PART 7Requirements on service providers to ensure access to health, education and other services

Access to health services

27.—(1) The service provider must ensure that foster parents promote the physical, mental and emotional health and development of children placed with them.

(2) In particular, the service provider must put arrangements in place to ensure that foster parents—

(a)register each child with a general practitioner,

(b)provide each child with access to such medical, dental, optical, nursing, psychological and psychiatric advice, treatment and services as the child may require,

(c)support each child to obtain such individual support, aids and equipment which the child may require as a result of any particular health needs or disability they may have, and

(d)provide each child with guidance, support and advice on health, personal care and health promotion issues appropriate to the child’s needs and wishes.

(3) The service provider must have a policy and procedures in place in relation to the administration of medicines by foster parents.

Education, employment and leisure activities

28.—(1) The service provider must ensure that the educational attainment of children placed with foster parents is promoted.

(2) In particular the service provider must—

(a)establish a procedure for monitoring the educational attainment, progress and school attendance of children placed with foster parents,

(b)in relation to school aged children placed with foster parents, ensure foster parents promote the children’s regular attendance at school and participation in school activities, and

(c)provide foster parents with such information and assistance, including equipment, as may be necessary to meet the educational needs of children placed with them.

(3) The service provider must ensure that foster parents promote the leisure interests of children placed with them and support them to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to their age and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts(1).

(4) Where any child placed with foster parents has attained the age where they are no longer required to receive compulsory full-time education, the service provider must assist with the making of, and give effect to, arrangements made for the child in respect of their education, training and employment.

(1)

Section 1 of the Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2011 (nawm 2) requires the Welsh Ministers, when exercising any of their functions, to have due regard to the requirements of Part 1 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989 (“the Convention”). Article 31 of Part 1 of the Convention recognises a child’s right to play.