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Contents

1. Enquiries    
2. Initial Visit     
3. Induction Training   
4. Application Forms and Checks 
5. Health     
6. Personal References 
7. Home Study/Assessment 
8. Presentation to the Fostering Panel
9. After the Fostering Panel’s Recommendation  
10. Representations Procedure/ Independent Review Procedure 
11. After the Approval    
12. Family Books/Profiles 
13. Register of Foster Carers  

1. Enquiries

In relation to every new enquiry received by the Fostering Service, a duty officer will complete a Short Enquiry Form to pass to the manager.  Where appropriate a social worker will telephone the enquirer in order to obtain further detailed information and complete a full Enquiry Form.

The Enquiry Form will then be passed to the administrative staff for loading onto the electronic recording system and onto the New Enquiry Spreadsheet.

The Enquiry Form will then be passed to the Fostering Assessment and Recruitment Team manager.

Where appropriate, the enquirer will then be invited to an Information Evening where they will given a broad range of information about fostering and the opportunity to meet staff, current carers and other applicants.  At the Information Evening they will be provided with an information pack containing full details about the assessment process, the checks required about any applicant and members of the household, and the likely time-scale involved.

The enquirer will be asked to confirm in writing if they wish to pursue their interest.

The Fostering Assessment and Recruitment Team manager will consider each enquiry and if it appears appropriate, a social worker will be allocated to carry out an initial visit.

If the enquiry is not deemed appropriate, for example because there are known child protection concerns in relation to the family, the enquirer will be informed in writing of this decision, with reasons.

The Fostering Service will keep monthly statistics of the number of enquiries made and, where known, reasons why enquiries have not been pursued.

2. Initial Visit

The case will be allocated to a social worker from the Fostering Assessment and Recruitment Team for an initial visit to be made to those who indicate a wish to proceed with their interest.

The purpose of the visit is to give further information, answer questions, explore the potential of the applicant to foster and confirm whether the applicant wishes to proceed further.  See Initial Assessment Practice Guidance. 

 Enquirers will be advised not to pursue their application where they have recently faced significant challenges within their family, such as newly formed partnerships or reconstituted families, serious illness, pregnancy, separation or bereavement. 

Enquirers may also be counselled out of pursuing their application for a variety of reasons at any time during the course of the assessment process where it is considered that the application would be inappropriate, for example where there are concerns about the information obtained from checks or about any attempt to cover up information about offences.

Where the enquirer still wishes to proceed and there is no reason for them not to continue, their name will be placed on the list for the next Induction Training and the team’s administrative staff will update the child's electronic records.

3. Induction Training

When it is decided to invite enquirers to Induction, a written invitation will be sent, together with an application form and information about the following:

• The criteria and competencies sought in foster carers;
• The Complaints procedure;
• The BAAF Form F;
• A flowchart of the assessment process; and
• Various leaflets and handouts relating to the content of the Groups.

The Induction Training provides an opportunity for the Assessment and Recruitment Team social workers to find out more about the prospective applicants and have a clearer idea of their strengths, areas for further work and any concerns that need to be clarified as part of the assessment process. 

The Induction Training is also aimed at self-assessment in that it enables prospective applicants to find out more about fostering and help them discover whether fostering is right for them and their family. 

A record will be completed of the prospective applicants’ attendance and this will be entered on the electronic recording system.

Those attending the Induction training will be invited to complete an application form if they still wish to proceed with their interest in fostering.

Applicants are expected to attend all the Induction Training offered before being considered as prospective foster carers.  In the case of couples, both must attend. 

If the application is not deemed appropriate, for example because of information emerging from the Groups which lead to child protection concerns in relation to the family or the family’s values, the applicant will be informed in writing of this decision, with reasons.

Otherwise where applications are not received from those attending the Induction Training, the administrative staff will be asked to follow these up on a fortnightly basis.

4. Application Forms and Checks

Where an application is received, the administrative staff will open a new record for the applicants, update the electronic recording system and pass this to the Assessment and Recruitment Manager for allocation.

Checks on the applicant, all members of the household and frequent visitors over 16 will be actioned by the administrative staff and the spreadsheet will be updated as necessary.

The administrative staff will write to the Probation Service, Health Trust, Education Authority, Schools (in relation to the applicant’s own children) and Children's Services for the area where the applicants live. Checks will include whether the applicant has a right to work in the UK.

The applicants will be asked to complete the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure forms and produce the necessary identification.

Where the applicant has made a previous application to foster or adopt, the relevant agency must be asked to confirm in writing the outcome of the application.

The administrative staff will record on the electronic recording system the dates when the checks were sent and the dates when replies were received. Once the replies to the checks have been received, the administrative staff will inform the allocated social worker and the manager.  The administrative staff will chase on a fortnightly basis where replies have not been received.

Where the checks reveal that an applicant or member of the household is within the category of Disqualified Persons (Foster Carer) under the Regulations, an application can be made to the Fostering Panel for consent to the assessment proceeding if the application is for approval as a Kinship Foster Carer of a specific child requiring a placement and that, on the basis of a completed risk assessment, it is appropriate for the assessment to proceed having considered all relevant facts surrounding the circumstances of the disqualification.

In all other cases, the applicant must be informed that the application cannot proceed.

See Persons Disqualified from Fostering Procedures.

The Fostering Panel must make its recommendation on the application within eight months of the receipt of the formal application.

5. Health

All applicants must agree to a written report being obtained from their GP on their health and any other relevant health issues.  Once their agreement has been obtained, the administrative staff will write to the relevant GP sending the relevant paperwork.

Written advice from the Medical Adviser to the Fostering Panel should be obtained and referred to in the report on the application to the Fostering Panel. 

Where the applicant’s GP has expressed concerns, or where clarification of the implications of any health issues is required, detailed advice must be sought from the Medical Adviser to the Fostering Panel at an early stage and the implications fully discussed with the applicant and in the report.

6. Personal References

Three personal references must be obtained for each applicant.  All referees must be over 18.  Two referees must have known the applicant for at least two years and live within a reasonable travelling distance of the applicant, and one should be a member of the applicant’s wider family.  Checks will be made with the relevant Children's Services Authority to see if the referees are known. 

The administrative staff in the Fostering Assessment and Recruitment Team will send requests for references enclosing standard forms for completion by the referees. 

The assessing social worker will also interview referees personally. 

A further reference must also be obtained from the applicant’s employer and an Employer’s Reference Form will be sent for completion.

7. Home Study/Assessment

The allocated assessing social worker will carry out a home study/assessment of the applicant.

The time taken to complete the assessment and present the report of the assessment to the Fostering Panel after a formal application has been received will generally be no more than eight months unless the need for additional work with the prospective foster carers is identified.

The assessing social worker will carry out a series of interviews with the applicant(s) and interview the referees (see Section 6, Personal References), the applicants’ children (including those who live away from the family home), and contact (including a face-to-face meeting where considered appropriate) ex-partners of the applicant(s).

Applicants may withdraw from the assessment process before it is completed. 

In addition, where an issue arises during the course of an assessment which requires a decision as to the future direction of the assessment and this cannot be resolved by discussion between the assessing social worker and the applicant or by reference to the manager of the Fostering Service, this can and should be referred at an early stage to the Fostering Panel, for example where an applicant is Disqualified - see above.

All assessments of potential foster carers will follow the format of the BAAF Form F assessments. This will include ensuring foster carers have an understanding and are able to deal with young people’s behaviour, including encouraging children to take responsibility for their behaviour and helping them to learn how to resolve conflict.

The suitability of the accommodation must also be assessed to ensure it provides appropriate and safe for the child, as well as safe transport. Each child over three must have their own bedroom or, where this is not possible, the sharing of the bedroom has been agreed by the placing authority. A health and safety checklist completed including an assessment of risk posed by any pets in the household. Any issues that arise from the check should be recorded on the Form F with an agreed plan of action established.

The completed Form F, which should contain the outcome of the assessment and recommendations of the assessing social worker, should be shared with and signed by the applicant. The recommendation should include the category of fostering - i.e. respite, short-term or long-term - for which the applicant is seeking approval.

This gives the applicant the opportunity to make any comments for example by expressing disagreement or support for the recommendations. 

The applicant will be given 28 days in which to make any written observations and comments on the contents of the reports.

8. Presentation to the Fostering Panel

All the relevant information (incorporating the BAAF Form F, the applicant’s comments, references, a full report on visits to the referees, full information about all the statutory checks and the Medical Adviser’s report) should be sent to the Panel Administrator 10 working days before the date of the Fostering Panel meeting considering the application. 

In the case of an assessment of a Kinship Foster Carer, the child’s social worker should also present a report on the child (e.g. on a BAAF Form E).

At the Panel meeting, the information will be presented by the assessing social worker responsible for the assessment or a substitute with adequate knowledge of the applicant and the assessment.

Foster carers should be invited to attend Fostering Panel when their application is being considered, and the Panel Administrator should be informed if they intend to do so. 

Whether they attend or not, their views and wishes must be presented fairly and accurately within the documentation before the Panel and verbally.  If they decide not to attend, this should not be seen as prejudicial to the application.

The Panel will consider the written report together with all the supporting documentation and any additional information presented verbally, and make a recommendation to the Designated Manager (Foster Carer Approval/Termination of Approval).

Where approval is recommended, the category of fostering should also be recommended. 

The recommendation will be recorded in writing and, where approval is recommended, the category of fostering, any limitations of the approval to named children (for example in the case of a Kinship Foster Carer) or conditions as to the age range or number of children to be placed in the foster home will also be specified. 

Reasons for the recommendations, the category and any conditions will be recorded in the Panel’s minutes.

The assessing social worker will inform the applicant verbally of the recommendation within one working day.

9. After the Fostering Panel’s Recommendation

After the Fostering Panel has considered the report and made a written recommendation, the Panel Administrator will send the minutes to the Designated Manager (Foster Carer Approval/Termination of Approval) who will make a decision as to the approval of the foster carers based on the Panel’s recommendation.

Where the application is approved, the category and any terms of the approval must be also specified in writing.

If a decision is made to approve a foster carer, written notice of the decision and the terms of the approval will be sent to the foster carer within 7 working days by the Panel Administrator, and signed by the Designated Manager (Foster Carer Approval/Termination of Approval). 

A copy should also be placed on the foster carer’s case record.

10. Representations/Independent Review Procedure

If a decision is made to refuse an application for approval, written notice of the decision together with the reasons and a copy of the Fostering Panel 's recommendation will be sent to the applicant within 7 days of the decision being made. In addition, as an alternative, they must be advised of the right to apply to the Secretary of State to request a review of the decision by an Independent Review Panel. Any such application must be made in writing within 28 days of the decision and supported by reasons. The only circumstances where the foster carer will not have the right to request a review by an Independent Review Panel is if he or she is regarded as disqualified as a result of a conviction or caution for a specified offence - see Persons Disqualified from Fostering Procedure.

If no written notification or a request for a review is received within this period, the decision to refuse the application can be confirmed.

If written representations are made within the period, the matter must be referred back to the Panel for further consideration. 

Where the Panel makes a different recommendation as a result of the applicant’s representations, the recommendation will be sent to the Designated Manager (Foster Carer Approval/Termination of Approval) for a reconsideration of the decision.

The Panel Administrator will send written notice of the decision (signed by the Designated Manager) to the applicant within 7 working days.

If the applicant decides to refer the matter to an Independent Review, the relevant Panel reports, any new information obtained since the Panel meeting, a record of the decision made and reasons, a copy of the written notification of the decision and a copy of the Panel minute, if different, will be sent to the Independent Review within 10 working days of their written request.

The procedure for the Independent Review is carried out by BAAF; the applicant and two representatives of the fostering agency will be invited to attend the Independent Review.

After considering the representations, the Independent Review may make a recommendation, which the Agency Decision Maker will consider before a final decision is made.

Written notice of the final decision, together with reasons, must be sent to the applicant within 7 working days of the receipt of the Independent Review recommendation.

11. After the Approval

Where an application is approved, the case will be transferred to the Fostering Support and Development Team and the foster carer will be allocated a supervising social worker. As part of the transfer of the case, the foster carer will receive a joint visit from the assessing social worker and the new supervising social worker.

The supervising social worker will request the foster carer to sign a Foster Care Agreement between the local authority and the foster carer, which contains the information the foster carer needs to carry out his or her functions as a foster carer effectively. 

The foster carer will be given two copies for signature, and will retain one signed copy. 

The other will be kept on the foster carer’s case record and scanned into the electronic records, together with the report and supporting documents presented to the Fostering Panel, a copy of the Panel’s recommendation and a copy of the approval decision.

The Foster Care Agreement will contain the following information:

1. The terms of the foster carer’s approval;
2. The support and training to be provided to the foster carer;
3. The procedure for the review of the foster carer’s approval;
4. The procedure for placements of children;
5. The procedure for making representations and complaints;
6. The requirement to inform the fostering service of any change of circumstance, address or in the household composition, or of any registration as a childminder or application to adopt or of any offence;
7. The requirements in relation to confidentiality;
8. The procedures for behaviour management and unauthorised absences of children placed with the foster carer including the ban on corporal punishment;
9. The procedures for informing the fostering social worker of the child’s progress and any significant events relating to the child;
10. The need to give 28 days’ notice in writing of they wish to cease fostering.

New foster carers will also be given their personal copy of the Foster Carer’s Handbook, which covers policies, procedures, guidance, legal information and insurance details and in respect of which the foster carer must sign confirmation of receipt.

The allocated supervising social worker will continue to provide support to the foster carer up to, during and after all placements - see Supervision and Support of Foster Carers Procedure, Training of Foster Carers Procedure and Review of Foster Carers Procedure. 

12. Family Books/Profile

Approved foster carers should be asked by their supervising social worker to provide a Family Book or Profile, which contains visual and written information to introduce any child placed in the foster home to members of the foster family and the foster home. The information should also contain house rules, routines, names of pets, information about how the foster family has fun and any other information to convey what it would be like for a child coming into the household. The Family Book should also identify the approval details of the carers, any special skills they have, the behaviours worked best with and their willingness to manage contact with parents.

13. Register of Foster Carers

The manager of the Fostering Service will maintain a register of all approved foster carers containing the following particulars:

1. The name, address, date of birth, sex and ethnic origin of each foster carer;
2. The date of approval and of each review of the approval;
3. The category and current terms of the approval;
4. The name, address, date of birth of each person with whom a child is placed who is a relative or friend (but not an approved Kinship Foster Carer) and who has entered an agreement to provide care for the child placed, together with the date and terms of the agreement.

End