Can self-employed foster carers choose which placements they accept?

Self-employed status does not give a foster carer an unrestricted right to select placements. It means the carer may be involved in discussing whether a proposed arrangement is appropriate, while the fostering service and the child’s placing authority remain responsible for making sure the placement meets the child’s assessed needs and the carer’s approval.

Preferences should be discussed during the assessment and reflected in the carer’s approval. These may include the age range, number of children, types of care, contact arrangements, and any experience or support needs the carer feels able to manage. Preferences are important when potential placements are considered, but they are not a guarantee that only those arrangements will ever be proposed.

Before agreeing to a placement, the carer should be given relevant information about the child and the proposed arrangement. Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

• the child’s age, background, identity and individual needs;
• the reason the child needs foster care and the likely duration of the placement;
• known health, educational, behavioural or emotional needs;
• contact with parents, relatives or other significant people;
• any risks, safeguarding considerations or behaviours that could affect the household;
• how the placement may affect other children already living in the home; and
• the practical arrangements for education, appointments, transport and professional meetings.

The matching process considers more than whether the carer is willing to accept a placement. The child’s needs must be considered alongside the carer’s skills, previous experience, household composition, available space, support network, other commitments and any conditions attached to the carer’s approval. A proposed arrangement should also be consistent with the information gathered during the assessment and the training completed by the carer.

A self-employed foster carer can ask questions, raise concerns and explain why a placement may not be suitable. For example, the proposed arrangement might involve needs outside the carer’s experience, create an unmanageable impact on someone else in the household, or conflict with the terms of the carer’s approval. The supervising social worker or fostering team can help the carer understand the information provided and identify whether additional support or preparation would be needed.

Agreeing to a placement should therefore be an informed decision rather than a simple acceptance of work. The carer should consider whether they can meet the child’s needs safely and consistently, whether the household can manage the likely changes, and whether they understand the expectations placed on them. Being self-employed does not remove the duties that apply to foster carers, including working with social workers, attending relevant meetings, keeping appropriate records and following safeguarding procedures.

A carer may decline a proposed placement where it is not a suitable match, but the decision should be explained clearly and promptly to the fostering service. Saying no to one arrangement does not necessarily mean the carer is unable to foster. However, frequent refusals, accepting placements outside the agreed approval or making decisions without discussing concerns can lead to a review of whether the approval and placement expectations remain appropriate.

Once a placement has been agreed, the carer cannot treat it as a flexible self-employed contract that can be ended whenever it becomes inconvenient. Fostering involves a child’s safety and stability, so any serious concern about continuing must be raised with the supervising social worker and the relevant professionals. The service can then consider the appropriate safeguarding and care-planning steps.

The most useful approach is to be specific about preferences during assessment, keep approval details under review and ask for complete information about each proposed placement. This allows the fostering team to make better-informed matches while ensuring that the carer’s decision is based on the child’s needs, the household’s circumstances and the support available for the arrangement.