• contents
• keywords & contacts
• quick guide
• values
• contact us
• search
• forms library
• yot procedures

Contents

1. Responding to Requests for Information  
2. Information Sessions  
3. Initial Interview 
4. Case Files, Checks and References   
5. Health  
6. Assessment/Preparation Groups
7. Assessment  
8. Presentation to the Fostering Panel
9. After the Fostering Panel’s Recommendation 
10. Representations/Independent Review Procedure 
11. After the Approval  
12. Register of Foster Carers

1. Responding to Requests for Information

The aim of the recruitment stage is to inform potential applicants of the nature of the task and the qualities carers need to possess.

Enquiries for Adoption, should be passed immediately to the Adoption Administrator or workers for the Adoption team.

Initial enquiries must be received in a courteous, positive and welcoming manner.  Information should be given at this stage and minimum information sought from the enquirer. Written information, an invitation to an Information Meeting, plus details of how to proceed with an application should be promptly sent to the enquirer by the Resource Development Officer (Fostering) within 5 working days. Resource Development Officer (details to follow) A referral form will then be completed and information will be entered onto a database by the Resource Development Officer (Fostering) which will be passed to the Group Manager within 5 working days.

All enquirers should be offered the opportunity to speak to a fostering Social Worker at this initial stage.

A decision to take no further action (NFA) and the reason for this decision, can only be made by a Team Manager.

A member of the Recruitment and Assessment Team will only visit once the applicants have made an application.

2. Information Sessions

Information sessions are held on a monthly basis in the evening. They are arranged by the Resource Development Officer who will ensure that there are fostering social workers and experienced foster carers present at the meeting to deal with questions and enquiries.

Information pack ”First Steps to Fostering”, will be distributed and attendees will be invited to complete application form and/or indicate their wish for an initial interview.

3. Initial Interview

The assessment stage commences upon receipt of an application form and the decision to allocate to Initial Visit. A file is created by the team administrator at this stage and passed to the Group Manager for allocation.

Contact with enquirer should be made within 5 working days of allocation and worker should complete CRIB sheet. Where an initial interview is arranged this should be undertaken within 10 working days. The applicants should live within an hour's travelling time of Bromley unless they are being assessed to care for a child on a long-term basis, in which case greater flexibility may be appropriate.

The initial interview is an important introduction to the Department for the enquirer.  The interview must be conducted in an open and positive way and preferably in the applicant’s own home.  With joint applicants, both applicants must be seen. The visiting social worker should ask the applicants to start thinking broadly about the characteristics of the child or children that they think they could accommodate. They should also discuss the applicant's motivation for becoming foster carers and whether their expectations are realistic.

When considering health and safety, the social worker should consider the applicant's ability to adapt their family practices in relation to the following points:

• The house needs to be in a good state of repair, and does not pose a risk to children and young people, i.e. carpets in the home, particularly on the stairs must be well tacked down. 
• Garden ponds and swimming pools must be covered.
• Access around the house, stairs and steps should be considered.
• For the under 8’s electrical sockets must have covers
• Smoke alarms installed and working, medicines and cleaning fluids should be kept out of reach of young children.
• Applicant(s) who smoke must accept that smoke free areas will be required and that they must be pro-active in deterring children and young people from smoking.
• Pets need to be well looked after and controlled.  Households with more than two dogs resident within the house will be prohibited from being approved.
• Applicant(s) must be able to demonstrate that they have an understanding and are able promote healthy living and good hygiene.  They also need to be aware of, and demonstrate their potential to learn about how they ensure that when dealing with the personal care of children (changing nappies, dealing with bodily fluids, blood, vomit etc.), that they can do this safely, including disposing of the hazardous substances.

Ideally children living in foster homes should have their own room, and where possible this should always be encouraged.  However there are times when this is not possible, therefore babies up to the age of 18 months can share a Foster Carer’s room in their own cot. There must be enough space for children to be accommodated with space for their own belongings and furniture.  Age and gender need to be considered.  Children may not share a bed.

Applicants need to consider practical issues such as collecting children from school, attending parents evenings and other events, meetings and clubs.

If staffing allows, black enquirers should be seen by a black worker.  The gender of the worker may also need to be considered.  Services such as interpreter (signer, Braille) must be considered where necessary.

The visiting worker must also make a provisional assessment of the carer's ability to provide a suitable environment in terms of parenting capacity and family and environmental factors.

All decisions regarding no further action or pended applications must be recorded, together with the reasons for those decisions.

When it is decided not to proceed with an enquiry at this stage, the decision will be conveyed verbally and will be followed by a letter to the applicant within 10 working days.

The visiting Social Worker will inform the applicant about:

• Stages of assessment
• Timescales involved
• Skills and competencies that will be necessary and demonstrable to become a foster carer
• Tasks/issues with which they are likely to be confronted
• Support (financial and pastoral) that is available
• The Borough's Equal Opportunity Policy including the ability of the carer/s to promote a child's heritage and history, including their ability to adapt to the needs of a placed child whose background is different from their own.
• The procedures for making representations about any decisions that have been made.
• The visiting Social Worker will make the scope of the assessment process clear to the applicant and explain the checks and reference process prior to getting consent for police checks to be carried out on the applicant’s household.

The Social Worker should also establish:

• The applicant/s date of birth, family composition and details of other people living or regularly visiting the household.
• The applicant/s ability to work in partnership with other professionals and a child's friends and relations and their obligation to allow unannounced visits to their home.
• The applicants health and wellbeing.
• Their methods and attitudes towards managing children's behaviour.
• The completed Application Form will be approved and signed by the Team Manager.

Any decision to take no further action or pend at this stage must be endorsed by a Team Manager and recorded, together with reasons.

A letter will be sent to the applicant confirming whether the application is to be:

• Accepted and that an assessment will follow immediately in which case the letter will give details of the next “Assessment Group”
• Temporarily postpones, in which case the letter will give reasons and a time for renewing contact.
• Not accepted, in which case the letter will state the reasons.

All checks and references should be initiated by the fostering administrator immediately upon receipt of a completed Application Form where the applicants have been approved for the next state of assessment.

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

4. Case Files, Checks and References

The checks on the applicant and all members of the household and other adults who have regular access to fostered children, will be actioned by the fostering administrator who will write to the Health Trust, Education Authority and Children's Services for the area where the applicants live.

Proof of identity, birth certificates, passports, marriage certificates, divorce papers, naturalisation documents, should be seen and copied as a matter of routine for evidence of date of birth, correct name spelling and previous names and whether the applicant's have a right to work in the UK.  Photographic evidence is advisable to prove the applicant is who they say they are. Photographs of the applicants should be made available to the Fostering Panel. These checks should be recorded including the date when the checks were made.

The Criminal Records Bureau disclosure form will also be completed and sent (See Persons Disqualified from Fostering Procedure) Where the applicant discloses convictions, consent must be obtained from the Designated Manager (Foster Carer Approval) before the assessment can continue.

Two personal references will be sought, from people who have known the applicant for a minimum of five years.  All these referees must be interviewed in person and the interview must probe in detail for evidence that the applicant has the experience and personal qualities required and that there is no evidence to suggest that s/he may be unsuitable in any way. An additional interview with a wider family member may be helpful in establishing their attitudes to fostering and acceptance of a foster child in the wider family. Referees should be given an explanation about the purpose of the interview and its confidential nature.  Assessing Social Workers should use the personal referee pro-forma to help conduct their interview and record the interview.

The Assessing Social Worker may consider interviewing the third personal referee if they want a fuller picture of the applicants.

If there are preschool children in the family, enquiries must be made of the health visitor.

Where there are school-aged children in the applicant’s household a written reference must be sought from their school.

Enquiries should be considered of those people who have lived with the applicants at any stage; e.g. grown up children living away from home, previous partner’s children and children previously fostered.

The people who are regularly visitors to the home and especially those who may have direct care involvement should be included and police checks carried out.

References are confidential and should not be shared with applicants unless specific permission has been given to do this.

Where the applicant is a tenant, approval for the applicant to foster must be obtained from the landlord.

A full employment history must be obtained from each applicant and written references should be sought from the present and / or most recent employer and from any past employment, which looks particularly relevant.  This should be discussed with the applicants by the Assessing Social Worker and initiated by the worker.

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 fostering administrator 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.

5. Health

Medical reports are required on the applicants, who need to be fit enough to cope with fostering one or more children, possibly in addition to coping with their own. 

Applicants are required to have a medical examination preferably with their own G.P.  The applicants should be requested by the Assessing Social Worker to make an arrangement with their G.P.  The Assessing Social Worker will request the Clerical Officer to send out to the applicant’s G.P. the medical form (BAAF Form AH) and covering letter which explains to the GP the purpose of the examination and how to claim their fee. 

The medical examination report will be sent to the Panel Medical Adviser, at the Area Health Authority, who will make an assessment.  The Panel Medical Adviser will return the report to the Clerical Officer, who will note its receipt and pass to the Assessing Social Worker.  Where any problems are indicated the Assessing Social Worker should contact the Panel Medical Adviser and discuss.  The health and attitude to health is part of the overall assessment and needs evaluation by the Assessing Social Worker.  The medical adviser will provide the Fostering Panel with a report about the applicant.

6. Assessment/Preparation Groups

The assessment process has two stages: assessment group programme followed by an individual assessment, or home study (See next Section).

The attendance of applicants at preparation groups will form part of the assessment of their suitability as foster carers. The content of the Preparation Group will facilitate applicants who are prospective kinship carers (See Placement with Connected Person Procedure) and those interested in providing short term breaks for disabled children.

Assessment Groups 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.

Preparation groups provide an opportunity to find out more about the applicants and have a clearer idea of their strengths, areas for further work and any concerns which 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 are expected to attend all the preparation groups offered before being considered for approval as foster carers. An applicant who misses an individual session will be required to make up this training, those applicants who miss more than 75% of the training will be expected to complete a new course.

Group facilitators will evaluate performance but any issues that arise will be taken up as part of the home study. Applicants will also evaluate their own experience and the effectiveness of the group process.

At the end of the final session, applicants are to be told that they will receive feedback about the next stage of the assessment process within 21 days.

Where it is decided that an applicant should not proceed, they should be visited by the facilitating Social Workers to discuss their evaluation and counsel them out of the process. The reasons for not proceeding with the assessment must be recorded on the applicant’s file and a letter confirming these sent to the applicant.

All decisions about no further action (NFA) or pended applications must be approved by a Team Manager and recorded on the applicant’s record, together with reasons. Applicants who do not accept the decision should be advised of the process for making representations, See Section 10, Representations Procedure.

7. Assessment

Assessments will be conducted in a sensitive, facilitative and non-discriminating manner with careful attention given to issues of race, culture, gender, age, and religion, language, class, disability and sexuality.

All individual assessments, will be allocated to a named Social Worker or Workers immediately following the Assessment Group Programme so that applicants have a named assessor. Evaluation of participation in the Assessment Group forms part of the assessment.

The assessment process will be thorough. The assessment process is comprehensive and far-reaching; it will be structured and rigorous. It is a continuing process in foster care. The enquiries and investigations will be clearly explained and applicants be given a clear understanding of the selection process so that they appreciate the need for visits, the checks which are undertaken, and the time scale for the assessment. Applicants will be told that assessment is a cumulative process and that all information will be taken into account but that some aspects are more important than others, and that these will be explained to them.

A full history of all the applicants is required. Any discrepancies that occur in the accounts given should be carefully examined, and where applicants have had many changes of address and employment and involved in voluntary activities further investigation may be required.

Discussion with the applicants around certain areas assists in the understanding of how their life experience has enabled or will enable him / her to develop the skills and aptitude necessary for the fostering task. 

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 from the receipt of the application.

The discussions should look at the applicant’s attitude understanding and expectation in a number of key areas:

• Child rearing
• Caring for someone else’s child
• Contact between foster child and family
• A child’s past and helping them to understand it
• Sexual boundaries and attitudes
• Child abuse
• Keeping children safe
• Approaches to discipline
• Attachment
• Personal motivation for fostering and need fulfilment
• Religion
• Racial cultural and linguistic issues
• Standard of living and lifestyle
• Education health including mental health
• Own experience of parenting and being parented
• Own experience of disability and attitudes to disability
• Sexuality

Applicants should understand that the household as a whole is being assessed. The Assessing Social Worker is required to interview all members of the family and where appropriate extended family members.  All children of the family irrespective of their age and whether resident in the family home should be involved in the assessment.  Workers will adopt different social work methods to engage children, appropriate to their age and understanding.  The importance of carer’s own children to the success of fostering should be fully recognised.

The BAAF Form F will be completed at the conclusion to the assessment.  The accompanying notes to the Form F act as a guide to the information required.  Assessing Social Workers need to consider what fostering task the applicant is proposing to undertake, and which areas are most appropriate to cover.  Where an application is to care for a specific child or for a particular scheme, then assessment should take account of the needs or special responsibilities required.  It is the task of the Assessing Social Worker to evaluate and make a judgement about the information obtained and to write this down within the assessment report.  It is the task of the Assessing Social Worker to understand the skills, attitude and competencies required for different kinds of fostering, to seek the relevant information from a variety of sources and to evaluate.

Workers should make a clear recommendation at the conclusion of their report and identify applicant’s strengths and weaknesses, and areas for further training.  Applicants need to see the Form F, without references and medical information.  Their signature to the form does not mean that they agree with the contents.  It provides an opportunity to correct misinformation and should the applicant wish to do so an opportunity to write their own submission to accompany the Form F.

The time taken to complete the assessment after the applicant has completed a formal application will generally be no more than four months unless the need for additional work with the prospective foster carers is identified. 

Where there are two adults, each should be seen individually at least once.

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 family placement worker and the applicant or by reference to the manager of the Family Placement Service, this can be referred at an early stage to the Fostering Panel for advice.

The suitability of the accommodation must also be assessed and 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 in the assessment report and  an agreed plan of action established. Applicants’ attitude to smoking and willingness to comply with the Department’s smoking policy should be explored.

Animals and how they are cared for should be investigated.  Workers should not rely on their own experience and knowledge but should seek specialist advice about situations that involve numbers and exotic pets.  The Assessing Social Worker must complete dog and pet assessment forms.  Households that keep more than two dogs indoors will not be approved as foster carers.

Appropriately qualified workers should carry out assessments with experience in foster care.  Workers without experience and students will be closely and carefully supervised.  More than one worker should be involved in assessing applicants. This may be as a paired working arrangement or reports from the preparation training, whose leaders should be different from those undertaking the assessment. Exposure to different members of the team during the assessment process will help guard against collusion or too close an identification with applicants who may be unsuitable.

The completed assessment report  (which should contain all material that will be presented to Panel) should be shared with and signed by the applicant at least one week before the papers are sent to panel members. The applicants should be notified of the panel date at least a month prior to the panel.

Applicants should be advised that they are required to attend Panel.

8. Presentation to the Fostering Panel

All the relevant information should be sent to the Fostering Panel administrator at least two weeks  prior to the stated panel deadline. This must include the following:

• The application form
• Referees’ interview reports
• Responses to all the checks
• The medical report
• Records of interviews and preparation training
• The BAAF Form F
• Information from other assessment tools
• Photograph(s)
• Dog and pet assessment form

This documentation should be given to the Group Manager - Fostering for agreement to being presented to the Fostering Panel at least 10 working days before Panel meeting.  The Group Manager - Fostering if satisfied with the report will sign and pass to Clerical Officer at least 10 working days before the Panel Meeting date.  The Clerical Officer will copy the report and distribute the copies prior to the Fostering Panel Meeting.

The applicant is expected to attend the panel meeting. 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.

9. After the Fostering Panel’s Recommendation

After the Fostering Panel has considered the report and made a written recommendation, this will be sent 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.

A written notice of the decision and the terms of the approval will be sent to the foster carer as soon as practicable by the staff of the Fostering Service.  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, the applicant will be advised that if he or she wishes to challenge the decision, applicants should be advised of their right to submit representations within 28 days of the date of the written notice of the decision to the manager. In addition, as an alternative, they may exercise 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 representations or notification of a request for a review are received within this period, the decision to refuse the application can be confirmed.

If written representations are received within the period, the Panel Adviser will arrange for the reports and other documentation to be reconsidered by the Fostering Panel, taking into account the written representations, and make a new recommendation to the Agency Decision Maker (Fostering).

The Panel Administrator will advise the applicant within 7 days of the date of the Panel meeting when they can attend and their written representations will be considered.

In these circumstances, applicants who wish to attend the meeting of the Fostering Panel can arrange for a friend or supporter to accompany them.

After considering the representations, the Panel will make further recommendations either confirming or amending their previous views, which the Agency Decision Maker (Fostering) will consider before a final decision is made.

If the decision remains not to approve the application, the manager will arrange for the applicants to be informed verbally within 2 working days. Written notice of the final decision, together with reasons, must be sent to the applicant by the Panel Adviser within 7 working days of the Panel meeting.  Information about the Complaints Procedure must also be sent. A copy of the report to the Panel, the Panel's recommendation and the decision, with reasons, must be retained on the applicant's case file.

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.

Where the decision is to approve the application, the procedure set out in Section 11, After Approval will be followed

11. After the Approval

Where an application is approved, the foster carer will be allocated a family placement worker.

The allocated family placement worker will require the foster carer to sign a Foster Care Agreement between Bromley Borough Council 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 family placement 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 Hand-Book, which covers policies, procedures, guidance, legal information and insurance details.

The allocated family placement worker will continue to provide support to the foster carer up to, during and after all placements. 

12. 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 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 an agreement to provide care for the child placed, together with the date and terms of the agreement

End