About PACFA
Referrals
The parents referred for assessments are vulnerable as their parenting has put their babies at risks of significant harm.
Most of these parents have experienced and led chaotic and stressful lifestyles. Some of the parents are experiencing borderline mental health difficulties, negative impacts of domestic violence, drug and alcohol misuse problems or learning disabilities.
The reasons for a parent and child foster placement is for the foster carers to support the mother to improve on her parenting abilities and acquire skills and knowledge on child development such as keeping important appointments i.e. with the health visitor adhere to instructions and signed agreement with the social worker.
These placements are usually between 3 - 6 months in length, with a high support package including weekly visits to placements from the supervising social worker.
ASSESSMENTS
The role of the carer is to assess the mother’s parenting skills and abilities through modelling and inculcating parenting knowledge and values in foster placements. The aim is to help the mother change her cognitive pathway so that she puts the needs of her baby first.
The carer’s assessment is evidenced based and will be shared with the mother, her social worker, the baby’s social worker, the court guardian and mother’s solicitor. Usually, the assessment pathway is two - namely towards rehabilitation so that the mother is supported to live independently with her baby in the community, or the baby is matched and linked with an adopter whilst the carer commences working with the family finder in the permanency team.
During the parenting assessment process in foster placements, in addition to the assessment in placements, there are other professionals that visit placements for monitoring and continuing assessments.
All the reports are collated and used to inform social worker’s court statement when mother returns to court for hearing.
Adoption
Quite often these placements have a good outcome, with the mother enabled to look after her baby in the community. Although, sometimes the outcome of the placement is that the baby be placed for adoption.
Adoption is considered in the best interest for the baby. This type of placement is modelled on teamwork, with all professionals working together to ensure that the best outcome is achieved for the baby.
Our carers are highly skilled and trained to provide outcome-based parenting assessments in placements. They are communication with professionals and contribute to family planning and review meetings.
The daily log in placement is shared with the parents and related professionals, such as the court guardian, child protection conferences, and core group meeting social workers.