What checks are completed before foster carer approval?

Before approval, a fostering service completes a range of statutory and suitability checks to assess whether you and everyone in your household can provide safe, stable and appropriate care. The checks cover your identity, health, criminal record, personal circumstances, home environment and ability to work openly with professionals. They are considered together with interviews, training and the full fostering assessment rather than used as isolated pass-or-fail tests.

Identity and personal details

You will be asked to provide documents confirming your identity, address and relevant personal information. The fostering service needs an accurate account of your household, relationships, employment, previous addresses and any time spent living outside the UK. You should disclose changes in your circumstances during the assessment, including changes to who lives in or regularly visits your home.

Enhanced DBS checks

Applicants undergo enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Depending on the household and the fostering arrangements, checks may also be needed for other adults living in the home. The purpose is to identify convictions, cautions, reprimands or other information that may be relevant to safeguarding.

A criminal record does not automatically mean that an application will be refused. The fostering service will consider the nature of the offence, how long ago it occurred, the circumstances, any pattern of behaviour and the relevance to caring for children. Honesty is essential: failing to disclose information can raise concerns about suitability and trust, even where the original matter might not have prevented approval.

Health assessment

A medical assessment is completed to consider whether your physical and mental health is compatible with fostering. This normally involves information from your GP or another appropriate health professional, with your consent. The assessment considers the demands of caring for children, any ongoing conditions, medication, mobility, stress and your likely ability to continue fostering safely.

Having a health condition does not automatically prevent you from fostering. The relevant issue is how it affects your capacity to meet a child’s needs, and whether reasonable adjustments or additional support could help. The medical information is treated as confidential and used as part of the suitability assessment.

References and employment checks

Personal referees are asked about your character, relationships, reliability, approach to children and ability to manage difficult situations. Referees may be interviewed in more detail where necessary. If you are employed, an employer’s reference may help the fostering service understand your work history, attendance, responsibilities and whether fostering can be managed alongside your job.

Where relevant, the service may also seek information from previous employers, previous fostering services or other organisations involved in your care experience. The exact checks depend on your circumstances and the information you provide.

Local authority and safeguarding checks

Checks may be made with local authorities and children’s services to identify relevant involvement with children, including previous concerns, child protection proceedings or other safeguarding information. This does not mean that every past contact with services will prevent approval. The assessment looks at the facts, the outcome, your response to any concerns and what those circumstances indicate about your ability to safeguard a child.

The fostering service may also need to clarify information about previous relationships, domestic abuse concerns, substance misuse, serious financial difficulties or other matters that could affect household safety and stability. Questions can feel personal, but they are asked to assess risks properly and to avoid placing a child in an unsuitable environment.

Overseas residence and other relevant checks

If you have lived abroad, the service will consider whether overseas police or equivalent records can be obtained. The process varies according to the country and the available information. You should provide accurate dates, addresses and details of your time overseas so that the appropriate enquiries can be made.

Home and household assessment

A social worker visits your home to assess practical safety and suitability. This includes the available bedroom arrangements, privacy, space, household routines, fire safety, security, cleanliness and any hazards that need addressing. The assessment also considers the suitability of gardens, vehicles, animals and other features of the home where they may affect a child’s safety.

Everyone in the household is relevant to the assessment. The fostering service will consider how household members feel about fostering, whether they understand the impact on family life and whether they can respect a child’s privacy and boundaries. Regular visitors and support networks may also be discussed where their involvement could affect the child.

Financial and practical checks

The service will discuss your finances to establish that you can manage ordinary household commitments without relying solely on fostering payments to meet essential costs. This is not usually a requirement to be wealthy or to own your home. The focus is whether your household is financially stable and whether fostering can be approached for the right reasons.

Your working arrangements, transport, childcare responsibilities and support network may also be examined. These are not separate character checks, but they help determine whether you can meet appointments, transport a child, attend training and work with schools, social workers and other professionals.

What happens if a check raises a concern?

A concern should be discussed with you and assessed in context. You may be asked for further documents, an explanation or permission to obtain additional information. The fostering service weighs potential risks against protective factors, considers whether safeguards can be put in place and records the reasoning behind its recommendation.

For this reason, complete and consistent information is important from the beginning. Tell your assessing social worker about convictions, previous social care involvement, health matters, changes in relationships and any other information that may emerge. Openness allows the assessment to deal with issues fairly and helps establish the trust required for fostering.

Approval is based on the overall assessment, not simply on receiving clear DBS or medical results. The final recommendation considers the checks, your preparation and training, your relationships and support network, the home assessment and your capacity to meet the needs of the children you may be approved to foster.