Caregiver Support and Review Policy
What's Important To Us
Caregivers provide a valuable role in ensuring our most vulnerable children and young people are well cared for and safe. They are an integral member of the team of people providing care to the child or young person. It is important that caregivers feel valued and supported so that they can provide the best possible care for our children and young people; satisfaction with their role is central to retaining caregivers and to achieving stable placements. To show caregivers they're valued, it is important that we are supportive, communicative and respectful. According to research, the single most important form of caregiver support is that provided by the social worker.
Child, Youth and Family must be assured that our caregivers have the continued ability to provide safe and appropriate care for our most vulnerable and at-risk children and young people.
This policy applies to approved family/whānau and non-family/whānau caregivers, who are caring for children and young people who are in the custody of the chief executive.
Informing caregivers of their roles and responsibilites
Caregivers must be informed of their roles and responsibilities, the nature of the support and entitlements they will receive from Child, Youth and Family. Upon approval caregivers must be given a copy of the caregiver handbook (PDF 5.6MB), Your Care Matters, and the foster care journal.
Financial support
All approved caregivers must be given foster care allowance payments at the rate set by the chief executive. They must not be paid at a lesser rate.
After a child or young person has been in a placement for three months and that placement is intended to be ongoing, they are entitled to receive a quarterly clothing allowance, payable to the caregiver.
Pocket money is a portion of the board payment and must be paid to all children and young people in the custody of the chief executive.
The caregiver is to be paid an allowance to use for birthday and Christmas celebrations/presents for the child or young person. Each allowance is at half the rate of the board payment.
Health, education and recreation costs incurred on behalf of the child or young person will be reimbursed. These costs must be preapproved by the site manager.
Caregiver social worker visits
Every caregiver will have a caregiver social worker allocated to them to provide practical and emotional support. It is the caregiver social worker's responsibility to engage with the caregiver, to visit at an early stage in the placement, and make contact with the caregiver every 8 weeks thereafter. There must be face to face contact with the caregiver every six months, as a minimum.
Visits by the child's social worker
The social worker will work with the caregiver as a member of the child or young person’s care team.
The social worker will meet or make phone contact with the caregiver every 8 weeks, irrespective of whether that coincides with a visit to the child or young person.
Contact with the caregiver will focus on discussing the progress of the child or young person's case plan, the caregiver’s responsibilities under that plan and matters relating to the provision of care to the child or young person.
During these contacts, the child or young person's social worker will also check that routine matters such as board payments, clothing issues, contact with family and any other needs are being addressed.
Charters for children and young people in care
All caregivers are to be given a copy of the charters, and the fact sheet for caregivers. They must be given the opportunity to discuss this with a social worker and be informed of the complaints process.
Caregiver claims for deliberate damage
Caregivers whose property is damaged by children or young people in their care may be compensated for the cost of the damage if the damage is of a type which could not have been insured against (i.e. intentional damage other than that caused by fire or explosion).
Caregivers are advised to take out their own insurance for insurable items. In the event of damage the deliberate claims process is to be followed.
Payment of Support Organisation Fees
When a newly approved caregiver joins a recognised caregiver support organisation, their first two years of fees will be paid for by Child, Youth and Family's National Office. The caregiver is responsible for payment of fees after the first two years.
Caregiver support during investigations of allegations
Caregivers are to be supported by their caregiver social worker while they are the subject of any caregiver investigation/assessment. They must be advised of the support programme offered by Fostering Kids and be given a copy of their booklet.
The need for support by a person of the same culture must be considered and enacted if possible. A translator will be provided if required.
Training/Professional development
Non-whānau caregivers will have a personal learning and development plan. They must be encouraged and given the opportunity to participate in a variety of learning/training events including those delivered through the National Caregiver Training Programme.
Family/whānau caregivers are encouraged to attend any appropriate caregiver training, which supports their particular family circumstances. They may also have a personal learning and development plan.
Home for Life
Child, Youth and Family will pay the agreed reasonable legal fees incurred by caregivers who are:
- seeking to establish home for life orders in their favour
- seeking orders post home for life to address guardianship or contact matters
- defending an application by parents or other family/whānau to vary the home for life orders.
All approved home for life family/whānau and non family/whānau caregivers will be offered the three year support package. The support package will be agreed before legal orders to support the home for life placement are sought and orders against the CE are discharged
Review of approval status and support needs
All caregivers (both family/whānau and non family/whānau) must have a review of their approval status and support needs undertaken within the first six months of being approved and annually thereafter.
The review is carried out by the caregiver social worker in partnership with the caregiver as outlined in Key Information: The review meeting - A time for reflection and forward planning.
This review must include:
- a face-to-face meeting with the caregiver at their home. This will involve an updated assessment of the caregiver’s current situation and discussion/analysis of their continued ability to provide quality care
- consultation with the social worker of any child/young person placed with the caregiver.
At least every two years at the time of the review there will also be an:
- updated police check (including family violence check) on the caregiver and all household occupants aged 17 years and older using the relevant authorised police vetting form
- updated CYRAS check on the caregiver and all household occupants aged 17 years and older
- updated medical check.
If there are no changes or concerns then approval is continued. Any concerns arising from the review will be addressed in consultation with the supervisor and other relevant staff.
Change in circumstances
Where there are significant changes to the family or circumstances of the caregiver or they wish to change their approval type, the assessment and approval process must be followed.
Updated May 2011
