Remand Fostering
Remand fostering offers young people who are remanded by the Courts the chance to live with foster carers while they await court proceedings.

Remand Fostering
Remand fostering offers young people who are remanded by the Courts with a remand foster carer while they await court proceedings. A remand placement is usually a short term arrangement and involves a foster carer working closely with youth justice officials.
Legislation
Generally where a child or young person, aged 10 to 16 years (inclusive), is charged with or convicted of an offence and is remanded or committed for trial or sentence and is refused bail, they are remanded to local authority accommodation. The only exceptions are boys aged 15 and 16 years of age, who may meet the criteria for a remand in prison custody unless deemed by the court to be ‘vulnerable’.
For those remanded to local authority accommodation the court may impose any conditions on the individual that it is able to under the Bail Act 1976, or may impose requirements on the local authority. For young people aged 12 to 14 years (inclusive); 15 and 16 year old girls; and 15 and 16 year old boys deemed ‘vulnerable’, this includes the requirement that the individual must be held in certain secure accommodation, commonly known as a court ordered secure remand. Section 21 of the Children Act 1989 places a mandatory duty on local authorities to receive and provide accommodation for all young people who are remanded to local authority accommodation. The local authority has discretion, subject to any requirements imposed by the court, in deciding where a remanded young person should be placed.
Placements may be:
- with a family, relative or other suitable person
- in a registered children’s home or
- in other accommodation arrangements which seem appropriate and which comply with regulations as issued by the Department of Health, such as a remand foster placement.
The issues generally relating to bail and remands to local authority accommodation have been addressed in the Nacro briefing papers, ‘Bail as it affects young people in court’ (March 2003) and ‘Remands to local authority accommodation’ (June 2003). These provide a more detailed account of the issues surrounding bail and local authority obligations and duties in respect of remand to local authority accommodation
24 hour support
Remand foster carers need to have access to comprehensive emergency and out-of-hours support. A 24 hour on call system provided by those who know the carers and young people should enhance the support otherwise available. The Community Alternative Placement Scheme mentioned earlier developed such a system. Use of the service included informing the duty worker of incidents or developments, checking out planned action or asking for advice, and requesting someone to visit or take other action to help resolve a particularly difficult situation.
Remand Foster Carers at Blackburn with Darwen
- Weekly retainer
- Training and Support
- Local offers such as discounted gym, discounts throughout The Mall
- Membership with FosterTalk
- Discounts on holidays and high street shopping (Vectis Card)