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Contents

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

1. Responding to Requests for Information

In relation to every request received by the Fostering Service, a referral form will be completed with details of the name, address and telephone number of the enquirer. 

The Referrals Officer will then:

• Send the enquirer an information pack containing full details about the assessment process, the checks which will be made about any applicant and members of the household, and the time-scale involved.
• Enter the details of the applicant onto the electronic database.

The Referrals Officer will respond to all requests for information by telephone within 3 working days.  Where, following an initial discussion with the referrals officer, an enquirer wishes to proceed, they will record the following information and e-mail the information to the Fostering Service:

• Full name, date of birth, address and telephone number
• Any other addresses within the last 5 years
• Date of request
• Marital status
• Names of other members in household
• Details of the accommodation
• Previous experience and details of any other approvals already given
• If they know, the type of fostering sought (respite, short-term, permanent, number of children etc.)

Having considered this information, the appropriate team manager will make a decision as to whether the enquiry should be taken further or not. 

The Fostering Service will keep monthly statistics of the number of enquiries made and, where known, reasons why enquiries have not been pursued.

2. Initial Visit to Applicants

The application will then be passed to a social worker (who may be the referral officer) who will arrange for an initial visit to be made to those who indicate a wish to proceed with their interest.

The home visit will be made within five working days of receipt of the detailed information being made available.

Prior to the first visit, a check will be made to see if the prospective applicant is known to the Social Services Department.

The purpose of the visit is to give further information, answer questions, explore the potential of the enquirer to foster and confirm whether the enquirer wishes to proceed further with an application.  The social worker will complete an Initial Visit Report from information obtained at the visit. 

Prospective applicants will be advised not to pursue an application where they have recently faced significant challenges within their family, such as newly formed partnerships or reconstituted families, 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.

Childminding and fostering are not compatible. Carers need to be available to attend meetings, training and support, and a Child in Care (or children) returning from school will often need to go to contact, school activities etc. Most of these things happen at around the same time as children being minded are being collected. In view of some of the background and experiences of children in care, there is a significant issue about supervision and management of risk. 

Where the enquirer still wishes to proceed and there is no reason for them not to continue, the name of the enquirer(s) will be placed on the list for the next Preparation Group.

3. Preparation Groups

When it is decided to invite prospective applicants to Preparation Groups, a written invitation will be sent, together with information about the assessment process and content of the groups.

Application forms will be given out at the end of the Preparation Groups.

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

Preparation 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.

Preparation Groups provide an opportunity for the Fostering Team social workers to find out more about the prospective 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 prospective applicants to find out more about fostering and help them discover whether fostering is right for them and their family. 

After each session, a record will be completed of observations made of the prospective applicants, which will be shared with them at the end of the course.

Prospective applicants are expected to attend all the Preparation Groups offered before being considered for further assessment as prospective foster carers. In the case of couples, both must attend. 

If they miss one session, they will be asked to attend the relevant session on the next set of Groups. If they miss more than two sessions they will be expected to repeat the entire course.

Those running the Groups will arrange a time for debriefing within 2 weeks after the Groups take place and determine with their manager which of the prospective applicants should proceed to a full assessment.

A report by the facilitators of the Groups will be included in the assessment report presented to the Fostering Panel.

4. Application Forms and Checks

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 Fostering Service who will write to the Probation Service, Health Trust, Education Authority and Schools (in relation to the applicant's own children) and Social Services Department for the area where the applicants live. The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure form will also be completed by the applicants and 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, that applicant must be informed that the application cannot proceed.

See Persons Disqualified from Fostering Procedure.

Where the applicant and other adults of the household have lived overseas, the Criminal Records Bureau ( CRB) does not currently access overseas criminal records or other relevant information as part of its disclosure service. The Criminal Records Bureau provides guidance on its website on how further information can be obtained from various countries. If a country is not listed the country’s representative in the United Kingdom may be contacted. Contact details for those countries that have a representative in the United Kingdom can be found on the Foreign and Commonwealth website or by telephone 020 7008 1500. The general CRB Helpline number is 0870 9090 811.

Because of the restricted information often available in these circumstances, previous employers from abroad (where the applicant has worked with children or in a caring capacity) should be asked if they received a satisfactory Police check.

5. 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.

Carers who smoke will not be considered for approval to care for children under 5 years old.

6. Personal References

Six personal references must be obtained for each applicant from which three will be selected. Two referees must have known the applicant for at least two years and live within a reasonable travelling distance of the applicant, and one should be a member of the applicant's wider family. A check will be made to see if the referees are known to the Social Services Department. 

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. 

A further reference must also be obtained from the applicant's employer and an Employer's Reference Form will be sent for completion.

7. Assessment

Where a decision is made after the Preparation Groups to proceed to a full assessment, an assessment social worker will be allocated to carry out an assessment of the applicant.

The time taken to complete the assessment after the Preparation Groups will generally be no more than six months unless the need for additional work with the prospective foster carers is identified.

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 Persons Disqualified from Fostering Procedure.

All assessments of potential foster carers will follow the format of the Luton Fostering Assessment Form assessments. 

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 on the Luton Fostering Assessment Form with an agreed plan of action established.

The completed Luton Fostering Assessment Form, 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 14 days in which to make any written observations and comments on the contents of the reports.

8. Presentation to the Panel

All the relevant information (incorporating the Luton Fostering Assessment Form, 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 Administrator (pre-registration) on the second Thursday of the month that precedes 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 Administrator 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 and Review) 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.

The applicant  will be informed verbally of the recommendation within one working day.

9. After the 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 and Review) 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 within 7 working days by the Panel Administrator, and signed by the Designated Manager (Foster Carer Approval and Review). 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 team 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 team 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 the Approval and below will be followed.

11. After the Approval

Where an application is approved, the foster carer will be allocated a supervising social worker. 

The supervising social worker will request the foster carer to sign a Foster Care Agreement between the Social Services Department 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 and scanned into the electronic records, 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 and in respect of which the foster carer must sign confirmation of receipt.

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

The foster carer's details will be recorded on Carefirst.

12. Family Books

Approved foster carers should be asked by their supervising 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. 

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 Kinship 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