What records must weekend foster carers keep after each placement?

The required post-placement record is the agency’s formal account of how the short break was managed and any information that may affect the child’s safety, wellbeing or future care. Weekend foster carers should complete it in the format provided by their fostering agency, following the child’s care plan, placement agreement and recording guidance.

Use clear, professional language. Entries should be factual, chronological and easy for another professional to understand. Record what you directly saw, heard or did, rather than making assumptions about a child’s motives or using labels such as “difficult” or “attention-seeking”. If you include information provided by someone else, identify the source, for example, “the child said…” or “the parent reported…”. Use the child’s own words where they are important, particularly if they describe a worry, disclosure or change in how they feel.

Each entry should normally be dated and, where relevant, timed. It should be clear which carer made the entry. Avoid leaving unexplained gaps, writing several days after an event or relying on memory when notes could be made sooner. If you make a mistake, follow the agency’s correction process. Do not erase, overwrite or delete the original entry; a correction should remain traceable and include the date and your identification.

Complete the agency’s required sections. Depending on the fostering service and the child’s plan, this may include information about routines, presentation, activities, communication, belongings, arrangements for the next placement or any follow-up needed. Some agencies use an online recording system, while others provide paper forms. Use only the approved system and do not create informal parallel records unless your supervising social worker has asked you to do so.

At the end of the placement, check that the record is complete and submit it through the stated process. Highlight anything that still needs action rather than assuming another person will notice it. If information is missing, a concern has been raised, or an event needs a separate report, tell the supervising social worker or the agency’s nominated contact and complete any additional form required. A placement record does not replace the agency’s safeguarding, medication or incident-reporting procedures.

Keep records confidential and secure. Do not discuss the child’s circumstances with people who are not involved in their care, publish information online or take photographs of records. Paper documents should be stored securely, and electronic records should be accessed only through approved accounts and devices. Follow the agency’s instructions for sending, storing, returning and disposing of records. Do not keep copies after the agency’s retention arrangements require them to be returned or destroyed.

Recording is also part of professional supervision. Your supervising social worker may review entries to check that the child’s needs are being understood and that agreed actions have been followed. Use that review to clarify unfamiliar recording requirements, ask how to document sensitive information and identify any training or support needed.

If a child makes a safeguarding disclosure or there is an immediate risk of harm, act in line with the agency’s safeguarding procedure and seek urgent assistance where necessary. Make the written record afterwards as soon as it is safe to do so, preserving the child’s words and recording who was informed and what action was taken. Do not investigate the matter yourself or ask leading questions.

Before accepting a weekend placement, ask the fostering agency where records must be kept, what must be completed after the child leaves, who receives the information and how quickly concerns should be reported under its procedures. These arrangements should be explained during assessment, preparation training and supervision, so you are not expected to design your own recording system.