Can foster care licence checks be repeated?

Foster care checks are not always a one-off exercise. A fostering service may repeat, renew or review particular checks before approval, during the assessment, or after approval if information changes or a new concern needs to be considered. The purpose is to ensure that the assessment reflects your current circumstances and that fostering remains safe for everyone in the household.

Checks that may be revisited include:

• Criminal record checks: a further Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check may be requested if the original check is no longer considered current, if a household member reaches the relevant age, or if there is new information to consider.
• Local authority checks: the fostering service may make further enquiries with local authorities where you have lived or where relevant information has arisen.
• Health information: an updated medical assessment or clarification from your GP may be needed if your health changes or the previous information is no longer sufficient to assess your suitability to foster.
• References: referees may be contacted again if a reference needs clarification, circumstances have changed, or the assessment has taken a considerable time.
• Household and family information: checks may be extended to a new partner, lodger or other person who becomes part of the household, depending on their age, role and contact with children.
• Other relevant enquiries: the fostering service may need to verify new information about employment, finances, previous addresses, overseas residence or relationships.

Repeated checks do not necessarily mean that the fostering service suspects a problem. Assessments can take time, and information may need to be brought up to date before a recommendation is made. A check may also need repeating because a document was incomplete, a response was unclear, or an organisation needs more information before it can provide a definitive answer.

Checks can be repeated when your circumstances change. Examples include moving home, starting or ending a relationship, taking in a lodger, having a baby, changing employment, experiencing a significant health event, or welcoming another adult into the household. You should tell your fostering service about relevant changes rather than waiting for them to be discovered through a later check. Failing to disclose a material change can create concerns about honesty and judgement, even where the change itself would not prevent you from fostering.

Checks may also be reviewed after approval. Foster carers are expected to take part in ongoing reviews, and the fostering service must continue to assess whether the placement remains appropriate and safe. A review may follow a significant incident, a concern raised about a household member, a change in the home, or information received from another professional. This is separate from the routine support, supervision and training that approved foster carers receive.

If a repeated check reveals information that was not previously known, the fostering service should consider the details carefully rather than treating the result as an automatic refusal. It will usually look at the nature and seriousness of the information, how long ago it occurred, whether there is a pattern, your explanation, and its relevance to caring for children. The service may ask for supporting documents, speak with other professionals, or revise the assessment and recommendation.

Where the information raises a safeguarding concern, approval may be delayed while enquiries are completed. In more serious cases, the agency may decide not to recommend approval, or may review an existing approval or placement. You should be told what information is being considered and given an opportunity to explain relevant circumstances, subject to safeguarding and legal restrictions on sharing confidential information.

The final decision before approval is made through the fostering service’s formal approval process, based on the completed assessment and recommendations. If further checks are requested, provide information promptly and ask what is needed, why it is required and whether the original document can still be used. Keep the fostering team informed of any changes to your household, health, relationships or personal circumstances throughout the assessment.

For practical guidance on which checks may apply to your household, speak to the fostering team responsible for your assessment. Become A Foster Family supports prospective carers across Birmingham, Worcestershire, Staffordshire and the wider West Midlands, with offices in Droitwich and Stoke and staff located throughout the region.