How are statutory check results used in fostering assessment?

Statutory check results are used as safeguarding evidence in a fostering assessment. They help the fostering service establish whether you, and any other relevant household members, can provide a safe and suitable home for a child. A result is not normally considered in isolation or treated as an automatic decision about your application.

The assessment team considers what the information means in the context of your circumstances. Depending on the result, this may include:

• the nature and seriousness of the information;
• when the incident or concern occurred;
• whether it was an isolated event or part of a pattern;
• your age and circumstances at the time;
• what has changed since then;
• how openly and responsibly you respond to the information; and
• any possible impact on a child placed in your care.

For example, a historic matter may need to be understood differently from recent or repeated concerns. The assessment may explore your account, the outcome of any court or safeguarding process, and evidence that demonstrates changed circumstances. The purpose is to reach a balanced safeguarding judgement rather than simply list information found during checks.

If a check identifies something that has not already been discussed, you will usually be asked to explain it. This gives you an opportunity to correct an error, provide relevant context and identify any supporting documents that should be considered. Omissions or inconsistencies may themselves need to be explored because openness is an important part of assessing your suitability to foster.

Some findings can have a particularly serious effect on an application. Certain convictions, cautions or other safeguarding information may mean that a person cannot be approved, or that further consideration and a specific legal process are required. The effect depends on the type of information and the fostering regulations that apply. A fostering service should explain how a finding affects your assessment rather than leaving you to interpret a record on your own.

Results may also affect the assessment of the wider household. Checks can identify information about a partner, adult household member or other person whose regular contact with children could be relevant. This does not mean that every result leads to the same conclusion. The service considers the person’s relationship to the household, the level of contact and any potential safeguarding implications.

Once the information has been assessed, it forms part of the written fostering assessment. The report should record the relevant facts, your explanation, the assessor’s analysis and any recommendations for managing identified risks. Where appropriate, the outcome may include conditions or practical safeguards, such as agreed boundaries around contact, additional supervision, support or training. These measures must be realistic and sufficient to protect children; they are not used to minimise a risk that cannot be safely managed.

The completed assessment is considered through the fostering service’s decision-making arrangements, which normally include consideration by a fostering panel before an agency decision is made. The statutory check results are weighed with the rest of the assessment evidence. If the information raises unresolved safeguarding concerns, the recommendation may be not to approve the application. If it can be understood and safely managed, the assessment may continue with appropriate recommendations.

Check information is handled as confidential personal data and should only be shared with people who need it for the assessment and decision-making process, subject to the relevant data protection and safeguarding requirements. You can ask the assessing service what information has been received, how it will be used and whether you can comment on any information that may affect the recommendation.

If you believe a result is inaccurate or relates to the wrong person, tell the fostering service promptly and provide any evidence available. The service may need to verify the information with the organisation that supplied it before relying on it. Giving complete and accurate information at the outset usually makes it easier to assess the result fairly and decide what, if anything, is needed to keep children safe.