What records must a therapeutic foster carer keep?

Therapeutic foster carers must keep records that provide an accurate, dated account of the child’s care, behaviour, feelings, relationships and progress. These records help the fostering service, social workers and other professionals understand what the child needs, evaluate therapeutic approaches and make safe, consistent decisions. Your agency or local authority will explain which forms and systems to use, as requirements can vary between services.

Daily observations and progress notes

Daily notes should record what you observed and how you responded, rather than offering unsupported judgements. Useful entries may include:

• the child’s mood, behaviour, presentation and interaction with others;
• changes in sleep, eating, routines or self-care;
• activities, achievements and opportunities the child was offered;
• situations that caused distress, and what helped the child to regulate;
• the child’s own words where these are important, using quotation marks and recording the context; and
• any patterns or changes that may need to be discussed with the supervising social worker.

Write entries as soon as reasonably possible while events are fresh. Use specific descriptions, such as “left the room and was shaking”, rather than labels such as “was difficult”. Separate what you saw or heard from your interpretation. If you are unsure whether something is significant, record it and ask your supervising social worker for advice.

Linking records to the therapeutic plan

Therapeutic fostering involves considering the reasons behind behaviour and responding in a planned, relationship-based way. Records should show how the child responded to agreed strategies, routines and interventions. Note what was tried, the child’s response and any follow-up needed. Do not present yourself as making a clinical diagnosis or changing a therapeutic plan independently. Concerns about the plan, the child’s presentation or a possible unmet need should be shared through the agreed professional process.

Health, education and appointments

Keep the information requested by your fostering service about health appointments, medication, treatment, sleep-related concerns, accidents and advice from health professionals. Record school or college attendance, important meetings, educational progress and relevant communication with teachers. Include the date, who provided the information and any action agreed. Medication records must follow the service’s procedure, including instructions for recording administration, missed doses, side effects or concerns.

Contact, incidents and safeguarding concerns

Contact with parents, relatives and other important people should be recorded according to the child’s contact plan. Include whether contact took place, significant events during or after it, the child’s response and any concerns. An incident involving injury, missing episodes, allegations, damage, aggression, self-harm, exploitation or a safeguarding concern normally requires the service’s incident or safeguarding procedure as well as a factual note in the usual record. Report concerns through the required route without waiting to complete a lengthy entry.

Incident records should state the sequence of events, who was present, actions taken, injuries or damage observed, and who was informed. Avoid speculation, blame or language that could be interpreted as judgemental. If an allegation is made, record the person’s words as accurately as possible and do not investigate it yourself beyond ensuring immediate safety and following instructions from the relevant professionals.

Recording communications and decisions

Keep a clear note of important telephone calls, emails, meetings and discussions with social workers, the child’s family, school, health professionals and your fostering service. Record:

• the date and method of communication;
• who took part;
• the key information shared;
• decisions or changes agreed;
• actions allocated to each person; and
• when the matter needs to be reviewed.

This creates a reliable record of decisions and reduces the risk of different professionals working from conflicting information. Keep copies or references to important documents in the location specified by your service, rather than creating unofficial duplicate systems.

Accuracy, corrections and professional language

Each entry should be dated and identified with your name or initials in accordance with the recording system. Do not delete or overwrite an original entry. If you make a mistake, correct it using the method required by your service so that the original wording, correction and date remain clear. If you remember something later, add a further dated entry and explain that it is an additional note.

Use respectful, child-centred language. Avoid unnecessary personal opinions, abbreviations that others may not understand and descriptions that could stigmatise the child. Records may later be read by the child, their family, professionals or an independent reviewer, subject to the relevant rules. Write on the basis that every entry should be understandable and defensible to someone who was not there.

Keeping records secure

Paper records should be stored as instructed by the fostering service, with access restricted to authorised people. Electronic records must be kept in the approved system or device and protected with suitable passwords and security settings. Do not leave records visible, discuss them where they can be overheard or share them through personal email or messaging apps unless your service has specifically authorised that method. Take particular care with photographs, school information, health details and documents containing identifying information.

Fostering records should not be copied, removed or destroyed without following the service’s instructions. The fostering service will explain retention, archiving, access and disposal arrangements, including what to do when a placement ends. Ask before sharing information with another organisation or person, even where you believe the information would be helpful; confidentiality and information-sharing rules apply.

How records are reviewed

Your supervising social worker should explain how often records are reviewed and how they contribute to supervision, placement reviews and assessments of the child’s progress. Bring significant observations, repeated patterns and uncertainties to supervision rather than relying only on written notes. Good recording is not about producing a diary of every ordinary moment. It is about providing a consistent, balanced account of the child’s experience and the care provided.

Before you begin fostering, ask your fostering service to show you its recording templates, electronic systems, incident forms, confidentiality rules and guidance on therapeutic observations. Training and supervision should help you distinguish routine notes from matters that need immediate reporting. When in doubt, make the situation safe, follow the child’s care plan and contact the appropriate member of the fostering team for direction.