support consultant at The Fostering Network and its representative on the guide’s expert working group, said: ‘The Fostering Network believes that, in order for children in care to achieve the best possible long-term outcomes and to ensure the greatest chance of stability, it is vital that the right placement is found for each child first time. Therefore, it’s essential that potential family and friends carers can be identified and assessed with minimal delay using a consistent process.

‘We welcome this Good Practice Guide which sets out the purpose, principals and practice that should apply in this area of work. We believe the guidance will support the development of greater consistency and quality of assessment, which in turn will benefit practitioners, decision makers, family and friends carers and, most importantly, looked after children. We especially welcome the inclusion of information for families as part of the guidance.

‘The guidance contained within this new publication fits extremely well with The Fostering Network’s Family and Friends Assessment Materials which allows practitioners to record all the information gathered during the initial ‘viability’ assessment for submission to care planning forums and courts; but also to update and add to the documents, without delay or repetition of work already completed, should further assessment of the same carers be required.’

The Fostering Network’s Family and Friends assessment materials are available on licence and include the report and accompanying tool kit of resources to support the assessment process. For further information please email: learninganddevelopment@fostering.net or ring 020 7620 6443.