Statutory checks for foster carers are legally required enquiries completed during your fostering assessment. They help assess suitability, safeguarding and household circumstances, including criminal records, health, references and relevant local authority information, before approval is considered.
Partnering with an
Ofsted Outstanding Provider
Statutory checks assess whether fostering is suitable for your circumstances and whether your household can provide consistent, safe care. They are relevant to every applicant, including individuals, couples and people who already have experience of caring for children, because the assessment must consider your current situation rather than relying on general experience alone.
Information is considered alongside your wider fostering assessment, including your ability to work with professionals, manage safeguarding responsibilities and respond to a child’s individual needs. A concern does not necessarily end an application; its relevance may depend on factors such as when it occurred, the circumstances involved and what has changed since then.
This process is particularly important if you have lived in different areas, worked with children, had significant changes in your household or are applying with another adult. Your fostering service should explain which enquiries are needed, ask for the required consent and give you an opportunity to clarify information that may affect the assessment.
Statutory checks for foster carers are a required part of approval, whatever fostering route you explore. They help clarify the practical responsibilities involved, the information you must provide, and how checks fit alongside training, assessment and ongoing support.
You will need to provide accurate details about your identity, address history and household circumstances. Other adults living in the home may also require checks, so the assessment can involve more than the named applicant.
A Disclosure and Barring Service check helps the fostering service consider convictions, cautions and other relevant information. The assessment looks at the context, age and significance of any information rather than treating every record in the same way.
A medical assessment considers whether your physical and mental health is compatible with fostering responsibilities. This is not about proving perfect health; it helps identify any support, adjustments or practical considerations that should be understood before approval.
Personal references and, where relevant, employment checks provide evidence about your reliability, relationships and experience. People who have worked with children may need additional information so safeguarding practice can be considered properly.
Previous involvement with children’s services may need to be checked with the relevant local authority. This can be especially important where you have moved between areas or where information from an earlier household situation needs clarification.
Checks cannot usually be completed without the required consent and supporting details. Providing documents promptly and being open about relevant circumstances helps your assessing social worker understand the information and identify anything that needs further discussion.
A statutory check is one part of the overall assessment, not an automatic decision about approval. The fostering service considers the findings alongside your capacity to manage responsibilities, work with professionals and provide safe, consistent care.
Your fostering service should explain why each check is needed, help you understand what information is being requested and give you the opportunity to comment on concerns. This support is particularly useful when records are historic, incomplete or open to more than one interpretation.
Statutory checks are usually requested by your fostering service from relevant agencies, with your consent. You may need to provide accurate details, identities, addresses and explanations for any gaps identified.
Statutory checks are usually completed during the assessment, after you apply and before fostering approval is considered. Some enquiries may continue alongside training, interviews or preparation for formal panel consideration.
Checks commonly include enhanced DBS enquiries, medical assessment, personal and professional references, local authority information, employment history and household details. Requirements may vary according to your circumstances and fostering service.
Results inform the assessment of suitability, safeguarding and household stability. The assessing social worker considers their relevance alongside interviews and evidence, records conclusions, and explains any concerns before approval decisions.
Yes, some checks are revisited after approval, particularly during regular reviews or when circumstances change. Your fostering service should explain which information needs updating, when it is required, and why clearly.
Statutory checks are structured enquiries verifying information relevant to your suitability to foster. Their scope may be shaped by your household, previous addresses, employment and caring responsibilities.
You must provide accurate details, complete forms and discuss issues openly. The fostering service should explain requests, identify missing information and show how findings fit within your assessment.
Criminal record and identity enquiries help the fostering service assess any safeguarding concerns and understand the information attached to your application.
A medical assessment considers whether your health and wellbeing are compatible with the practical and emotional responsibilities of fostering.
Checks may include other adults or relevant household members, because everyone living in or regularly using the home can affect a child’s safety and stability.
Personal and employment references provide additional evidence about your character, reliability and ability to build appropriate relationships with children and professionals.
The assessment may examine past addresses, work involving children and other relevant history so that important context is considered rather than overlooked.
No single check decides approval on its own; findings are reviewed with the wider assessment and any relevant explanations or changes in circumstances.
Statutory checks provide a structured, fair way to verify information, helping your fostering assessment consider safety, suitability and safeguarding responsibilities.
Think of statutory checks as a set of evidence points rather than a pass-or-fail test. A disclosure, health consideration or reference is considered alongside the wider assessment, so one finding is not automatically a decision about your application.
Before checks begin, ask which organisation is completing each enquiry, what information it needs and how any concern will be assessed. Check forms carefully, give written consent where required, and tell your assessing social worker if circumstances change.
If information is unclear, the fostering service may seek clarification or request further evidence. You should have an opportunity to explain relevant context, including dates, relationships or changes since an event. Ask how the result will be recorded and what happens next; this helps you take part in the assessment with a clear understanding of the process.
Before proceeding, confirm which checks apply to every household member, how consent and information sharing work, how concerns are assessed, and who will explain unresolved issues in the assessment.
There is no single standard look-back period. Each check may cover different dates, depending on its purpose, your circumstances, previous addresses, safeguarding information and relevant household history provided by you.
Family and friends carers may undergo similar statutory checks, but enquiries can reflect the child’s circumstances, existing relationship, household composition and urgency. The fostering service explains any tailored requirements clearly.
Yes, overseas residence may require additional verification, such as overseas police certificates or equivalent evidence. Requirements depend on the country, available records, dates lived abroad and the fostering service’s guidance.
Payment arrangements vary between fostering services. Ask whether the service covers each statutory check, reimburses you, or expects payment upfront, and confirm any exceptional costs before checks begin in writing.
Questions about a statutory check do not need to delay your plans. Discuss your circumstances with our fostering team, who can explain what information is needed, help you understand any concerns and outline the next step in your assessment.