What assessment checks are involved in becoming a foster carer?

The foster carer assessment is a structured suitability check carried out by a qualified social worker. It looks at your background, relationships, health, home life, finances, practical circumstances and understanding of children’s needs, then brings this information together for a formal recommendation about your application.

Checks are not considered in isolation. The assessing social worker will discuss any information that needs clarification and consider its relevance, how long ago it occurred, the circumstances involved and what it says about your ability to care safely for a child. A past difficulty or disclosure does not automatically mean that you cannot foster, but it must be assessed openly and accurately.

• Identity and personal details: You will be asked to provide documents confirming your identity, address and personal history. The assessment normally records where you have lived, your education and employment background, important relationships and significant life events.
• DBS and other safeguarding checks: Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks are completed for prospective foster carers. Appropriate checks are also made on other household members, including people aged 16 or over, and on adults who have a significant or regular presence in the household. The fostering service may also make checks with relevant local authorities, children’s services and other agencies. Where an applicant has lived overseas, further enquiries may be needed if suitable records are available.
• Health assessment: A medical assessment considers whether your physical and mental health is compatible with fostering. This is usually completed using information from your GP and reviewed by a medical adviser. The focus is on your capacity to meet a child’s needs safely and reliably, rather than on whether you have a particular diagnosis or have never experienced ill health.
• References and employment history: Personal referees are asked about your character, reliability, relationships and experience with children. Former partners may also be contacted where their information is relevant. Employment details and any work involving children are considered as part of the wider safeguarding picture.
• Household and relationship assessment: The social worker will speak with everyone whose life may be affected by fostering. This can include a partner, children and other household members. Discussions explore how fostering could affect routines, privacy, relationships and existing responsibilities, as well as how the household would respond to challenging behaviour or changes in arrangements.
• Home and safety assessment: Visits to your home help establish whether there is suitable space, privacy and a safe environment for a child. The assessment may cover sleeping arrangements, fire safety, storage of medicines and cleaning products, pets, smoking, transport and general household risks. You do not need a perfect or unusually large home, but the accommodation must be appropriate for the child who may be placed there.
• Financial circumstances: You will be asked about income, outgoings, debts, housing and your ability to manage your household finances. This is not a means test. It helps establish that fostering payments would not be relied on to resolve serious financial instability and that a child’s day-to-day needs can be met.

The assessment also explores your reasons for fostering and your expectations of the role. You may be asked about attachment, loss, trauma, behaviour, identity, contact with birth families, safeguarding boundaries and working with social care professionals. The social worker will consider whether you can listen to a child, respond consistently, advocate for them and accept professional advice.

Information is usually gathered through interviews, documents, references, checks and home visits. You should answer fully and honestly, including details about previous relationships, convictions, health conditions, financial problems or difficulties involving children’s services. Providing incomplete information can create greater concern than the original issue because fostering depends on openness and safe decision-making.

At the end of the assessment, the social worker prepares a detailed report setting out the evidence, your strengths, any risks or areas requiring support, and the types of placements that may be suitable. The report is considered by a fostering panel or through the relevant agency decision-making process. You should have an opportunity to read the assessment report, correct factual errors and provide comments before a final decision is made.

If you are approved, your approval will identify the kind of placements, age range or circumstances that the fostering service considers suitable. Some checks may need to be renewed or reviewed later, particularly if your household, health, address or circumstances change. It is important to tell the fostering service about significant changes so that records remain accurate and safeguarding arrangements remain appropriate.

Before applying, it helps to gather identification documents, address and employment details, medical information, contact details for suitable referees and any relevant documents relating to previous convictions or overseas residence. Being prepared does not mean you need to have every answer immediately; the assessment is designed to explore your circumstances carefully and identify what information or support may be needed.