Fostering - What happens next?

What Happens Next?

• If, after reading this information, you have any more questions to ask you can contact us free on 0800 7830618. You will automatically invited to our next information evening providing you with the opportunity to speak to current carers about what they do and find out more about what fostering involves.

• If you are ready to proceed with your enquiry please complete your application form. Our recruitment officer will then contact you to arrange a home visit, so we can get to know you in your own environment, and talk in more detail about different types of fostering.

• Your information will then be passed to the team manager for allocation to one of our Supervising Social Workers who will undertake your assessment. The council will carry out CRB checks to make sure that you have not committed any offences that would automatically disqualify you from fostering. The health check will show that you don't have any major health problems.

• You will be invited to the next pre-approval training group. This involves six training sessions lasting 2 hours each, and is spread over a six-week period. The training is your opportunity to discover more about the challenges and rewards of fostering. It is also an opportunity to meet other people who are going through the same process; talk to experienced foster carers and meet more people from the department.

• You will be contacted by the Supervising Social Worker who will be conducting your home assessment. They will want to arrange regular appointments to come and visit you at home. They will talk to everyone who lives with you. It is very important to give your children the opportunity to discuss how they feel about sharing their lives with other children, and to ensure that they understand what fostering means. They will ask to speak separately to you and your partner, (if applicable) about your family backgrounds, your relationship, and any previous significant relationships. This may seem intrusive, but it helps us to make sure you have a solid support network in place. They will want to get to know your strenghts. You're asked to talk through or write down practical examples of the skills you use on a daily basis, and we help you develop other attributes you will need as a Foster Carer. During these meetings you also decide with us the numbers / ages of children you could foster.

• We will take up your personal and employment references.

• A detailed report covering all the information you've shared, outlining your abilities and attributes, and making recommendations for future training will be written. You'll see this report, and you can add your own comments in writing.

• The social worker then presents the report to the fostering panel, which you will be invited to attend. The panel is the body who recommends your approval as a Foster Carer.

• If you are approved you will receive confirmation in writing, the social worker that carried out your assessment will then continue to be your social worker within the department. If you are not approved the social worker will discuss the reasons with you and the chair of the panel will write to you. Sometimes its possible to reapply in the future.

This is an exciting time for you and your family, and we know you'll be eager to begin fostering as soon as possible. We will try our best complete the process within six months, however, things sometimes take longer, for instance if we receive a lot of applications at the same time. In anycase, we promise to keep you fully informed and supported all along the way.