Can a fostering agency lose its registration?

A fostering agency can lose its registration if Ofsted determines that it no longer meets the legal requirements for operating in England. Depending on the seriousness and urgency of the concerns, Ofsted may impose conditions, issue enforcement action, suspend registration or cancel it altogether.

Registration is not permanent. A registered fostering provider must continue to comply with requirements including the Care Standards Act 2000 , the Fostering Services Regulations 2011 and the National Minimum Standards. These cover matters such as safeguarding, safer recruitment, the assessment and approval of foster carers, supervision, training, record keeping, complaints and the quality of support provided to children and foster families.

Ofsted may take action where an agency:

• fails to protect children from abuse, neglect or other foreseeable harm;
• does not properly assess, approve, supervise or review foster carers;
• employs unsuitable people or fails to complete required checks;
• does not provide adequate support, training or supervision to foster families;
• keeps inadequate records or provides inaccurate information;
• repeatedly fails to comply with previous requirements or enforcement action; or
• is unable to operate in accordance with the conditions of its registration.

A poor inspection outcome does not automatically mean that an agency has lost its registration. Ofsted considers the nature of the concerns, the evidence available, the effect on children and whether the provider can put matters right. It may require improvements or restrict the way the agency operates before considering more serious action.

Possible regulatory action includes:

• Conditions of registration: Ofsted may limit or control particular aspects of the agency’s operation.
• Compliance or enforcement action: the provider may be required to address specified failures within a set process.
• Suspension: the agency may be prevented from operating for a period, particularly where allowing it to continue could place children at risk. Suspension is different from cancellation and may be reviewed in light of further evidence.
• Cancellation: the provider is no longer registered to operate as a fostering agency. This is the most serious form of regulatory action.

An agency may also seek to end its registration itself, for example if it decides to stop providing fostering services. That is different from Ofsted cancelling registration because of regulatory concerns, although both situations can require arrangements for foster carers and children to be moved to another registered provider.

If registration is suspended or cancelled, existing placements do not simply become the foster carer’s private responsibility. The child’s placing local authority remains responsible for planning and safeguarding the child, and it must work with the agency, the foster carer and any replacement provider to decide what should happen next. The priority will normally be continuity of care where that remains safe and suitable.

Foster carers affected by the loss of an agency’s registration should ask for clear information about:

• the agency’s current regulatory status and the action Ofsted has taken;
• what will happen to each child currently placed with them;
• which organisation will provide supervision, support and safeguarding oversight;
• whether payments, allowances and agreed expenses will continue and who will administer them;
• how records and personal information will be transferred securely; and
• what steps are needed to become approved by another fostering service.

A foster carer cannot normally continue taking placements as though nothing has changed. Approval is connected to the fostering service that approved the household, so a move to another independent fostering agency or local authority usually involves checks, information sharing and a formal approval process. Some previous assessment work may be relevant, but the new provider must satisfy itself that the household remains suitable.

Ofsted’s inspection reports and published enforcement information can help prospective foster carers check whether a provider is currently registered and understand any identified weaknesses. However, an inspection report is only one part of due diligence. Ask the agency how it manages safeguarding, supervision, training, complaints, allegations and placement disruptions, and read the latest report alongside the agency’s own explanations.

Become a Foster Family can help people understand what registration means, how to check a provider’s current position and what questions to ask before applying. If an agency’s status changes while you are considering fostering or already approved, seek specific information from the agency, Ofsted and the relevant local authority before accepting or continuing a placement.