How will a new agency involve my household during a foster to foster transfer?

A new agency should involve the whole fostering household in the transfer, while tailoring that involvement to each person’s role, age and relationship with the child. The process should cover the household’s circumstances, the practical effect of changing agency, any updated assessment or checks, and the arrangements needed to protect placement stability.

Involvement of the main foster carers

The approved foster carers will usually be asked to provide information about their current approval, fostering experience, household routines and the child or children placed with them. The new agency should explain how it will review existing records and identify anything that needs clarification, updating or further assessment. This may include household composition, accommodation, safer caring arrangements, support networks, health information and any changes since the original approval.

Carers should also be able to discuss how they work with the child’s social worker, supervising social worker, education providers and other professionals. These conversations help the new agency understand what is already working and where continuity is important. A transfer should not be treated as an opportunity to make unnecessary changes to established care arrangements.

Involvement of a partner or other adults

Anyone who is part of the fostering household or regularly provides practical support may need to understand the new agency’s expectations. The agency should clarify who is included in the fostering household, what responsibilities each adult has, and whether any records or checks need to be completed again or brought up to date. The exact requirements depend on the person’s role and the circumstances of the transfer.

Adults in the household should receive clear information about reporting concerns, recording incidents, safeguarding, confidentiality and who to contact for advice. They should know how the new agency’s supervision, training and support arrangements will operate, rather than having to rely on assumptions based on the previous agency.

Involvement of children living in the household

Birth children and other children living at home can be affected by changes to routines, professional visits, household expectations and the way fostering responsibilities are managed. Their views should be considered in an age-appropriate way. This does not mean that children are responsible for deciding whether the transfer can proceed, but their experiences can identify practical issues that adults may overlook.

The new agency may explore matters such as privacy, shared spaces, school routines, personal belongings, visitors and how children in the household can raise worries. Any discussion should avoid placing children in a position where they are expected to manage confidential information about the foster child or make decisions beyond their age and understanding.

Planning around an existing placement

Where a child is already living with the foster family, the new agency should coordinate carefully with the relevant local authority and the child’s social work team. The child’s welfare and continuity of care remain central. Household members may be asked how the proposed transfer could affect appointments, contact arrangements, education, transport, delegated authority, records and day-to-day communication.

The child’s own views should be obtained through the appropriate professionals, with information shared on a need-to-know basis. Foster carers can help by explaining how the child is responding to the proposed change, but the transfer should not require the child to act as a messenger between agencies.

Information, training and agreements

Before the transfer is completed, the household should be given the opportunity to understand the new agency’s policies and working arrangements. Relevant areas may include:

• how supervision visits and reviews will be arranged;
• how to report safeguarding concerns, incidents or allegations;
• how records should be stored and shared;
• what training or development activities are required;
• how fostering payments, expenses and financial queries will be handled; and
• how support is accessed if a placement becomes more difficult.

The agency should identify any documents or agreements that need signing and explain their purpose before asking household members to complete them. If a change in policy affects safer caring or household practice, the implications should be discussed rather than simply issued as paperwork.

What to ask during the transfer

It is reasonable for household members to ask who will be their main contact, which information will be transferred, whether any assessments or checks must be repeated, and how disagreements will be managed. They can also ask how the agency will protect confidentiality, how the child’s existing relationships will be maintained, and what happens if a household member has concerns about the transfer.

A well-managed process gives each relevant household member a clear opportunity to understand their responsibilities and raise questions. If a person feels overlooked, the foster carers should tell the new agency and ask for their involvement to be reviewed before the transfer is finalised.