First Week of a Placement: Routines, School and Contact Setup

Starting a new placement is a blend of practical tasks and gentle relationship building. The first seven days set the tone for safety, stability and trust, so your priorities are simple: create predictable routines, secure the right school arrangements, and set up contact with birth family in a way that’s safe and workable for everyone. Below is a calm, step-by-step way to approach that first week so the child feels grounded and you feel in control.

Day 0–1: Arrival, Safety and a Predictable Rhythm

The first twenty-four hours are about warmth and containment. Keep the welcome low-pressure: show the child their room, the bathroom, the kitchen, and how to reach you at night. Offer food choices, give them space, and agree a simple timetable for the next morning so nothing is a surprise. If there are immediate worries—medication, allergies, sleep issues, fears—note them and message your supervising social worker (SSW) and the child’s social worker so everyone is aligned.

Creating Emotional Safety from Hour One

Emotional safety comes from doing ordinary things well. Say what will happen next, keep your voice level, and avoid sudden changes. Offer small choices to restore control, such as picking pyjamas or a breakfast cereal. If bedtime is tricky, reassure with a night light, the door ajar, and a plan for check-ins. This is also when you quietly complete basic checks around the home and update your safer caring plan to reflect the child’s age, needs and routines.

Building Routines That Stick by the End of Week One

A routine is not a rigid timetable; it’s a scaffold that helps a child relax. Establish wake-up and bedtime windows, mealtimes, homework time, and wind-down rituals. Explain your household’s everyday rules about bathrooms, visitors, devices and snacks so nothing is left to guesswork. Keep the first weekend calm, with familiar comforts and one small, positive outing so the child begins to link your home with safety and predictability.

Making Routines Collaborative, Not Controlling

Involve the child in co-creating the plan. Ask what helped at their last placement or family home and adopt what you can. For younger children, visual schedules and picture cues work; for teens, a short note on the fridge or a phone reminder helps. If a rule triggers distress, explore the feeling and adjust the approach without abandoning boundaries.

School Setup: Attendance, Admissions and Daily Logistics

School is a stabiliser, so move quickly but thoughtfully. If the child can return to their existing school, coordinate transport, uniform, lunch money, and who meets them at the gate. If a change is needed, speak with the Virtual School or designated teacher to plan a start date that doesn’t overwhelm. Share key information on health, special educational needs, and any safety considerations so staff know how to support.

First Week Conversations with School

Introduce yourself to the designated teacher and agree how you will communicate—email for routine updates and phone for anything urgent. Confirm who can collect the child, who can receive information, and how behaviour or safeguarding concerns will be shared. If a Personal Education Plan meeting is due, get a date in the diary, and make sure the child knows what to expect and has a say in targets that feel achievable.

Contact Setup: Clarity, Consistency and Kindness

Contact with birth family can be an anchor and a stressor at the same time. Your role is to implement the plan safely, not to negotiate it alone. Clarify the court-ordered or local authority contact arrangements, venues, supervision level, and transport. Share the schedule with the child in simple language, letting them know who will drop off, who will supervise, and what they can bring to feel comfortable.

Preparing the Child and Managing Feelings

Before contact, rehearse the plan and validate mixed feelings—excitement, sadness, anger, relief all make sense. After contact, keep the next hour quiet with a predictable routine, a snack and time to decompress. Record what actually happened factually, including timings, mood before and after, and any messages handed over, then share with your SSW according to your recording policy.

Health and Essentials: From GP to Toothbrushes

Early health tasks bring reassurance. Check whether initial health assessment paperwork has been completed and whether the child is registered with a GP, dentist and optician locally. Confirm prescriptions, dosages and storage, and replace essentials like toothbrushes, hair care products, underwear and school kit so the child feels provided for. Keep receipts and mileage notes if your agency or local authority reimburses these costs.

Sleep, Food and Sensory Comforts

Sleep and food can be flashpoints in the first week. Offer familiar food, avoid power struggles, and provide bedtime rituals that soothe—reading, a playlist, or a consistent “lights out” window. If the child has sensory sensitivities, soften lighting, offer weighted blankets where appropriate, and keep noise predictable.

Boundaries, Phones and Online Safety

Set clear, age-appropriate rules for device use, gaming, and social media. Explain why the rules exist and how they protect privacy, safety and sleep. For teens, agree a phone parking spot at night and be explicit about what happens if boundaries wobble. If there are safety concerns around online contact with risky adults, work with school and social workers on safeguards and a shared response.

Making Boundaries Feel Fair

Boundaries land better when they feel consistent and universal. Show that household rules apply to everyone, with reasonable flexibility for age and school needs. Recognise effort generously—catch the child doing things right and name the behaviour you appreciate.

Communication and Recording: Keep It Simple and Factual

In the first week there will be updates. Use a daily log with short factual entries: what you observed, what actions you took, and any outcomes. Avoid judgemental language; stick to time-stamped facts and the child’s own words where relevant. Share urgent issues promptly, and save the reflective analysis for supervision with your SSW.

Joining the Team Around the Child

You are not alone. Ask for names and contact details for the child’s social worker, IRO, supervising social worker, designated teacher and any therapists. Clarify the best channel and response times. If you disagree with a decision, raise it respectfully and record the steps you take so there’s a transparent trail.

Supporting Your Own Family and Birth Children

A new placement reshapes the household. Check in with your birth children, validate their feelings, and keep their routines intact where possible. Set private spaces and clear bathroom turn-taking to reduce friction. Share a simple plan for what to do if anyone feels overwhelmed, and make time for one-to-one moments so your own children still feel seen.

Keeping the Atmosphere Warm

Aim for ordinary warmth rather than staged fun. Involve everyone in small, low-stakes activities—board games, cooking, a local walk—so bonds grow while pressure stays low. If the child prefers their room at first, respect it and offer repeated invitations without commentary.

Money, Allowances and Practical Claims

Ask your agency or local authority what you can claim in week one, from mileage for school and contact to clothing essentials and pocket money. Keep receipts and a simple log that includes purpose, date and amount. If you’re unsure, check with your SSW before spending larger sums so there are no surprises later.

Explaining Money to the Child

Children notice money quickly. Be honest and age-appropriate: explain how pocket money works, what it’s for, and when it’s given. If clothing or equipment is needed, involve the child in choosing within a reasonable budget so they feel ownership and dignity.

When the Placement Wobbles

Even well-planned placements wobble. If behaviours spike—night-waking, refusals, shutdowns—scale back demands and return to basics: predictable routines, small choices, sensory calm and soft reassurance. Loop in your SSW early, let school know what’s happening, and ask for practical support like respite or additional check-ins if needed.

Repairing Quickly and Keeping Trust

If there’s conflict, repair matters more than perfection. Offer a reset, name your part if you mis-stepped, and reassure the child they’re still safe and welcome. Keep today’s goals small: attend school, share one meal, settle for the night. Tomorrow you can add the next brick.

A Simple First-Week Checklist to Keep You Grounded

By day seven, aim to have the essentials in place. The child knows the daily rhythm and who to talk to at night. School is aware, transport is sorted, and a start date or return plan is agreed. Contact is scheduled and explained. Health basics are covered, with appointments set if needed. Your logs are up to date, your safer caring plan reflects the child’s needs, and you’ve had at least one supervision conversation to review how things are going.

The Week One Promise

The first week doesn’t have to be dramatic to be successful. If the home feels predictable, school feels reachable, contact feels manageable, and the child feels believed, you have already done the most important work. Keep building in small, steady steps, and use your team—this is a shared journey, and you don’t have to carry it alone.