Frequently Asked Questions

Once we have received your enquiry, a member of our team will be in touch to talk about the criteria for becoming a foster carer and address any concerns you may have. If you decide fostering is right for you, we'll move on to stage 2.

A member of our team will visit you at your home to discuss your application in further detail. Part of this initial visit will include assessing your home including the spare bedroom that you have available for fostering.

If it is mutually agreed that you're ready to move beyond stage 2, you will be invited to submit an application. You may also be asked to complete a medical consent form and a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Check.

If your application is successful, you will be invited on Skills to Foster training sessions. The training is to prepare you for the realities of fostering.

If everyone is still happy for the application to proceed, you will be allocated a social worker who will carry out your assessment. This is a rigorous process and will involve exploring many aspects of your life from birth through to the present day. The assessment process will usually take 12 – 16 weeks and will involve a number of discussions in your home on a regular basis.

All prospective foster carers are presented to panel with a completed assessment (referred to as a Form F). Panel will make a recommendation to the Agency Decision Maker on whether to approve you as a foster carer, and theyl make the final decision.​ The fostering panel is usually held once a month and consists of a group of independent panel members and agency social workers.

Once the panel has sent the recommendation and a final decision has been made by the Agency Decision Maker, you will receive a letter to inform you of the outcome.

The amount of time between approval and placement depends on whether we have any children or young people that would be suited to your home. It could be very soon, but it could take a while to find the right placement.