How are records and confidentiality managed in a therapeutic foster home?

Records in a therapeutic foster home provide an accountable account of a child’s care, experiences, progress and changing needs. They should be factual, timely and relevant, while confidentiality means handling information responsibly rather than keeping information secret when sharing it is necessary to protect the child or support their care.

What may be recorded? A child’s records can include daily observations, health information, education updates, contact arrangements, appointments, significant events, incidents, delegated decisions and communications with professionals. In therapeutic care, records may also describe patterns in behaviour, emotional responses, triggers, coping strategies and responses to particular approaches. These entries should focus on what was seen, heard or done, rather than presenting assumptions as fact.

For example, a useful entry might state that a child left the room after a particular conversation, appeared tearful and declined an activity, followed by the steps taken to help them feel safe. It should avoid labels or untested conclusions about the child’s intentions. Where a child makes an important disclosure, their words should be recorded as accurately as possible, with the date, time, context and actions that followed.

Who is responsible for recording? Foster carers normally contribute to the child’s day-to-day record, following the fostering service’s guidance and any agreed format. The supervising social worker can help carers understand what needs to be recorded, how much detail is appropriate and when an entry should be escalated. The child’s social worker and other professionals remain responsible for formal assessments, care planning and statutory decisions.

Records should be made promptly, dated and attributable to the person making the entry. If an error is found, it should be corrected in line with the agreed procedure so that the original information and the amendment remain transparent. Entries should not be deleted simply because they are uncomfortable, disputed or no longer convenient. A factual response or later clarification can be added instead.

How is confidentiality applied? Information is shared on a need-to-know basis. This means considering whether the recipient has a legitimate role in the child’s care, whether the information is relevant to that role and whether sharing is proportionate. A therapeutic formulation, health detail or account of an incident should not be discussed casually with neighbours, friends or members of the wider family.

Foster carers should also protect the child’s privacy within the household. Family members may need practical information to help provide safe care, but they do not automatically need access to the child’s full history or professional records. Children should not be identified in social media posts, photographs, messages or informal conversations without the appropriate permission and safeguards.

Confidentiality does not prevent action where there is a safeguarding concern. Information may need to be shared with social care, health professionals, the police, education staff or other authorised people when this is necessary to respond to risk, an allegation, a disclosure or a significant change in presentation. The reason for sharing, what was shared and who received it should be recorded. If there is uncertainty, the foster carer should follow the fostering service’s safeguarding and information-sharing procedure rather than making an isolated judgement.

How are records stored and handled? Paper records should be kept in the location and container specified by the fostering service, away from visitors and children who are not authorised to view them. Digital information should only be entered into approved systems or devices, with suitable passwords and access controls. Records should not be sent through personal email accounts, stored on unapproved devices or left visible in shared areas.

Foster carers should take particular care when attending appointments, travelling or working from home. Notes should not be left in vehicles, discussed where they may be overheard or disposed of with ordinary household waste. When information is no longer required, it should be returned, archived or securely destroyed according to the service’s retention arrangements. Suspected loss, unauthorised access or accidental disclosure should be reported promptly through the agreed process.

Can the child see their records? Children should be treated with honesty and respect when information about them is recorded. Depending on their age, understanding and the relevant legal arrangements, they may be able to ask about or access information held about them. Access may need to be managed carefully where records contain information about another person, could create a safeguarding risk or are subject to legal restrictions.

Professionals should consider how records might affect the child if they read them in the future. Language should therefore remain respectful, balanced and free from unnecessary judgement. A therapeutic record should help explain the child’s needs and the support provided, not define the child by past experiences or behaviour.

How are records used in therapeutic care? Accurate recording allows the team to compare observations, identify patterns and review whether agreed strategies are helping. Records can inform supervision, review meetings, care-plan updates, therapeutic work, education planning and decisions about changes to support. They also provide an audit trail when an incident or concern needs to be examined.

Good recording is not about documenting every ordinary moment. It is about capturing information that is relevant to safety, wellbeing, relationships, development and the agreed therapeutic approach. Foster carers should follow the service’s training and recording guidance, ask for clarification when a situation is unclear and raise concerns promptly rather than relying on an informal conversation alone.