Here's a brief, step-by-step guide to what happens when you go forward to be assessed to foster. The process takes about 5 months on average and involves three main tasks:
Firstly, following your completion of an application form we will carry out extensive checks.
These will include work references, personal references, a medical, Criminal Records Bureau checks, enquiries with all local authorities in whose area you have lived and others.
Secondly, if you have not fostered before we ask you to attend a 'preparation course' which we hope will give you much more information about the task of fostering.
Finally, we will allocate a social worker to carry out an assessment of your potential ability to care for someone else's child. This assessment will involve about 10 visits (depending on your family circumstances) and will result in a written report which you will see and be given an opportunity to add your own comments too.
You will then be asked to attend our fostering panel where the report will be presented for their consideration and recommendations.
