Child Protection Procedures - East Ayrshire Council

3.14.1.3 Any such concerns should be reported immediately to a
Team Leader/Service Officer (Fostering and Adoption) who
will inform the Principal Officer (Children & Families and
Criminal Justice).
3.14.2 Introduction
3.14.2.1 This chapter lays out the procedures to be followed when
allegations of abuse of children in foster care are made. It
is important to emphasise that the expectations of staff or
substitute carers are different from those of natural parents
and that while the process of investigation may be similar
the range of outcomes is very different. It must be
acknowledged that the term ‘foster care’ covers a wide
range of circumstances and it is important that
consideration is given to the specific circumstances of the
placement being investigated. As in all considerations of
alleged or suspected child abuse, the interests of the child
are paramount.
3.14.2.2 It is recognised that foster carers who are caring for other
people’s children can be particularly vulnerable to
allegations of abuse. The nature of foster care is often
inherently stressful for all concerned and children from
troubled backgrounds often have difficulty in adjusting to
alternative family life. an effective balance must be
achieved between safeguarding the foster child while
recognising the complexity of the task and the potential
vulnerability of carers.
3.14.3 Deciding How to Respond
3.14.3.1 As with all families there may be a range of concerns or
complaints which necessitate investigation and
intervention. It is important that a clear decision is made at
the outset of any investigation about whether child
protection procedures are being used.
3.14.3.2 When a child makes an allegation a decision has to be
made whether it is in fact an allegation of abuse. If it
appears that the child has suffered significant harm at the
hands of a foster carer then it should be dealt with as an
allegation of abuse.
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