Chapter Contents
Cars
During your time with the child or young person, you will undoubtedly need to use your car to travel with the children you are looking after. Disabled children or those who have additional needs might require special equipment. You should consider any risks in relation to the child and put in place appropriate precautions and ensure adequate supervision.
Legal requirements
You must ensure that any person you ask to transport your foster children has sufficient driving experience, that they have a valid driving licence and that their vehicle has a current MOT.
When you have your initial Household Health & Safety Check, we will ask to see all drivers’ licences, vehicle insurance, tax, and MOT. Insurance companies may require foster parents to include business use on their vehicle insurance. These checks will continue annually when you have your annual review.
Maintenance
If you are transporting children, your vehicle must be well-maintained. We recommend that you have your car serviced regularly in addition to the legally required MOT check. This helps to reduce the risk of the car breaking down whilst transporting children.
Car Seats
Children must use a child car seat until they are 12 years old, or 135cm tall (whichever comes first). For further information on the law relating to the use of child car seats, please refer to these guidelines.
Children must use a rear-facing seat until the they are 15 months old. Never fit a rear-facing child seat in the front of the car if there is an active airbag on the passenger side. When your child reaches 15 months, their neck will be stronger and it will now be safe to mount their car seat facing forward.
Children weighing more than 22kg and taller than 125cm can use a backless booster seat. Smaller children should use a high-backed booster seat.
Fit child seats using ISOFIX mountings or a diagonal seat belt strap.
Children of 12 years old or taller than 135cm do not need to use a child seat, but must always wear a seat belt when travelling in the car.
It is safer for children to travel in the rear seats as there are more front impact crashes. Therefore, if you have the choice, put the child in a rear passenger seat. If the middle rear seat has a 3 point diagonal belt, this is the safest seat to travel in. Always check that the child seat fits properly in the position you have chosen.
Do not buy a Second Hand Seat as you cannot be certain of its history. It may have been involved in an accident and been seriously weakened; the damage might not be visible. A new seat ensures that it complies with current safety laws.
Do
- Service your car regularly. Keep it in good condition and road legal.
- Notify your supervising social worker if you get any penalty points on your driving licence.
- Make sure you are insured to drive the vehicle that you are using.
- Ensure pets are securely positioned in the back of the car when travelling.
- Fit child locks to the passenger doors if necessary
Don’t
- Don’t carry children and young people in vans or other transport that are not designed and safe for passengers (e.g. without appropriate restraints).
- Never leave children and babies alone in the car and don’t carry passengers in a caravan or trailer you are towing.
- Don’t allow young people to drive your car unless agreed by their legal guardians, licensed and insured. Keep your car keys safe (where they cannot be taken by the child/young person and never leave them in the ignition).
- Don’t drive under the influence of anything which affects your driving or makes your driving illegal.
- Never carry children on the back of motorbikes without agreement, a helmet and appropriate clothing.
- Don’t let children put their limbs out of the window while the car is moving or throw things out. Consider if there needs to be an additional adult to supervise them whilst you are driving.
Cycles
Getting children involved in cycling at an early age is a great way of keeping them fit and healthy. You must, however, also consider safety and accident prevention.
Make sure that the bike is the right size for the child. They should be able to place the balls of their feet on the floor while sitting on the bike. If you buy the bike from a reputable retailer, they will be able to advise on the most appropriate type and size. They will also be able to supply you with other safety equipment that you need, and maybe even a cycle service plan.
If the cycle is to be used when it is dark, make sure that it is fitted with lights and reflectors. All bikes should have a bell or a horn too.
Young people must be provided with a cycle helmet and encouraged to wear it whenever they ride their bike, especially if they are riding on public roads. They should also wear bright clothing when riding on the road so that other road users can see them clearly. We recommend long-sleeved tops and long trousers when cycling to reduce injury during a fall. Young children might also need knee and elbow protectors while they are learning to ride a bike.
Wherever possible, young people should use dedicated cycle routes, paths, and lanes as these are often safer than the road. When young people need to ride on roads, they should know the basic skills required and have good road sense. Cycle training courses are a good method of providing this.
It is dangerous to wear a personal stereo or use a mobile phone whilst cycling.
Find out about cycle safety training for children here.
For road safety information see here.
Electric Bikes and Scooters
UK law restricts the use of electric bikes and scooters.
Young people can ride an electric bike if they are 14 years old. They do not need to register the bike and they do not need tax or insurance.
If a young person is using an electric bike, they should follow the same safety advice for pushbikes. The bike must be well-maintained, with lights and reflectors, a bell or horn, and the young person must have a cycle helmet.
Electric scooters are popular with young people. However, it is illegal to ride them on a public road, cycle lane, public footpath, or a council park. Young people can only ride them on private land, with the land-owner’s permission.
Some councils have introduced schemes for the legal hire of electric scooters. However, young people must be over 16 and have at least a provisional driving licence to hire one. They would also need motor vehicle insurance.
Advice regarding electric bikes and scooters – fire risk
The number of people using e-bikes and e-scooters is increasing. E-bikes and e-scooters use large lithium-ion batteries which can present a serious risk of serious fire or explosion in certain circumstances. While these can be used safely, there have been an increasing number of fires involving lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters, including standard bikes which have been changed to an e-bike using a conversion kit.
The government guidance if using these types of bikes or scooters must be followed.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has issued an important safety message, highlighting the steps people should take when owning or buying an e-bike or e-scooter.
- Step 1: RESEARCH – only buy an e-bike, e-scooter, charger or battery from a known seller and check any product reviews
- Step 2: READ – always read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for charging and using e-bikes or e-scooters
- Step 3: CHECK – not all e-bike or e-scooter batteries and chargers are compatible or safe when used together. Check and only use the manufacturer’s recommended battery or charger
- Step 4: CHARGE – always charge in a safe place without blocking exits and always unplug your charger when you have finished charging
- Step 5: NEVER – attempt to modify or tamper with your battery
The warning signs your e-bike or e-scooter battery is a fire hazard
A fire can develop quickly, within a few seconds, and often without warning. Formation of smoke or a white vapour cloud indicate the start of battery failure and fire. Listed below are other signs that your battery is a fire hazard.
You must stop using or charging your battery immediately if you notice any of the following:
- Overheating: If your device’s battery feels extremely hot to the touch
- Deformation: If your battery looks swollen. Similar signs include any type of lump or leaking from the device.
- Noise: If your battery is making hissing or cracking sounds.
- Smell: If you notice a strong or unusual smell coming from the battery
- Performance: If your battery does not fully charge or is taking longer to charge than normal
- Smoke: If your battery or device is smoking.
How to reduce the risk of fires from your e-bikes or e-scooters’ lithium battery
The majority of fires related to e-bikes and e-scooters have happened in homes. These fires often happen when charging batteries. There are a number of ways you can reduce the risk of fire when charging your e-bike or e-scooter battery in the home;
- Don’t charge e-bikes and e-scooters in bedrooms or where escape routes can be blocked – for example, hallways
- Don’t leave your battery charging unattended, when you are out or while you are asleep.
- Don’t cover chargers or battery packs while charging
- Fit smoke alarms in the area where you charge your batteries and test them once a month to make sure they work.
- Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for charging and using your product.
- Always use the manufacturer-approved battery and charger.
- If you need a replacement battery or charger for your e-bike or e-scooter go directly back to the manufacturer or retailer you bought it from to ensure its safe.
- Regularly inspect your product and check for damage or warning signs that your battery might be failing and becoming a fire risk.
- Don’t attempt to modify or tamper with your battery.
- Only buy e-bikes, e-scooters, chargers and batteries from reputable retailers and manufacturers
- Check the product is marked with a CE or UKCA mark to ensure they comply with UK product safety standards
This list is non-exhaustive and further safety procedures can be found on https://fireengland.uk/fire-safety/charging-your-e-bike-or-e-scooter
For Further Advice-:
How to keep your home safe when charging your e-bike or e-scooter | Fire England
Motorised Vehicles
If you have any motorised vehicles on the premises (e.g. motorbike, quad bike, jet ski) or hire these for activities with young people, we will complete a risk assessment form with you to ensure that the young people’s safety is protected. We will look at:
- Training for young people
- Safety equipment
- Supervision
- Maintenance of the vehicles
- Storage of the vehicle/s and their keys
We will also make sure that the young person’s social worker has given the activity their approval.
You will be responsible for ensuring that legal requirements are met (i.e. registration, licence, MOT, road tax, and insurance) and we may ask to see the evidence. See the following online resources for information about requirements:
https://www.gov.uk/quad-bikes-the-rules
https://www.gov.uk/ride-motorcycle-moped
Caravans
If you have a caravan, we will complete a risk assessment form with you and discuss the safety of these for children.
If young people are going to share a bedroom or tent then our ‘bedroom sharing risk assessment’ will also be completed before this is agreed.
The risk assessment considers:
- the camping site (e.g. if it’s near a lake, or close to a road)
- the safety of heating and electric sources
- safe sleeping arrangements
- physical security
- hazardous substances
- general maintenance
Caravans might not be safe and secure for some young people, and the child’s individual risk assessment will also need to be taken into account. Your supervising social worker will discuss this with you if there are any concerns.
Boats
If you own a boat/canoe or hire one for use with young people, we will complete a risk assessment form with you, to ensure that the young people are safe.
We will look at:
- First Aid and lifesaving training
- Training for young people when they are in charge of a craft
- Safety equipment
- Supervision
- Maintenance of the boat
- Emergency procedures
You will be responsible for ensuring that legal requirements are met (e.g. licence, Boat Safety Scheme certificate, and insurance) and we may ask to see the evidence. We will also ask to see evidence that any gas appliances on board a boat have been safety-checked.
