Kent and Medway Independent Fostering Framework Agreement

• Short Term/Task Centred/Bridging, up to 12 months • Long Term or permanent homes (as per the Care/Placement Plan; 12 months and over) • Parent(s) and Child(ren) • Short Break Homes • Children with Disabilities • Solo homes, with no other children/young people within the fostering household. • Homes for large sibling groups to enable brothers and sisters to live together. • Emergency foster care beds, where foster carers are able to care for children without the usual planning and/or thorough assessment process having taken place because of the need to ensure the immediate safety and welfare of the child.

A small number of our children and young people in care, are placed within a residential children’s home due to the complexity of their needs during a specific period in their childhood. For some, past adverse family experiences may lead to poor emotional and mental health expressed through depression, self-harming behaviours or separation anxieties and attachment disorders. They are often highly vulnerable young people whose behaviour could be perceived to make them or others more at risk.

We are seeking specialist foster carers, predominantly for adolescents. For some, past adverse family experiences may have led to poor emotional and mental health expressed through depression, self-harming behaviours or separation anxieties and attachment disorders. They are often highly vulnerable young people whose behaviour could be perceived to make them or others more at risk. These young people: • may be stepping down from residential care or • more likely requiring a fostering home at short notice (similar to an Emergency Bed). The foster carers will need to care for a young person with complex needs and potentially a number of risk-taking behaviours which may include violence, absconding, offending and gang association. It is expected that these would be predominately a solo arrangement. The level of complexity and need of these young people are above the thresholds that the Placing Authorities would source as part of an enhanced placement through its IFP Fostering Framework Agreement. It is anticipated that only a very small number of these young people would require this type of fostering home in any given year.