Chapter Contents
Pets
There are many benefits to owning pets, and they give great happiness to many people.
Most children and young people love pets and want to look after them, hold and cuddle them. As a foster parent, you need to make sure this can happen safely for the child and the pet.
Pets or animals have the potential to be dangerous in some way. Some danger is obvious, like a dog that could bark and scare or even bite, or a cat that could scratch. Other dangers are less obvious e.g. pet lizards excrete Salmonella bacteria and therefore very young children should not handle them; un-wormed dogs’ or cats’ faeces may transmit Toxocara to people; pets jumping into a cot or playpen may cause asphyxiation.
When you have a child coming into your home you need to make sure they are safe and comfortable with any pets or animals you may have. Some carers own and keep horses or introduce children to horse riding centres/stables. You should ensure that those who supervise children around horses are competent to do so, that children have the necessary protective equipment and that the horse is insured in the event of injury to the rider.
Do:
- Inform your Assessing / Supervising Social Worker if you have any pets. They will complete a Pet Risk Assessment Form with you. In the event of concerns of any significant risk towards a child or young person, the agency will consult with an appropriately qualified person.
- Arrange appropriate supervision of children and animals when they are together.
- Check that the children you are looking after are not a risk to or allergic to any of your pets, and decide with your Supervising Social Worker what to do if they are.
- Keep pets out of the kitchen wherever possible, particularly when preparing food. Never let any animal onto work surfaces.
- Always keep pet bowls separate from family crockery and wash them separately. Never let pets eat from family plates.
- Always wash your hands after handling an animal or pet. Make sure everyone else in the household does the same.
- Regularly empty litter trays and ensure that children do not come into contact with the pet litter.
- Keep cages, hutches, and other living spaces for pets clean, and dry them well before putting new bedding in place. Remember to vacuum pet cushions and baskets and clean them regularly.
- Make sure children cannot insert their fingers into, or fall into fish and amphibian tanks.
- Clean up any fouling straight away, using hygienic processes and disinfectants where safe to do so. Special products are available from pet stores and veterinary practices for cleaning difficult surfaces. Always wear gloves, and if they are reusable, disinfect them after each use.
Don’t:
- Don’t carry animals and children together in the car or other vehicles unless the animal is in an appropriate carrying case or behind a cargo barrier.
- Never let dogs or other animals lick children’s faces.
- Don’t leave ground floor windows open or unprotected where anyone is sleeping if there is a possibility of an animal getting in.
- Don’t allow children and young people to tease, provoke or mishandle pets and animals.
Read our policy regarding the assessment of dogs and pets
Livestock
Where carers keep livestock, we will conduct a risk assessment on either the basis that the home is a ‘smallholiding’ or that the animals are pets.
Our consideration will be for the welfare of the animals as well as the safety of children and young people. Access to the animals will need to be well-managed, children educated in the safe handling and care or animals and any legal requirements checked.
The following resources can be used to identify health and safety requirements for livestock:
https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/pets/farm-animals.html
https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/farm/farmanimals
https://www.farmgarden.org.uk/system/files/keepinganimals.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/topic/keeping-farmed-animals
Smallholdings and Working Farms
The HSE has a range of publications regarding the safety of children on farms.
See HSE’s guidance on preventing accidents to children on farms at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg472.pdf
Social workers who carry out the risk assessment for placements at working farms need to read the HSE guidance. They might consult with an inspector from the HSE or the local Environmental Health Department for advice and/or assistance in assessing the premises.
Children and young people who are to be placed at a working farm will need to have an adequate induction to farm health and safety beforehand.
