What records do foster carers in Birmingham need to keep?

Foster carers in Birmingham should keep a contemporaneous record of significant aspects of a child’s care, welfare, behaviour, progress and day-to-day experience. The record should be factual, respectful and sufficiently detailed to help the fostering service, social workers and other authorised professionals understand what has happened and what support the child may need.

Use the recording system required by your fostering service. Some services use an approved online system, while others may provide paper forms or another secure method. The agency or local authority will explain which records are required, how often they should be completed and how they should be submitted. Foster carers should not create an informal alternative record if it could result in important information being missed from the official system.

Good entries normally include:

• the date and, where relevant, the time of the event;
• what was seen, heard or done, using clear and neutral language;
• the child’s words where they are important, shown as a direct quotation where possible;
• who was involved or informed;
• what action was taken and what happened afterwards; and
• any follow-up that is still needed.

Separate fact from opinion. For example, write “Sam was sitting alone, had tears on their face and said, ‘I do not want to go’” rather than “Sam was being difficult”. If an interpretation is relevant, identify it as an observation or concern rather than presenting it as proven fact. Avoid labels, speculation, sarcasm and language that could appear judgemental if the record were later read by the child or another authorised person.

Records about routine care may include information about meals, sleep, activities, appointments, school attendance, presentation and changes in behaviour where these are relevant to the child’s care plan. The purpose is not to write an exhaustive diary or record every ordinary conversation. Entries should focus on information that shows how the child is progressing, identifies a change or helps professionals make decisions about their care.

Health information should be recorded in line with the care plan and the instructions given by health professionals. This may include appointments attended, advice received, medication administered or missed, symptoms, injuries and action taken. Medication records should be completed exactly as required by the fostering service. A carer should never alter a prescribed dose or stop treatment without appropriate professional advice, except where emergency action is necessary and the relevant service is contacted.

Education information can include attendance, meetings, significant achievements, concerns raised by school staff and any support agreed. Important information should be shared through the correct professional channels as well as recorded. A foster carer’s notes do not replace school records, medical records or the child’s social work record.

Contact and family relationships should be documented objectively where contact takes place or arrangements change. Record attendance, cancellations, the child’s presentation before and after contact, relevant comments and any concerns. Do not use the record to criticise parents, relatives or professionals. If a child makes a disclosure or raises a safeguarding concern, write down their words as accurately as possible, avoid leading questions and report the matter immediately through the procedure provided by the fostering service. Recording it alone is not enough.

Incidents and safeguarding concerns need prompt attention. This includes allegations, missing episodes, injuries, serious arguments, damage, self-harm, unauthorised absence, criminal concerns or behaviour that presents a risk to the child or another person. Follow the agency’s reporting procedure and contact the appropriate professional or emergency service when instructed. The written account should explain what happened before, during and after the incident, without attempting to investigate or reach conclusions that are the responsibility of social workers or other agencies.

Foster carers should also keep records of relevant decisions and instructions, such as changes to arrangements, permissions given under delegated authority, transport plans, professional visits and advice received. Keep receipts or other documents only where the fostering service requires them for agreed expenses or allowances, and use the approved process for submitting them.

Confidentiality is essential. Records should be stored securely so that children, visitors, household members and other unauthorised people cannot read them. Paper notes should be kept in a locked location, and electronic records should use the security measures required by the fostering service. Do not discuss a child’s circumstances on social media, share photographs without proper permission or leave records visible in a car, shared room or unlocked device.

Information should be shared only with people who have a legitimate role in the child’s care and only through approved channels. Foster carers should take particular care when sending emails, using personal phones or communicating with schools and health professionals. If a record is sent to the wrong person, lost or accessed by someone without permission, report this promptly to the fostering service so it can follow its information governance procedure.

Do not delete, rewrite or conceal an entry because an error has been made. Use the correction method specified by the service, such as adding a dated amendment that leaves the original entry clear. Records should be completed as soon as practicable after an event, while details are fresh, but carers should avoid completing them while distressed or in a situation where the child’s immediate safety requires attention.

The fostering service will explain how long records must be retained and what happens when a placement ends. Foster carers should not take records home as personal papers, keep copies indefinitely or destroy them themselves unless they have been expressly told to do so. A child may be able to access information held about them, subject to the relevant legal and safeguarding considerations, so entries should always be written with care and professionalism.

If you are unsure whether something needs recording, record the concern using the approved system and ask the supervising social worker for guidance. It is also important to raise urgent safeguarding matters straight away rather than waiting to complete routine paperwork. Your supervising social worker and the fostering service can clarify Birmingham-specific procedures, required forms, storage arrangements and the records that apply to a particular child’s placement.