Medical Assessment for Foster carers

Nottinghamshire County Council is seeking a medical assessor (Provider) to provide medical assessments for existing and potential foster carers to support the foster care application process. Detailed requirements are set out in the service specification. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide sufficient accommodation for Looked After Children. This is challenging as sufficiency of foster care and residential care placements has been identified as an issue nationally. Any delays to reviews and applications of foster carers compounds this issue, both locally and nationally. Nottinghamshire County Council aims to address local sufficiency challenges in foster carers, in part by recruiting additional foster carers into the local authority. As part of the recruitment process, foster cares undergo and assessment by a medical practitioner. This assessment has previously been carried out by the foster carer's GP. However, due to Covid-19, GP practices are operating at and beyond capacity, this is delaying and preventing new foster carers coming into the foster care system, and existing foster carers from having reviews. The aim of the service is to improve sufficiency in foster carers by supporting the recruitment of new foster carers, and the review of existing foster carers. Medical assessments are required for the following cohorts - • New potential foster carers to support their applications • Existing foster carers where reviews are required • 'Connected carers' where the foster carer has a relationship to the child • Foster carers wishing to care for children under a Special Guardianship Order As a fostering agency, Nottinghamshire County Council are expected to have a medical advisor . , All foster carers should have a medical as part of their assessment process and their 3-yearly review The contract will have an initial duration of 36 months with an option to extend with a further 12 months.