Fostering assessment process
On this page you can find information about the assessment process for fostering.
The fostering application and assessment procedure
At the initial enquiry, you will be sent a fostering information pack, along with a fostering initial enquiry form and a complaints leaflet.
One of our fostering team will chat with you by phone to:
- explore your interest in fostering and your understanding of the tasks involved
- explain the nature of the task of fostering so as to assist you in deciding whether fostering is for you
- advise you of any factors that might have an adverse effect on your application and your suitability to foster
- answer any questions you have and outline our practice for preparing and assessing prospective foster carers
- provide you with, and assist you to complete, application forms.
If both yourself and the Lambeth fostering team worker would like to proceed, then an appointment for an initial home assessment is arranged to take place promptly.
Following this initial home assessment, a decision is made to proceed to the next stage.
You will be sent the outcome of this decision in writing.
If the initial home assessment is favourable, you will be invited to attend fostering preparation group training, which takes place over a number of days.
This training aims to prepare you for fostering, by providing you with detailed information about the assessment, the fostering task, support, further training, timescales for completion of assessment, and any questions you may have.
You will also get the opportunity to meet other foster carers, and potential foster carers.
The approval process
You will need to:
- complete and return a detailed application form about yourself and any other members of your household
- produce various proof of your identity and address
- provide a minimum of three personal references (not relatives)
- gather work references
- authorise the completion of statutory checks to confirm your suitability to safely care for children, including police (CRB check), local authority, National Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)
- organise for household members aged 16 years and above, supporters and regular visitors to the home, to give their written consent for police and other statutory checks to ensure your household, supporters and other people who are likely to have regular contact with the looked after child do not pose any risk
- tell your assessing social worker of any offence that has been committed by you or a household member when aged below 16 years
- provide written consent for, and undertake, a full medical to be carried out by your GP to confirm that you have no major health worries that would affect your ability to foster.
A social worker will be allocated to complete an assessment on you and your family. They are known as the assessing social worker.
This will include interviews, discussions, observations, and provide an in depth report that outlines your life experiences, skills, knowledge and suitability to meet the needs of foster children and work in partnership with the Lambeth fostering service.
Where you have a partner, both of you will be part of the assessment process.
Your referees and supporters will also be interviewed, and asked to provide a written reference.
The completed assessment will be shared with you for your comments in writing and will be presented to the fostering panel for a recommendation as to your suitability to foster.
The fostering panel
The panel is made up of people with experience and broad knowledge of the needs of young people in Lambeth's care.
The role and function of the fostering panel is to make recommendations as to the suitability of perspective foster carers and the first review of all foster carers.
Your assessing social worker will present your assessment to the fostering panel.
You will be invited to attend.
Approval
The fostering panel will decide whether or not to recommend you as a foster carer.
The assistant director of children's services will consider the panel's recommendation, and make a decision regarding approval.
The decision as to your suitability to foster will be sent to you in writing and will include the reason for the decision.
Your assessing social worker will discuss the decision and provide support as to how to proceed.
Occasionally a decision may be to defer approval pending clarification or additional information being required.
In this instance, your assessing social worker will work with you to complete tasks and return to panel at a later date.
If you disagree with the decision, you can appeal by writing to the assistant director of children's services.
After approval
You will be allocated a social worker within ten days of receiving notification of your approval.
This social worker, who is likely to be new to you, is called your supervising social worker.
They will contact you to arrange a visit, to ensure you are ready to foster, provide you with appropriate equipment, and begin your induction.
The access to resourece team, in discussion with the child or young person's social worker and your supervising social worker, makes the matching of the foster carer most able to meet the needs of a child or young person.
You will be fully informed at this stage about the details of the possible match.
If all involved agree with the match, where possible, a planned introduction with the child or young person will commence.
A foster placement agreement meeting will be arranged before placement (unless in an emergency or for an immediate placement) and a written agreement drawn up and signed.
You will be provided with a number of documents for the child which are called essential information, and include the child's care plan.
Applicants can decide not to proceed at any stage.
If the local authority decides not to proceed, you will be informed in writing.
Contact us
To begin a discussion with us about fostering, phone our free phone number 0800 952 2926 or submit an enquiry form.
You can submit an enquiry online by completing our initial enquiry online form, or in writing using the initial enquiry form (printable).