Will my supervising social worker change after foster to foster?

The new fostering agency, rather than your previous agency, will be responsible for appointing and supervising the worker who supports you. In most cases, this means you will work with a different supervising social worker (SSW), although the exact arrangement depends on the agencies involved and the circumstances of your transfer.

Your supervising social worker is your main professional contact within the fostering agency. Their role usually includes supervising your fostering practice, helping you understand and meet your responsibilities, discussing the progress and needs of any child in your care, contributing to reviews, identifying training needs and making sure records and safeguarding procedures are maintained appropriately.

When will the change happen? The change may take place before your approval is formally transferred, or as part of the final arrangements with the new agency. There may be a short period in which your existing worker remains involved while the new worker becomes familiar with your circumstances. This should be agreed between the agencies and explained to you, rather than left unclear.

The handover should give the new supervising social worker enough information to understand your fostering history, household, approval, training, support needs and current arrangements. If a child is placed with you, the handover should also cover matters relevant to that placement, including the child’s routines, progress, support plan, significant events, safeguarding considerations and relationships with professionals.

Will your existing worker move with you? Sometimes a social worker may be able to continue working with a foster carer if they also move to, or are able to work for, the new agency. This is not automatic. The new agency must decide whether the arrangement is suitable and whether the worker can carry out the role under its own procedures, supervision and geographical arrangements. You should ask both agencies whether this is being considered, but the transfer should not depend on an assumption that your current worker will remain.

What should happen during the introduction? You should be told who your new SSW is, what their role will be and how the transition will be managed. An introductory discussion or meeting can help you cover:

• your fostering experience and the types of placements you are approved to provide;
• your household’s routines, strengths and support network;
• any current or previous placements that remain relevant;
• your existing training and any development still required;
• how supervision, visits, recording and reviews will be arranged;
• who to contact about safeguarding concerns, placement difficulties or urgent decisions; and
• any concerns you have about the transfer or the proposed support arrangements.

A new worker may need time to read your records and speak with other professionals. You may therefore be asked to repeat some information. This can be frustrating, but it is also an opportunity to correct outdated details and make sure the new agency understands your household accurately.

What if a child is already placed with you? Changing supervising social workers does not by itself mean that a child’s placement must end. The child’s placing authority and social worker remain involved, and they are separate from your fostering agency and SSW. The transfer should be planned around the child’s welfare and should avoid unnecessary disruption. The adults involved should be clear about who is responsible for each part of the child’s care and support.

Ask for a clear explanation if responsibilities appear to overlap. For example, your SSW may supervise and support you as a foster carer, while the child’s social worker leads on the child’s care planning and statutory social work. Other professionals may have separate roles in health, education or therapeutic support.

What if the new working relationship is not suitable? A change of worker can feel significant because effective supervision depends on honest communication and mutual trust. Raise concerns early with the SSW’s manager or the agency’s nominated contact. Explain the practical issue, such as difficulty arranging supervision, a lack of understanding about the placement or uncertainty about decisions, and ask what steps can be taken.

Before transferring, ask the new agency:

• who is likely to supervise you and whether that person has experience relevant to your approval and placements;
• how the handover from your current agency will be carried out;
• how often supervision and visits will take place;
• how the agency will involve you in reviewing your support and training needs; and
• who will manage the transition if the named worker is unavailable or the arrangement needs to change.

The most important point is that responsibility for your supervision should be clear throughout the transfer. You should know which agency and which worker to contact, how information will be shared, and how support for you and any child placed with you will continue while the new arrangement is established.