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Just made the decision to call time on current placement, how do you know that it's the right decision?

9 replies

carrieboo75 · 12/03/2010 19:48

This is our first placement (17 year old girl) and I have just made the decison that I need to call time on it. How do I know that I have made the right decision and what happens now?

OP posts:
Skegness · 12/03/2010 19:52

I don't know. I suppose if it's irrevocably broken down. How sad for the girl and for your family.

AttillaTheHan · 13/03/2010 07:26

Hi Carrieboo,
I would say that if you feel your family life has had to change beyond all recognition to accomodate the young person and it isn't sustainable then it is right decision.
If you felt a sense of relief when you made the decision then its definately the right decision.

The thing is the young person might also be feeling that its not the right plecement for her. What I would say is that you must, for the young person's sake, give 28 days notice so that you can help her move on to a more suitable placement, it might feel hard to do that but its a lot fairer on the child IYSWIM.
Good luck.

EarthMotherImNot · 13/03/2010 08:17

Having been in this position twice in over 20 years of fostering I can only echo Attillas words.

Both times I felt an overwhelming sense of relief, in both cases I went through an enormous amount of guilt, feelings of failing the child etc but the relief was always greater.

I think that when you feel you can do no more and that to keep slugging away helps no-one it is time to call it a day.

In both our cases the children needed specialist carers, which we weren't, placements were overloaded and we were available.It quickly became apparent we were out of our depth but stupid pride kept us battling on until we could take no more.

Good luck.

Nymphadora · 13/03/2010 09:17

I'm impressed Earthmother I work with a lot of FC and seem to have had a spate of placement breakdowns and usually moving out NOW. I have met a few kids in the last few months from school and had to say 'sorry you aren't going home' which is awful for the kids.

It is a regular problem that not enough carers leads to children going to unsuitable placements

carrieboo Make sure that you don't just 'kick her out' (not saying you will) but give chance for a new placement to be found . Possibly would be independant lving at 17 so make sure whilst she is tsill with you that you get as many independant living skills in her as you can. Easier said than done I know but its worth a shot

dejavuaswell · 14/03/2010 10:45

Looks as if I am going to be in the minority here.

You need to tell readers why you want to "call time" on the placement before they can offer support.

Giving up on your first placement will always raise question marks in people's minds. For example what impact do you think another rejection might have on the 17 year old?

Nymphadora · 14/03/2010 18:53

I read it as the first placement you were wanting to call time on.Just read dejavuaswell and realised its the first placement.

carrieboo75 · 15/03/2010 00:17

Sorry I posted and ran. Being the weekend I has lots of prying eyes around. I didn't give info as was worried about saying anything that would identify this placement. I am really hoping that tings have lifted today and we can now move forward.

We have a very difficult placement (enough to be at the top of everyones priority list, regularly recieve 3+ ss sw calls a day not to mention all the other calls etc.) It has been a stand off situation in the last 3/4 weeks, we have reached the end of available consequences for behaviour. We are expected to hold firm as previous very long term cares could not and so YP has not learn't she can not always have her own way/people will not always run around after her. This week she had taken to finding me to pick a fight, shout at me, laugh at me, goad me etc. all infront of my young children. Despite having remained firm through out everythig she dealt us there was no sign of her backing down and it was looking like it was just going to carry on getting more and more misserable for every one. It felt like it was no longer a healthy environment that would benefit anyone and yet if we did back down yet again she would of had it confirmed that she could control everyone . Thank goodness today it looks like we may have turned a coner , she has come to me and appologised 'for being so horrible' and we have hugged and chatted and laughed for the first time in weeks. We have been told over and over that we are doing a fantastic job so I know we have been doing the right things along the way. But I am also aware that sometimes there does come a point when it is not in anyones best interest to keep plugging. It was so hard working out at what point you switch from keep trying we'll get through this to no it is going too far. Even though I made the decision to call it quits come Monday, I hoped and hoped that it would change by then or they would talk me out of it etc. and yet I couldn't face anymore at the same time. I still don't know how I could of made that final call come crunch time.

I am so relieved there is now a chink of light and we can keep going. I am worried it will be short lived and we will find ourselves back there though.

Thanks everyone for your responses, even though it has answered it's self for now I would still like to explore the question if you don't mind as I am still not sure of how you know it is the right thing to do. While the things that have been said where exactly how we felt there was still a deffinate tug of shall we try just one more day etc. but I don't know if that was good or just our stubornness!

dejavu - I am pretty sure the SW's would not of thought badly of us as it is a very trying placement but we certainly would of thought bad of ourselves and I have no doubt that any one new would of.

Attilla - she did not want to be with us and did want to move and was doing everything she can to break it but sws thought it was not in her best interest to do so as she had no firm reasons for wanting to move. It was thought that it is a control issue and as she can't control us she does not want to stay.

Nymph - living skills are one of the issues. Learning them was one of the main reasons for moving here but when it came to actually doing them she mainly refused.

OP posts:
Nymphadora · 15/03/2010 07:12

I know it's easier said than done

carrieboo75 · 15/03/2010 10:36

She got up and went to college today for the first time in two weeks

Not sure she has made it to lectures, I think she may have just gone to talk to student advisor, but it's a start

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