Once you’ve made your application to us you’ll be allocated a Social Worker who will get to know your family and work closely with you to consider your suitability to foster, alongside the children whose needs you could best meet and who are suited to your family.
The process of assessment will generally take between four and six months. This entails:
• A number of checks and references, as you would expect, including checks with DBS and the local authority where you live. Issues raised by such references do not necessarily preclude you from fostering but its important you talk to us about these early in the process.
• References being taken up with employers and where you have volunteered with vulnerable people, or with schools if you have children of school age.
• A medical with your GP to check that fostering will not impact on your health.
• Personal references that help us to gather supporting information in relation to your character and relevant or transferable experience.
• In addition, where you have lived overseas or have had significant previous relationships, we will seek to make checks and take references.
Alongside these checks, your Social Worker will meet with you regularly to discuss:
• Personal and Background history
• Your motivation to foster
• Your household, family and lifestyle
• The safety and suitability of your home for fostering
• Your employment and financial stability
• Your skills and capacity
• Your preferences and the child or children you envisage you would foster.
At the end of the assessment, the social worker compiles everything into a report which you contribute to and agree. This is presented to a fostering panel, who make a recommendation regarding your approval as foster carers.
Once a recommendation has been made a senior member of the agency management team, known as the agency decision maker, will consider all of the information with a view to ratifying your approval as foster carers. The time between panel and a decision is usually between 7 – 10 days. You will then be written to, confirming that you are an approved foster carer.
