Record keeping can be a bit of a drag cant it? However it is an essential part of your job as a Foster Carer and it serves to protect you in the case of an allegation. So what should you record and in how much detail? I always made a point of making some short notes on a daily basis. Describe the day, the mood of the young people, their behaviour and any ‘incidents’ that have occurred either at school or at home. If something major happens then make sure you log the event, time and a full description of what happened, who was involved and why it happened. Recording every day is useful in learning about the behaviour of a young person. For instance, is there a pattern of behaviour after contact, whether that be with parents or siblings. It is quite common for young people to show ‘behaviours’ after contact and I have witnessed it first hand on several placements, especially if the parent, or parents, are unhappy at their children being in care. One particular placement was an absolute nightmare after contact, misbehaving, being disruptive and refusing to do anything that we asked of them. We went through the ‘you’re not my parent’ stage and the ‘you can’t tell me what to do’ stage which lasted about 2/3 days after every contact, which was fortnightly. We would sit and discuss with the young people what the problem was and we then found out that the parents of the placement were actually encouraging them to behave in a disruptive way, hoping that the placement would break down and the children would be returned. This matter was raised at a review and one of the parents admitted that they were trying to disrupt the placement. However we always try to encourage contact and it continued. The record keeping of the contacts showed that the post contact bad behaviour then stopped and the young people were much better behaved after the matter had been discussed. That is the perfect example of the benefit of keeping daily detailed diary entries. It is beneficial to you, the Foster Carer, and for highlighting any current of future issues regarding the young people in your care.
As well as diarised record, keeping financial recording is also important. The allowance we receive as Foster Carers is mainly for the benefit of the young person and should be treated that way. If any purchases of clothing or shoes are made then record it and keep receipts. The same goes for school equipment, books and stationary. Out of school activities can be expensive if equipment and subscriptions are required, so make sure you log all of these items and keep receipts or photograph a bank statement to show an outgoing payment. The purpose of this is the same as your diary, it’s to protect you and to show what you are spending the allowance on. If there is mention of a young person not having enough clothes, you have the evidence to show how much you have spent and what you bought. If it is said that the young person isn’t doing enough out of school activities then you have the evidence that they are. If I know that a placement was going to be long term I would always register them at my local library and leisure centre, which were actually combined. For a monthly subscription the young person could gain access to swimming, a gym, other sports classes and the library. This was an educational and physical benefit to the young person. So make your financial records clear and concise and it will be beneficial to you moving forward.
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