What support is available between fostering reviews?

Support between fostering reviews is provided through regular supervision, placement discussions, safeguarding advice, training and practical planning. A formal review is an important assessment of your fostering practice, but it is not the only point at which you can ask questions, raise concerns or seek help.

Supervision and regular discussions

Your supervising social worker is usually the main point of contact between reviews. Supervision gives you an opportunity to discuss how a placement is progressing, consider your own development and identify anything that needs attention before it becomes more difficult to manage. Discussions may cover relationships within the household, the child’s behaviour, contact arrangements, school or health matters, and the effect of fostering on family life.

These conversations should be focused on your individual circumstances rather than treating every placement in the same way. You can use them to explain what is working, what is proving challenging and what additional advice may be useful. Important decisions and agreed actions should be recorded so that everyone involved has a clear understanding of the plan.

Help with placement-related concerns

Children who foster may have experienced trauma, disrupted relationships or inconsistent care. Their needs can change during a placement, sometimes following a significant event or a change in family circumstances. Between reviews, your fostering team can help you think through how to respond safely and consistently.

• Consider what may be influencing a child’s behaviour and how to respond without escalating the situation.
• Check whether household boundaries, routines or safer-care arrangements remain appropriate.
• Prepare for meetings with the child’s social worker, school, health professionals or birth family.
• Clarify what decisions you can make under delegated authority and which matters require agreement from the responsible professionals.
• Review whether the placement plan and the child’s care plan still reflect the child’s current needs.

If there is an allegation, serious incident, safeguarding concern or allegation of harm, contact the relevant fostering or social work professional promptly and follow the instructions provided. Do not investigate the matter yourself or discuss confidential information unnecessarily. Advice should focus on protecting the child, supporting everyone involved and preserving an accurate account of events.

Learning and development

Training does not end when a carer is approved. Further learning may be suggested because of a particular placement, a change in guidance, a development need identified in supervision or an issue discussed during a review. This could include subjects such as trauma-informed care, attachment, behaviour support, safer caring, online safety or responding to allegations.

Keeping a record of training and reflecting on how it affects your practice can help you and your supervising social worker identify useful next steps. You should also ask how any training applies to the child currently living with you, rather than treating learning as separate from day-to-day fostering.

Practical and emotional support

Fostering can affect household routines, relationships and the way family members use their home. Support between reviews may therefore include help with planning appointments, managing contact, preparing for transitions or considering whether respite and other arrangements are appropriate. Any proposed arrangement must be considered alongside the child’s needs, the placement plan and the responsibilities of the adults involved.

It is also reasonable to explain when fostering is affecting your wellbeing or the wellbeing of other household members. Raising this early allows the relevant professionals to consider what adjustments, advice or further assessment may be needed. Seeking advice is part of responsible fostering; it does not automatically mean that you are failing or that a placement will end.

When circumstances change

You should tell your fostering service about significant changes rather than waiting for the next review. Examples may include a change in household membership, health, employment, accommodation, relationships, criminal or safeguarding circumstances, or your ability to continue caring for a particular child. The service can explain what information is required and whether an updated assessment, approval decision or care-plan discussion is needed.

If you disagree with advice or believe a child’s needs are not being addressed, ask for the concern to be recorded and request clarification about who is responsible for the decision. You can involve your supervising social worker, the child’s social worker or the appropriate manager, depending on the issue. Keeping factual notes of dates, advice received, incidents and actions taken will help create a shared record and ensure that important matters are considered at the next fostering review.

Between reviews, the most useful support is therefore active and specific: regular supervision, clear advice about the placement, access to relevant learning, careful recording and an agreed route for raising concerns. You do not need to wait for the review meeting before asking for help with a matter that affects a child’s safety, wellbeing or the stability of the placement.