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Contents

1. Responding to Requests for Information
2. Initial Contact with Applicants
3. Application Forms and Checks
4. Health
5. Personal References
6. Preparation and Training Groups
7. Home Study/Assessment
8. Family Books
9. Presentation to the Fostering Panel
10. After the Fostering Panel's Recommendation
11. Representations/Independent Review Procedure
12. After the Approval
13. Register of Foster Carers
14. Role of Fostering Social Worker

1. Responding to Requests for Information

In relation to every request received by the Adoption and Fostering Unit, a referral form will be kept containing the following information: 

• Full name, date of birth, address and telephone number;
• Any other addresses within the last 5 years;
• Date of request;
• Brief details of request for information including the source of interest;
• Marital status;
• Names of other members in household;
• Previous experience and details of any other approvals already given.

All requests for information made by telephone will be acknowledged on the same working day as received. Requests by letter will be acknowledged within 2 working days.  An information pack will be sent to all enquirers about the assessment process, the checks which will be made about the applicant and members of the household and the time-scale involved. An enquiry form will also be sent with this letter which recipients will be asked to complete and return if they wish to proceed with their enquiry.

One week after the request for information, if no further contact has been made, a follow up letter will be sent.

Where there has been no response within two weeks of the follow up letter, the request will be regarded as pending for three months, and then closed if there is no further contact. Attempts will be made to contact the person making the request (through the sending of a questionnaire) to learn why they decided not to pursue their interest. The reason for the closure will be recorded.

2. Initial Contact with Applicants

The Assessment Team will arrange for an initial visit to be made to those who indicate a wish to proceed with their interest (having returned a completed Enquiry Form). Within 5 working days of receipt of the above confirmation, an assessment social worker will offer the prospective applicant an appointment for a home visit. The home visit must be within 15 working days of the enquiry. 

Prior to the first visit, a check will be made to see if the prospective applicant is known to Specialist Children's Services and Safeguarding.

The social worker will complete an Initial Visit Record from information obtained at the visit. 

At the first visit the prospective applicant will be assisted to complete the Criminal Records Bureau disclosure form although they will be advised that the form will not be sent unless and until an application form is received.

The assessment social worker will leave an application form for the prospective applicants unless there are clear indications that an application will not be pursued or would not be appropriate.

Prospective applicants will be advised not to pursue an application where they have recently faced significant challenges within their family, such as serious illness, pregnancy, separation or bereavement. 

Prospective applicants may also be counselled out of pursuing an application for a variety of reasons at this stage or 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 the applicants' attempt to cover up information about offences.

The Adoption and Fostering Unit will keep monthly statistics of the number of enquiries made, Enquiry Forms received and, where known, reasons why enquiries have not been pursued.

3. Application Forms and Checks

The assessment social worker can if necessary assist the applicant to complete the application form and must ensure that the form contains all the necessary information and that the necessary consents for checks to be made are given by all members of the household and frequent visitors aged 16 and over.

Once a completed application form has been received, a new case record should be opened for the prospective foster carer.

The checks on the applicant, all members of the household and frequent visitors over 16 will be actioned by the administrative staff in the Assessment Team who will write to the Probation Service, Health Trust, Education Service and Schools (in relation to the applicant's own children) and Children's Social Services for the area where the applicants live. Checks will include whether the applicant has a right to work in the UK. The Criminal Records Bureau disclosure form will also be sent.

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 the dates when the checks were sent and the dates when replies were received.

The replies to the checks should be placed in the confidential section of the case record.

Where the checks reveal that an applicant or member of the household is disqualified under the Regulations, an application can be made to the Fostering  Panel for consent to the assessment proceeding if satisfied that the person is a relative of the specific child requiring a placement and that, on the basis of a completed risk assessment, it is appropriate for the assessment of the applicant as a foster carer 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 Procedure.

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

4. Health

All applicants must agree to a written report being obtained from their GP on their health and any other relevant health issues. 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.

5. Personal References

Three personal references must be obtained for each applicant from adults who have known the applicant for at least two years, who are not related to them and who live within a reasonable travelling distance of the applicant. One of the referees should be a member of the applicant's wider family. A check will be made to see if the referees are known to the Specialist Children's Services and Safeguarding. 

The administrative staff in the Assessment Team will send requests for references enclosing standard forms for completion by the referees. The assessment social worker assisting with the application will also interview referees personally. The referees will also be asked to consent to checks being made about them with their local authority and Probation Service. 

A further reference must also be obtained from the applicant's employer where the applicant has been employed to work with children in any capacity in which case an Employer's Reference Form will be sent for completion.

6. Preparation and Training Groups

The attendance of applicants at preparation groups will form part of the assessment of their suitability as foster carers.

The Assessment Team will set up a calendar of meetings, which will provide a rolling programme of preparation. The meetings will be held at various times to ensure convenience for applicants with differing personal needs and commitments.

Preparation meetings will usually be planned to enable applicants to have at least 4 weeks' notice of their date and venue so as to encourage extensive participation.

Written invitations will be sent out to applicants once the results of checks and references have been received.

Preparation Groups provide an opportunity for the Assessment Team social workers to find out more about the 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 Groups are also aimed at self-assessment in that they enable applicants to find out more about fostering and help them discover their own strengths and weaknesses.  Applicants attending the groups will be asked to complete evaluation forms. 

Applicants are expected to attend all the preparation groups offered before being considered for approval as foster carers. If they miss more than two sessions they will be expected to repeat the entire course. If they miss only two sessions and have shown a good understanding of the issues covered in the other sessions it may be possible, if the manager agrees, for this material to be covered in the remaining home assessment.

Those running the groups will arrange a time for debriefing shortly after the groups take place and information from the meetings, including the applicants' evaluation forms, will be shared and form part of the assessment. A report by the facilitators of the groups will be included in the assessment report presented to the Fostering Panel.

7. Home Study/Assessment

An assessment social worker will be allocated to carry out a home study/assessment of the applicant within one week of the initial enquiry. 

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 be no more than eight months, unless the need for additional work with the prospective foster carers is identified.

The home study/assessment can run in parallel with the applicant's attendance at preparation groups.

Where the applicant is a relative or friend of the specific child requiring a placement, and the placement of the child with the applicant has already taken place, the assessment must be completed in 6 weeks, otherwise the placement cannot continue. In these circumstances the requirements relating to the foster carer's attendance at preparation groups and the preparation of a Family Book can be waived. However, the requirement for ongoing training after the assessment period may be considered as a condition of any approval.

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 assessment 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 Section 3, Application Forms and Checks.

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 must be completed including an assessment of risk posed by any pets in the household in accordance with Southwark's Pets Policy.  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 assessment social worker, should be shared with and signed by the applicant. This will be supplemented by the assessment summary of the applicant in the preparation groups. This assessment summary should also be shared with the applicant prior to presentation to the Fostering Panel. 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. Family Books

Applicants should be asked by the assessment social worker to provide a Family Book, 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. 

9. 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 administrative staff 10 working days before the date of the Fostering  Panel meeting considering the application. 

At the Panel meeting, the information will be presented by the assessment 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 administrative staff 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. 

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) regarding the outcome of the assessment.

The recommendation will be recorded in writing and, where approval is recommended, any limitations of the approval to named children (for example where the foster carer is a relative or family friend) 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, and any conditions, will be recorded in the Panel's minutes.

10. 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) 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 nature 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 as soon as is practicable by the Panel administrative staff. A copy should also be placed on the foster carer's case record.

11. 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. The applicant will be advised that if he or she wishes to challenge the decision, representations should be submitted either in person to the next available Fostering Panel, or in writing.

In addition, as an alternative, they should be advised that they have the right to apply to the Secretary of State to request an independent review of the decision by an Independent Review Panel. Any such application must be made in writing and supported by reasons. The only circumstances where the foster carer will not have the right to request such a review 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.

The Panel administrative staff must receive notification of a request for an independent Review or of the wish to attend Panel or any written representations within 28 days of the date of the written notice of the decision. 

If no written notification or representations are 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 to the Fostering Panel for further consideration. The Panel administrative staff will advise the applicant within 7 days of the date of the Panel meeting when they can attend or their written representations will be considered. In these circumstances, a friend or supporter can accompany applicants who wish to attend the meeting of the Fostering Panel.

After considering the representations, the Panel will make further recommendations either confirming or amending their previous views and the Designated Manager (Foster Carer Approval) will consider these before a final decision is made.

The Panel administrative staff will send written notice of the final decision, together with reasons, to the applicant within 7 working days of the Panel meeting. A copy of the report to the Panel, the Panel's recommendation and the decision to refuse an application must be retained on the applicant's case record.

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

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

After considering the representations, the Independent Review Panel may make a recommendation, which the Designated Manager (Foster Carer Approval) 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 Panel's recommendation.

12. After the Approval

Where an application is approved, the foster carer will be allocated a fostering social worker. (See Section 14, Role of Fostering Social Worker).

The allocated fostering social worker will request the foster carer to sign a Foster Care Agreement between the Children's Services Directorate 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 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 their wish to cease fostering.

New foster carers will also be given their personal copy of the Foster Carer's Hand-Book, which covers policies, procedures, guidance, legal information and insurance details.

The foster carer will also draw up with the assistance of the fostering social worker 'Safe Caring Guidelines' setting out the routines and house rules for the foster home including how the foster carer rewards good behaviour within the home and when and how sanctions will be used. The 'Safe Caring Guidelines' will be consistent with the Behaviour Management and Bullying policies and procedures contained within this Handbook and will be available to social workers for children who may be placed in the foster home.

See Behaviour Management Plans Procedure

and Countering Bullying Guidance

The allocated fostering social worker will continue to provide support to the foster carer up to, during and after all placements. (See Section 14, Role of Fostering Social Worker.)

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 foster carer) and who has entered into an agreement to provide care for the child placed, together with the date and terms of the agreement.

14. Role of Fostering Social Worker

The role of the fostering social worker is to support foster carers. As part of this role, the fostering social worker will be responsible for the supervision of the foster carers (See Supervision and Support of Foster Carers Procedure) and the foster carer's review (see Review of Foster Carers Procedure).

Where a placement is made, the fostering social worker will ensure the foster carer has access to the Core Assessment on the child. 

Where a Core Assessment has not been completed at the point of a child's placement in foster carer, the child's social worker will have overall responsibility for planning and completing the Core Assessment; the role of the fostering social worker will be to support the foster carer in contributing to the Core Assessment. In these circumstances, the planning of the Core Assessment will be part of the Placement Planning process.

See Initial and Core Assessments Guidance.

End