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DC185-Staying Put Policy for Children and Care Leavers

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Staying Put Policy for Children and Care Leavers

1. Purpose and scope

{{org_field_name}} supports young people who have lived in foster care to remain with their former foster carers after their 18th birthday through “Staying Put” arrangements. Although we are a {{org_field_type}} providing domiciliary care, our staff may be commissioned by local authorities or families to deliver visiting personal care and practical support within a Staying Put household. This policy explains how we work safely and lawfully alongside the local authority’s plan, how we protect children and adults in that household, and how we handle safer-recruitment expectations—including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) considerations for a young person who becomes 18 but continues to live in a home where children may be present. The policy applies to all staff and contractors who visit or support households where a Staying Put arrangement exists or is being developed, including cases where a child aged 16–17 is preparing to transition to adulthood.

2. Legal and regulatory framework

Our practice aligns with the Children Act 1989 and the Care Leavers (England) Regulations 2010, the Children and Families Act 2014 duty on local authorities to support Staying Put, and the Department for Education’s statutory guidance on Staying Put arrangements for care leavers aged 18 and above. Safeguarding is governed by Working Together to Safeguard Children (as updated) and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, including the DBS framework. When we deliver regulated activity, we follow the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014—particularly person-centred care, consent, safety, safeguarding, governance and complaints. For information rights, we comply with the Data Protection Act 2018/UK GDPR and the NHS Accessible Information Standard so that information is provided in formats people can understand. For adults’ consent and decision-making, we apply the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and its Code of Practice.

3. What “Staying Put” means in practice

“Staying Put” is an adult arrangement. When a fostered young person turns 18, the fostering placement ends and, if agreed, they continue to live with their former foster carer as a “host.” The local authority’s leaving-care team leads and funds the arrangement, and a Staying Put agreement sets out roles, expectations and financial arrangements. {{org_field_name}} does not run the Staying Put scheme. We provide visiting care or support that complements the young person’s pathway plan and the host’s responsibilities. We recognise that a Staying Put household may also include younger children, other adults, lodgers or frequent visitors; our risk assessments always consider the whole household and any change in composition.

4. Principles we work by

Safety is paramount. We only deliver care where risks are known, proportionate controls are in place and lines of escalation are clear. Care is person-centred and tailored to goals that matter to the young person—independence, education or work, wellbeing, relationships, culture and identity. We keep boundaries clear: staff remain professional visitors, not family members or housemates, and we avoid financial or social entanglements that could blur roles. We share information on a need-to-know basis, keep records factual and timely, and always explain why information is being collected or shared. We promote preparation for adulthood in every interaction, helping the young person practice safe routines, manage appointments and budgets, and make informed choices.

5. Roles and responsibilities

The Registered Manager ({{org_field_registered_manager_name}}) holds overall accountability for quality, safety and regulatory compliance whenever we work in a Staying Put context. A designated Staying Put Lead coordinates referrals, makes sure our plan dovetails with the local authority pathway plan and the host’s arrangements, and checks that household risks, checks and consents are in place before care starts. Care Coordinators brief staff, schedule visits to avoid clashes with school, work or household routines, and ensure records and reviews are kept up to date. Front-line staff deliver care exactly as planned, practice professional curiosity, report concerns promptly and record accurately. All staff are expected to challenge drift: if risks change, a new adult moves in, or the dynamics shift, visits are paused or adapted until a joint review confirms controls.

6. How we become involved

We may be asked to support a 16–17-year-old preparing for adulthood, a care leaver aged 18+ who remains with their host, or a household where particular support needs affect family dynamics. Before we accept any package, we request and review the local authority pathway plan, any care plan for the under-18, recent risk assessments (including household composition and contextual safeguarding), and the draft or signed Staying Put agreement. We record our lawful basis for processing personal information, provide an accessible privacy notice and confirm consent routes (parental responsibility for under-18s, and the young person’s own consent once 18 if they have capacity).

7. Assessment, planning and reviews

An initial home visit allows us to complete an environmental and lone-working risk assessment that covers access, privacy in bedrooms and bathrooms, the presence of children, visitors and overnight guests, internet safety and social-media boundaries, pets, substance-use risks, conflict triggers and community risks such as exploitation or serious youth violence. We discuss culture, language, faith and identity needs and record any reasonable adjustments. The care and support plan is written in plain English and explains what we are doing, why, when and with whose consent. It may include personal care, medication prompts where commissioned, travel training, safe cooking, budgeting and banking basics, appointment-keeping, community engagement and routines that support education or work. Reviews take place after 6–8 weeks and at least every six months, or sooner if there is any significant change—such as a new adult in the property, a safeguarding incident, a deterioration in mental health or a change in study or employment.

8. Consent, capacity and decision-making

Under 18, decisions follow children’s legislation and local authority protocols, while ensuring the young person’s voice is central and proportionate to their understanding (Gillick competence). At 18, we presume capacity for each decision under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Where there are doubts, we carry out or request a decision-specific capacity assessment, record best-interest decisions, involve advocates if appropriate and avoid blanket assumptions. We obtain explicit consent for personal care, information sharing and any photographs or recordings used for life-skills work. Consent can be withdrawn at any time and staff must respond respectfully and safely.

9. Safer recruitment and DBS—staff, hosts and the 18+ young person

Every {{org_field_name}} worker who may carry out regulated activity holds an enhanced DBS with barred-list checks, verified identity and right-to-work, employment history with satisfactory references and verified qualifications where relevant. We maintain a single-central-record equivalent and repeat checks in line with our Safer Recruitment and DBS Policy. When a young person turns 18 and remains in a household where children live or visit through fostering, the fostering service/local authority is responsible for arranging an appropriate DBS check for that now-adult household member to protect any children present. Before our visits begin or continue, we seek written confirmation from the local authority or fostering provider that required household checks are complete or in progress and that their risk assessment supports our involvement. Where the arrangement is adult-only, we confirm whether any adult’s role constitutes regulated activity with vulnerable adults and advise commissioners if further checks are indicated. If a new adult moves in or stays regularly overnight, we immediately request a risk review from the local authority; we pause or adjust visits until safeguards are agreed and documented.

10. Safeguarding and escalation

Staff are trained to recognise and respond to risks of abuse, neglect, exploitation, self-harm, domestic abuse and discriminatory harm. Concerns about criminal exploitation, county lines or radicalisation are escalated through local MACE or Channel processes as appropriate. We follow local children’s and adults’ safeguarding procedures and make immediate referrals where threshold is met. Allegations about people in positions of trust are managed with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) as required. We record incidents and near misses promptly, inform relevant partners under information-sharing guidance and use learning to update plans. No one is penalised for raising a concern in good faith.

11. Professional boundaries and conduct in the home

Staff are visitors in someone’s home and must act with discretion and respect. Bedrooms and bathrooms are private spaces; entry requires permission and a clear reason linked to the care plan. We do not accept gifts of value, borrow or lend money, handle personal post, share personal social-media accounts, or transport people without prior authorisation and risk assessment. We avoid conversations that disclose our personal lives and decline invitations that blur roles, such as family celebrations, unless expressly risk-assessed and approved. If a home feels unsafe—conflict, intoxication, weapons, threatening visitors—staff leave promptly, contact their coordinator and, where necessary, the police, then document and escalate.

12. Medicines, health and independence

Where commissioned, we support medicines in line with our Medicines Policy and the assessed level of support—ranging from prompts to full administration with MAR charts and competency checks. We encourage GP, dentist and optician registration, vaccinations where appropriate and healthy routines—sleep, hydration and nutrition. Independence is key: wherever safe, we coach rather than do, helping the young person practice skills such as meal planning, simple recipes, safe use of appliances, laundry, cleaning routines, budgeting, paying bills, digital safety and tenancy etiquette.

13. Education, training and employment

We plan visits around timetables and shift patterns and encourage punctual attendance. Staff can provide practical help such as travel planning, reminders, basic CV support or interview preparation if included in the plan. We liaise—with consent—with schools, colleges, employers or job-coaches to avoid clashes and maintain momentum.

14. Equality, diversity and culture

We provide equitable support that respects identity, culture, faith, language and neurodiversity. Reasonable adjustments may include accessible formats, interpreters, sensory-friendly approaches or flexible visit times around religious observance. We challenge discrimination and record how the plan reflects the person’s identity and preferences. Information is given in ways the young person and host can understand, following the Accessible Information Standard.

15. Information governance and records

Personal information is processed lawfully, fairly and transparently. We state our lawful basis, minimise data, and keep it accurate and secure. We share only what is necessary with those who need to know—typically the local authority leaving-care team, fostering service, health providers and, with consent, education or employment contacts. Adults have rights to access their information; exemptions are explained when they apply (for example, third-party confidentiality or safeguarding concerns). Records are contemporaneous, factual and free of jargon. Any use of photographs or video for life-skills work is consented, time-limited and stored securely.

16. Complaints, incidents and feedback

We actively invite feedback and resolve issues early and fairly. Complaints can be made to the Registered Manager and are handled in line with our Complaints Policy and CQC’s expectations. If the complaint concerns the Registered Manager or Nominated Individual, the complainant is given alternative escalation contacts, including the local authority and CQC. Incidents and near misses are recorded, reviewed and, where required, notified to appropriate agencies. We practice duty of candour when something goes wrong that causes harm or has the potential for significant harm.

•              Care Quality Commission (CQC): Call03000 616161 for concerns about care standards or regulatory breaches.

•              Local Authority Adult Safeguarding Teams: {{org_field_local_authority_authority_name}},

Link: {{org_field_local_authority_information_link}} for concerns related to abuse or neglect.

•              Acas (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service): www.acas.org.uk/ for employment-related discrimination complaints.

•              Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC): www.equalityhumanrights.com for serious human rights violations.

17. Training and supervision

Staff working in Staying Put contexts complete safeguarding children and adults training at the appropriate level for their role, MCA and consent, Prevent awareness, lone-working and personal safety, professional boundaries, information governance, cultural competence, de-escalation and, where relevant, medicines competency. Supervision explores complex dynamics common in Staying Put households—loyalty conflicts, independence vs. safety, and shifting roles as the young person becomes an adult. Learning from incidents or complaints is fed back into training and case briefings.

18. Monitoring, audit and continuous improvement

We audit whether pre-start checks were obtained, including written confirmation from the local authority about household DBS arrangements where children live in the home. We review the quality and timeliness of assessments and care plans, track safeguarding referrals and outcomes, analyse incident themes and verify that reviews happen as scheduled. Findings inform service improvement, staff supervision and policy updates. We update this policy whenever statute, guidance or local pathways change, or when lessons from practice indicate we should do better.

19. Implementation examples

If an 18-year-old remains in a home with younger foster children, we confirm with the fostering service that an enhanced DBS for the now-adult household member is complete or underway and that their risk assessment supports our visits; only then do we start or resume care. If the arrangement is adult-only and no children reside or visit routinely, we proceed once the local authority confirms the arrangement and our risk assessment is satisfactory. If a new adult lodger moves in, we pause non-urgent visits and request a multi-agency review; visits resume when safeguards are agreed and documented.

20. Governance and review

This policy is owned by the Registered Manager and is reviewed annually, or sooner if legislation, local authority guidance or learning from incidents changes our practice requirements.

Sources (for internal reference)

Plain-English reminder for staff: Staying Put is the young person’s home life, not our service. We are guests with a clear job. If household membership changes, if anyone feels unsafe or if you are unsure about checks, stop, inform your coordinator and the Registered Manager, and ask for a joint review before proceeding.

Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
Copyright © {{current_year}} – {{org_field_name}}. All rights reserved.

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