Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Fostering

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on fostering.

Original poster

fostering and babysitters

19 replies

SingleFosterMum · 19/05/2011 17:26

Who babysits for you if you go out?
I was thinking of getting friendly with other foster carers and babysitting for each other but my social worker says this doesn't happen much.

I then thought maybe one of the staff at my ds's pre school. If they already have a crb check do they have to have another one with social services?
Does this take long?
I only go out about once every other month so it is only going to be very occassionally.

OP posts:
scarlet5tyger · 19/05/2011 19:21

Hi, unfortunately anyone who already has a CRB check has to have another one - I have about 5 for different organisations and personally don't think they're worth the paper they're printed on.

I have to disagree a bit with your social worker. I'm friends with a few other foster carers and we help each other out with respite and babysitting. You can (and should) also put forward a few people to be your support group (relatives or friends) for if you want to go out, or for emergencies. They'll be CRB checked but then that stays on file for them for about 2 years.

Original poster
SingleFosterMum · 19/05/2011 19:26

Thanks for your reply Scarlet. So other foster carers will have an appropriate crb check then. In that case do you let your social worker know that so and so is babysitting?
Can I ask for more than one friend to be crb checked and how long will it take?

OP posts:
Machakos · 19/05/2011 19:27

We can use anyone we would leave our own children with (if we had any).

Original poster
SingleFosterMum · 19/05/2011 19:34

Really Machakos, without a crb check?

OP posts:
HarrietJones · 19/05/2011 19:53

We advise the same as MachAkos. It is possible to get family members assessed to provide more regular care too.
Foster carers here often swap round too

Original poster
SingleFosterMum · 19/05/2011 19:55

No family members that could help but I have lots of friends who already babysit but got the impression I could only have one crb checked and definitely couldn't let anyone babysit without.

OP posts:
HarrietJones · 19/05/2011 20:25

Depends on your LA I think.

Original poster
SingleFosterMum · 19/05/2011 20:39

Seems like it.
It does surprise me though that as a foster carer I have to be interviewed again and again, references checked, go on a course etc yet some LA's would let someone who they didn't know and hadn't done any checks on look after foster children.

OP posts:
maypole1 · 19/05/2011 22:15

It should be anyone in your support circle its always good to get at least two people crb right at the start one person who can come to yours for babysitting and really you should have a back up carer anyway

Also you can ask other foster carers you know tit for tat kind of thing I know some of the carers who are friendly in my la do it and they have similar age group children so it works well this might be something you could ask your link worker about.

maypole1 · 19/05/2011 22:16

We have two people crb checked

Machakos · 20/05/2011 17:20

So how does this work then if a fc wants to have a sleepover at their friend's house? We just have to check with social services to see if they have any concerns about the family, but otherwise no problem.

HarrietJones · 20/05/2011 17:47

Similar here, basically trusting FCs judgement

caz2go · 20/05/2011 21:20

Our grown up daughter has also been crb checked and had her home risk assessed so she can have f/d stay overnight occasionally.

p99gmb · 20/05/2011 21:42

our SSD would want to do an 'address check' on the house, but basically trust us.... apparently the check would take a matter of minutes... the whole jist of this being that a FC should not 'suffer' and be able to do all things that a bc could/would do...

Original poster
SingleFosterMum · 21/05/2011 13:39

My social worker said it had recently changed for older children and sleepovers as she said it was unfair if they never got to do that but she said it wasn't allowed for younger ones .

That's an interesting point p99gmb about fc not ' suffering' It is going to be a bit tricky if I only have one babysitter to rely on. For my ds I have lots of friends who have babysat for me or he sleeps at their house.
Is their any point me saying what other LA's do or are the rules very rigid and you have to stick to what your own LA says.
Don't want to cause trouble before I've even started !

Although it's reassuring to know that fc's do babysit for each other.
If another foster carer is babysitting for you do you have to inform social services or do you just arrange it yourself?

OP posts:
mumsiepie · 21/05/2011 16:04

I wouldn't need to mention if another foster carer was going to babysit except they might be able to claim for doing this so you would need to find out. I occasionally have babysat for another foster carer and because it has only been for a few hours I didn't claim but the option was there for me to do so.

I'm a single carer and have two people I can call on but that is not really enough and one of these days I will ask to get someone else checked but I know they will grumble because of the cost!

With my social worker there would be no point saying how it works in other authorities but I know a few other sw's where they would listen and do their best to help.

maypole1 · 22/05/2011 00:07

Yes you do i n case their on hold.

To be honest, single foster mum its not really a good idea to have children sleeping over at other peoples if you need to go out really and truly they should be sitting at your home

Especially small children who have had enough upheaval when their baby-sat at their house they can stick to their routines and may feel much safer.

We always have our fc babysat at our home and you I'll find with very small children most of the time if they sleep through their boot even aware we have gone out.

We put the kids to be at 7 go out about 8 then are back by about 12 check the kids

Were as if we were taking the to some ones house we would have to take the over settle them they wouldn't be able to go to bed until the persons children are due for bed they they would have to sleep on a make shift bed then we would either have to come get them late at night or go home then get them up in the noting again having to fit into the other persons routine.

Original poster
SingleFosterMum · 22/05/2011 09:20

No i wasn't thinking of the fc sleeping at other peoples houses, it would be too unsettling for them I agree.

OP posts:
maypole1 · 22/05/2011 14:22

Oh sorry I got a bit confused their

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread