What is delegated authority in a foster placement?

In practice, delegated authority sets the boundaries within which foster carers can act for a child without seeking separate approval for every routine decision. It should be agreed at the start of the placement, recorded clearly, and reviewed if the child’s circumstances or needs change.

How delegated authority is agreed

The child’s social worker, the fostering service and the people with parental responsibility should consider what decisions need to be made regularly and who is best placed to make them. The agreed arrangements should be recorded in the child’s placement plan, with any restrictions or conditions explained to the foster carers.

The level of authority may differ from one placement to another. It can depend on the child’s age, maturity, health, communication needs, history, legal situation and relationship with their parents. A plan for a young child may be different from one for a teenager who can express clear views about their own care.

Decisions that may be delegated

Depending on the placement plan, foster carers may be able to decide about matters such as:

• everyday routines, meals, clothing and bedtime;
• participation in clubs, hobbies, sports, trips and ordinary social activities;
• school-related activities, including attendance at events, homework arrangements and communication with school;
• haircuts and other ordinary personal-care choices;
• routine health appointments or treatment where the necessary consent has been properly delegated;
• photographs for appropriate family or school purposes, subject to the child’s privacy and any restrictions;
• sleepovers, visits to friends or other activities where the plan allows them; and
• short breaks or holidays, where the required permissions and travel arrangements have been addressed.

Delegation does not mean that a carer can automatically make every decision in these categories. For example, a routine activity may be acceptable, while an activity involving unusual risk, overseas travel or contact with a person who has not been approved may require further agreement.

Decisions that usually need additional approval

Important or irreversible decisions normally remain with the person or organisation holding parental responsibility, or require a specific decision from the local authority, the child’s social worker or the court. These can include changing a child’s name, consenting to significant medical treatment, altering education arrangements, changing religion, agreeing to certain forms of contact, moving the child to another area or taking the child abroad.

The exact position can be affected by a court order, the child’s care status and any restrictions in the placement plan. Foster carers should not assume that an arrangement used for one child applies to another. When a decision has legal, medical, safeguarding or long-term implications, they should ask for guidance before acting.

Healthcare and medication

The placement plan should make clear who can consent to routine healthcare, dental care, assessments and treatment. It should also explain arrangements for prescribed medication, appointments and sharing health information. Foster carers must follow the instructions provided by healthcare professionals and the fostering service rather than making independent changes to medication or treatment.

Urgent situations are handled according to the circumstances and professional advice. A foster carer should obtain emergency medical help when necessary, inform the relevant professionals and record what happened. The child’s social worker or fostering service can clarify how consent operates for planned treatment and less urgent decisions.

The child’s views still matter

Delegated authority gives a carer permission to act within agreed limits; it does not remove the child’s right to be listened to. Decisions should take account of the child’s wishes and feelings, age, understanding, identity, culture, religion and established relationships. Giving a child an appropriate level of choice can help them develop independence while keeping decisions safe and consistent.

What foster carers should do if the plan is unclear

• Check the placement plan and any written guidance provided at the start of the placement.
• Consider whether the decision is routine, proportionate and within the authority recorded for that child.
• Ask the child’s social worker or supervising social worker if there is any uncertainty.
• Record important decisions, advice received and any relevant incident or change in circumstances.
• Request an update to the placement plan if the existing arrangements no longer reflect the child’s needs.

A clear agreement helps foster carers provide consistent day-to-day care without unnecessary delays, while ensuring that significant decisions remain subject to the correct consent and safeguarding arrangements. Delegated authority should therefore be treated as a working part of the placement plan, not as a permanent transfer of parental responsibility.