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Attending Fostering Panel as a Prospective Foster Carer

If you are a prospective carer going through the assessment process, there is likely to be lots of appointments with your assessing social worker (which may be virtual) and training to do.

In the midst of this busy time you will be aware that you are heading towards a conclusion of the assessment process and may have received, or awaiting, a date to attend Fostering Panel. This is a date that often brings mixed emotions; for some excitement and perhaps even a feeling of relief to be concluding a lengthy assessment process. However, for many it can bring anxiety perhaps reminding applicants of poor interview experiences or fear of meetings/public speaking.

So we’ve provided our top tips! Make sure you have read and understood the assessment report and been given sufficient time to do this. Proofread it for any errors before you sign it. If any content is unclear, seek clarification before signing it as well. If you do not agree with some content or any of the recommendations made, there is usually a space to indicate this on the report. If there is disagreement you may wish to consider if you want to submit any additional written material or evidence that challenges the information within the report. Seek clarity on the timeframe for doing this as the reports are forwarded to panel members at least 5 working days before the Fostering Panel meeting (National Minimum Standard 14.3)

Confirm whether the meeting will require you to attend in person, via a virtual process (such as Teams or Zoom), or over the telephone. Make sure that any communication needs are understood and support is in place. For example, check that an interpreter is available if one is required.

If the meeting is in person, take note of the venue (as it may not be held at the fostering service) and time to plan your journey and arrange childcare or other commitments. Aim to arrive a little earlier than the slot to allow time for traffic, parking, or public transport. If you are delayed, let your assessing social worker know (have their contact details with you). If the meeting is virtual and you are unfamiliar with this format, ask the assessing social worker to set up a practice session to familiarise yourself. Equally, you could practice with family or friends.

If you are attending as part of a couple, discuss beforehand how you want to communicate at the meeting. For example, will one of you be stronger at taking the lead in response to any question? Will this be accompanied by your partner adding comments? Or do you wish to take it in turns answering the questions? Whatever you decide, ensure that you both contribute actively to the meeting and avoid interrupting or speaking over one another.

If you are attending as a single carer, it may be helpful to learn more about the accompanying person policy as it’s possible to take someone with you for support (National Minimum Standard 14.5). It is also helpful to clarify whether they will be allowed to speak during the meeting (if not, perhaps they can write some key points beforehand with you and remind you of them as the meeting progresses). Sometimes just a smile or encouraging nod from a friend can give confidence, so let them know what you feel may help you. It may be useful to have water available, in case you get a dry throat, and tissues as the meetings can sometimes evoke unpredictable emotions.

Taking time to understand the role of the Foster Care Panel and the roles of panel members, some of whom will be independent of foster care services and may be from other areas such as education, health or carers themselves, may also help. Many Fostering Panels produce a panel booklet that includes a photograph and information about individual members that can help ease anxieties. Panel members will usually introduce themselves on the day and try to put you at ease. It may be helpful to take an introduction book to the meeting about your household. This could be shared with any future child to be placed with you. Briefly sharing this can help to “set the scene”.

If you are a Regulation 24 kinship/connected person carer with a child already placed, it may be appropriate to share pictures of the child in your home with family members, or taking part in family activities. Talk to the assessing social worker about this in advance to see if this is allowed – it may be a real ice breaker and help to make you feel more confident. Try to establish a bit of eye contact with the Panel Chair and other members if you can. Smiling is also something that you want to do, as it will help ease any nerves!

Panel will want to be assured that the assessment has covered all the statutory requirements in place for foster caring, which may result in questions to the assessing worker or to the prospective carer(s). There may be gaps or events referred to in the assessment that the panel wish to explore further. Try to focus your answers and don’t be afraid to ask for a question again if you lose your thread of thought or are concerned if you haven’t fully answered a query. If your assessment refers to sensitive or difficult information, try to be prepared for any questions by discussing this beforehand with the assessor and take your time.

There may be questions such as why you want to foster, how you feel about continued training, and how you work with others. Other examples may include questions about caring for children from different backgrounds, children with additional needs, and your understanding of safeguarding. Therefore, it may be helpful to discuss these areas in advance with your assessing social worker.

You may be asked to give feedback on your experience of the assessment or if you have any questions. Be honest, but if you do have a list of concerns, remember that Panel’s role is not to investigate complaints. Nonetheless, you may wish to give a short overview and you can request a copy of the complaint procedure from the fostering service.

Panel can make recommendations about suitability to foster and terms of approval, but it will be the Agency Decision Maker who will make the decision within 7 working days of receiving the minutes (NMS 14.9). Applicants will receive this decision (NMS 14.10) orally (within 2 working days) and in writing (within 5 working days). Occasionally, a Panel or Agency Decision Maker may decide to recommend deferring an item to return to Panel within an agreed timescale. This can feel very disappointing for a prospective carer but it should not necessarily be interpreted as a negative perception of the prospective carer(s). It may be an oversight in relation to statutory checks that is outstanding, or a gap in the information presented that needs to be addressed. Ask your assessing social worker for clarity on this if you are unsure.

If you disagree with a decision from the Agency Decision Maker about your suitability to foster or your terms of approval, you may appeal and the letter will give you details of how to do this. Applicants can choose to appeal either to the fostering service via Panel or (dependent on the circumstances) opt to appeal via the Independent Review Mechanism (Fostering Services (England) Regulations 27(6) and 27(7). However, the option to appeal expires 28 days after the date on the letter.

Fosterline provide friendly, impartial, and confidential support to any prospective and approved carer in England. If you have a query about Fostering Panels or any other fostering matter then please contact us on 0800 040 7675 or visit further advice on our website.

Preparing to Foster Guide

Preparing to Foster

I’m thinking of foster caring, what happens next?

We’re thrilled to hear that you’re considering becoming a foster carer. Fosterline is here to support you throughout your journey, even when you are an approved carer. Fosterline provides free, confidential, and impartial support to current and prospective foster carers living in England. Use this guide to help ensure that you are prepared for your initial assessment to foster.

Foster care services’ assessment process

All foster care services have a very stringent and complex procedure in place to assess the suitability of a person to become a foster carer. The assessment process itself is in two stages, but fostering services will undertake an initial screening before this to approve foster carers in line with the Children Act 1989 volume 4.

Due to the very nature of the fostering assessment (often referred to as a `Form F` assessment) it is lengthy and can be quite intrusive. The expectation is that this assessment would take between six to eight months to complete but we hope this guide will help you to understand what you can put in place before the assessment begins. We hope this will help fostering services in their screening process and prepare you for the assessment to come.

Checklist to prepare for your initial assessment

If you are offered a fostering assessment (often referred to as a ‘Form F’), this will involve an in-depth exploration and analysis of all aspects of your current and previous lifestyle. Please review your own personal situation against the following expectations:

Section 1. Have you spoken to your family?

You will need to consider the impact on other family members both within your household and your extended family. It is important that this is a family decision as fostering incorporates team work and support by all family members. The entire family will be impacted by welcoming a foster child into your home, so everybody needs to be on board. Interviews will be conducted with all household family members to factor in their views and references sought from friends, family, previous partners, and employers.

Section 2. Your personal details

The foster care service will seek checks and references from police, medicals, education and local authorities as part of the screening process to ensure that there are no risks to you or others when placing a vulnerable child or young person in your care.

If you answered yes to any of the above, then this doesn’t automatically preclude you from being assessed to become a foster parent. Please contact Fosterline for further information.

Section 3. Do you have suitable accommodation?

Your home will be assessed within the local environment to see potential to promote the wellbeing of children and young people. These environments should ensure that foster children and young people can thrive and have easy access to community facilities. Most foster care services will expect you to have a spare room and your property will need to be in good repair and adhere to health and safety requirements.

If you answered no to any of the above, don’t worry as you will have plenty of time to address this. It doesn’t automatically preclude you from being assessed to become a foster carer. Please contact Fosterline for further information.

Section 4. Personality and relationships with others

Fostering relies heavily on communication and embracing different views and interpretations of situations. You will need to be able to demonstrate that you are capable of communicating with professionals, children and birth families. You will also have to show that you understand what is expected of you in different meetings and environments.

Section 5. Valuing diversity

Some groups of people experience unfair treatment and discrimination on the basis of who they are because of the colour of their skin, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, or disability. Treating everyone fairly does not mean treating everyone the same, there will be additional support required based on the individual needs of every child you look after. A foster carer is an advocate for the children they look after.

Being open and honest

Remember to be open and honest with yourself and the fostering service. Being engaging and transparent will aid a successful assessment. Anything that was chosen to be hidden or undisclosed is likely to come to light at a later stage and would more than likely work against any future or current approval.

Nobody has the right to be a foster carer, but just because you may not fit the criteria and requirements of one fostering service doesn’t mean you won’t be accepted by another fostering service.

Are you ready for assessment?

If you have predominately answered yes to all of the questions in sections 1,2,4,5 of the checklist, you may be ready to be assessed to become a foster carer. To find a foster care service local to you, visit www.fosterline.info/find-a-fostering-service/. Here you can simply enter your town or postcode to find a list of local authorities and independent fostering agencies near to where you live.

Fosterline is unable to recommend a fostering service, as Fosterline is a source of impartial advice and support. However, once you have identified a fostering service in your local area, you can check their inspection rating by going to the Ofsted website here. Foster care services regularly hold foster carer recruitment events which you may want to go along to; visit www.fosterline.info/recruitment-events/ to see a list of events.

Stay in touch with Fosterline

If you have any concerns and queries about the assessment process or any other issue surrounding fostering, then please contact us for help and advice via our Freephone helpline 0800 040 7675 available Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm. Alternatively you can e-mail us at: enquiries@fosterline.info or arrange for us to call you at a time that suits; to make an appointment visit: www.fosterline.info/make-anappointment.

You can keep up-to-date with fostering news by liking us on Facebook (www. facebook.com/fosterline) and following us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/fosterlinegov) #BeAmazingTogether #OneMoreHome

We wish you well with any fostering assessment you undertake and hope you will join us as a Friend of Fosterline supporting and using the service in the future.

Talking about Terrorism

Special Guardianship Orders

Special Guardianship Orders

Fosterline receives a number of calls from foster carers who have been asked to consider taking out a Special Guardianship Order for their foster child. Often they are unsure what this means and have been given very little information by their social worker. Fosterline has produced this information to help foster carers clarify the terminology that might be used and the implications for looked after children and their caregivers.

What is a Special Guardianship Order (SGO)?

A Special Guardianship Order (SGO) is an order of the court under the Children Act 1989 which grants the holder(s) parental responsibility over a child until they reach the age of 18. This enables the special guardian(s) to make day-to-day decisions on behalf of the child, for example in relation to their education.

Special Guardianship orders (SGO’s) were introduced as an amendment to the Children Act 1989 by the Adoption & Children Act 2002, implemented on the 30 December 2005, and amended in 2016. SGO is a legal order intended to meet the needs of children separated from their birth parents which would offer more security to the children and their carers than provided by long-term fostering – but without severing all legal ties with their birth parents, as is the case with Adoption.

Anyone with whom the child has been living with for 12 months or more can apply to the Court for a Special Guardianship Order. This can include foster carers, grandparents, or family and friends foster carers.

The key issue is that there is an established relationship between the child and the person applying for the SGO. If the person applying for an SGO has previously been the child’s foster carer, they will be entitled to a package of support from the local authority, including financial assistance.

I have been told I have to take out an SGO on my foster child.

Some foster carers contact Fosterline to say that they feel they are being pressurised to take out a Special Guardianship Order on their foster child, or told that if they don’t do so their child will be removed. Regulations are clear that children and young people should not be moved for financial reasons. Therefore, you should not be pressurised into taking out an SGO if you do not feel it is right for you or your family.

Fosterline can help you decide whether this is right for you and you should always take independent legal advice before proceeding with this serious step.

What support do Special Guardians receive?

Special Guardians are entitled to a Support Package which should be confirmed in writing as part of the process. This can include

• Financial support
• Access to support groups for special guardians
• Help with contact arrangements with birth relatives
• Access to therapy for the child if necessary
• In some circumstances: respite, training and emotional support.

If you have previously been a Foster Carer for the child, you may be able to receive an allowance. (Generally reviewed after 2 years but in certain cases can be for a longer period of time). The financial support may differ from the level it was received as a foster carer and it can be withdrawn by the Local Authority completely. Financial support will depend on the Local Authority assessment of the child’s needs and your own circumstances, including eligibility for benefits and tax credits.

Special Guardians are also able to apply for child tax credits and claim for child benefit.

Support for young people subject to special guardianship order

Young people who are subject to an SGO will not usually have a social worker as they are no longer considered to be in foster care, and will not qualify for “Staying Put” once they reach 18.

However, young people aged 16 – 21 who were looked after immediately prior to the SGO being made are entitled to advice and support. For example, Local authorities can pay a special guardianship allowance in respect to a young person over 18 if they are completing a course of full time education or training. Foster carers should be made aware of this when applying for SGO by the local authority.

Questions to consider before proceeding:-

• What are the reasons for considering Special Guardianship and do I feel pressured?
• Is it the right option for the child, for me, and for my family?
• Can I afford to commit to Special Guardianship, what financial support is available and for how long?
• What contact will I have with birth family and will I be able to negotiate contact without conflict?
• Do I have the details of the support package in writing so I can take legal advice on the package?
• Will the Local Authority pay the legal fees?
• Do I have all the information to be able to make a decision?

Next Steps:

If you decide that you wish to apply to become a special guardian, the local authority responsible for the child will carry out an assessment of your suitability and prepare a report for the court. It will detail the support package that you are being offered.

Once an order is made, it is very difficult to get the support package reviewed so it’s important that you take independent legal advice. The local authority should pay for this if they have asked you to become a special guardian, and they should ensure that your and the young person’s support needs are met.

If you are unsure about any of the points raised in this fact sheet, then give Fosterline a call and discuss the issues in complete confidence with one of our fostering advisors. Becoming a Special Guardian is a major decision for you and your family, so it deserves to be thought through carefully.

Men who Foster

This factsheet is for male prospective foster carers or current foster carers

LGBTQ+ Foster Carers

Kinship Care (Friends and Family Care)

Kinship Care (Friends and Family Care)

Kinship care is the care given to a child whose parents are unable to provide it. This responsibility is taken on by a family member such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, or other connected adults to the child such as godparents and close family friends. For these associations, Kinship Care can also be termed as ‘Family and Friends’ care or ‘Connected Persons’ care.

A Kinship carer is a person who is looking after a child of a relative or friend on a full time basis. This can be a temporary or permanent arrangement and can also be on a formal or informal basis. The placement of a child with an unrelated person by their parent(s) is known as Private Foster Carer. A chart showing the differences between these types of care can be found below.

Informal Kinship Care

It is important to understand the difference between an informal kinship care arrangement and that of an approved kinship foster placement.

In general terms, an informal kinship carer will care for a child following an agreement between themselves and the parents when they are no longer able to care for the child themselves. They also may wish to avoid the child going into care. For example, grandparents might step in to look after a child if the parents are unable to cope, perhaps due to bereavement, drug or alcohol problems, or mental health issues.

This type of arrangement does not involve the local authority and the carers do not generally receive a fostering allowance. If the carer feels they may not be able to meet the needs of the child due to finances, they may consider requesting a `Child in Need` assessment from the local authority (see below).

Kinship Foster Care

In Kinship Foster Care, the local authority will approach a relative or friend (a connected person) and ask them to care for the child. Sometimes the child will already be in foster care with an unrelated foster carer or sometimes the local authority will seek a kinship foster placement to avoid taking a child into foster care.

The key difference is that the local authority places the child with the Kinship Foster Carer, and therefore has financial responsibility for them. When the local authority places the child with a relative or connected person, they are referred to as a ‘looked after child’ and the local authority will exercise parental responsibility for them.

Kinship foster carers undergo a fostering assessment and, once approved, will receive a fostering allowance to help support the child. The financial support should be equal to the allowances or fees provided to other foster carers within that local authority (National Minimum Standard 28.7).

Private Foster Care

When informal arrangements of care for a child or young person are made with people who are not connected or family members, this is classed as a private fostering arrangement. If it is to continue beyond a period of 28 days, the local authority should be informed and an assessment of the placement should take place. There is no entitlement to financial support from the local authority and Private Foster Carers are not assessed as foster carers.

Child in Need

Anyone can contact social services if they have concerns about a family, or believe that a child may be in need. An assessment is made where more assistance is needed than general advice or information, and it appears you might need services to assist you and the children in your family.

You are entitled to an assessment if a child or children in your family appears to be in need, or they’re at risk of harm. An assessment is usually carried out by a social worker and the child will be identified as a ‘child in need’ if they are unlikely to achieve or maintain a reasonable level of expected health without additional services.

An assessment of a child in need is carried out under section 17 of the Children Act 1989. Under section 17 the child is not looked after by the local authority and will not have a care plan, but there may be a requirement to implement a child in need plan or a child protection plan. When a plan is put in place, social workers or other professionals may be required to visit the child periodically.

Advice about Friends and Family or Kinship Foster Care

If you have been asked to care for someone else’s child or have questions about a current informal fostering arrangement, Fosterline can help you find out more information and direct you to additional sources of advice and support.

Insurance for Foster Carers

Fostering with Pets

Fostering for Adoption