What Health and Safety Legislation Applies to Foster Carers?
The Department of Education has set clear legislation outlining the health and safety rules that foster carers should be aware of when caring for children and young people. This is a summarised health and safety legislation that applies to foster carers.
As you would expect, the UK government has established legislation to protect the health and safety of children living in foster care. Any foster carer should read the document with the National Minimum Standards (NMS) that applies to fostering services. It is from this document that we will explain the health and safety legislation that applies to foster carers.
Standard 10: Promoting a suitable physical environment for the foster child.
It is from the NMS Standard 10 that foster carers find legislation for health and safety when fostering.
The expected outcome of Standard 10
Children live in foster homes which provide adequate space, to a suitable standard. The child enjoys access to a range of activities that promote his/her development.
Overview of the legislation
- The home should provide comfortable accommodation for all living there. Where appropriate, it should be suitably fitted with trained staff to care for a disabled child.
- The foster home should be warm, adequately furnished, and maintains good standards of hygiene. Outdoor spaces should be clean, safe, and well-maintained.
- The foster carer should understand the policy governing foster children during transportation and in homes.
- A foster home should be inspected annually, without an appointment, to ensure it meets the set standards.
- Every child above the age of three should have their own bedroom. Where such an arrangement is not possible, sharing a bedroom can be agreed upon by each child’s responsible authority; and in such case, each child should have a private area within the bedroom. However, such arrangements should be made with the authorisation of the fostering agency, which will assess the probable bullying that may occur and take into account history of abuse, as well as any other relevant information.
Home Safety Checklist
To ensure adherence to the health and safety legislation, foster carers should have a look at this checklist.
- Fire Safety: Every fostering household is expected to have a fire emergency evacuation plan. A home should also have smoke detectors on every floor.
- Falls: To prevent falls, fostering households should check regulations covering carpets, stair gates, bunk beds, Moses Baskets, outdoor play equipment, and trampolines.
- Burns and Scalds : There should be fireguards around any open fires. There should also be cooker safety guards and regulation of bath water temperatures.
- Strangulation and Suffocation: Any items such as curtains and toys that may pose a hazard to a child should be considered.
- Poisoning: All medicines, cleaning products, and plants should be kept out of reach of children or in a locked cabinet.
- Drowning: Proper care should be taken around areas that are prone to drowning such as baths, ponds, and pools. Access to these areas should be restricted or controlled in accordance with the age of the child.
- Cutting injuries: Proper care should be taken when storing sharp items such as knives, razors, glass, or any other sharp implements. They should be kept out of reach of children.
- Vehicle Safety: The vehicle used to transport the child should be safe and have up-to-date insurance. Children should be in a child car seat until they are 12 years old or 135 cm tall, whichever comes first. Children over 12 or more than 135cm tall must wear a seat belt.
- Firearms: A foster carer holding a licensed gun is expected to meet the Firearm Regulation 1998, which includes securely storing them to prevent unauthorised access to the gun.
- Pets and Livestock: Foster carers must declare all pets and livestock before the placement of a child. A social worker should be informed before a new pet or livestock is added to a fostering household.
Do you still have questions?
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about your role and the legislation around the health and safety of foster children.
