How is a foster carer support worker assigned?

A foster carer support worker is assigned by the fostering service, usually through its assessment, approval and support planning process. The service considers the skills and experience available within its team, your household’s circumstances, and the needs of any child placed with you before confirming who will provide your day-to-day support.

The allocation is normally overseen by a supervising social worker or fostering team manager. During assessment, the service should explain how support is organised, who your main contact will be and how to obtain help if that person is unavailable. The arrangement should be recorded in your fostering documentation, including the expectations for visits, supervision, record-keeping and communication.

Several factors can influence the assignment:

• Your household and experience: Your previous caring, parenting, professional or fostering experience may help the service identify a worker whose knowledge is relevant to your circumstances.
• The needs of a child placed with you: A placement involving trauma, additional needs, sibling relationships, contact arrangements or challenging behaviour may require particular knowledge and coordination.
• The type of fostering you provide: Different placements can involve different practical and regulatory considerations. The service may take these into account when arranging supervision and guidance.
• Location and practical arrangements: The service may consider where you live and how support can be provided through its local offices and regional staff.
• Continuity of support: Maintaining a consistent relationship can help the worker understand your household and the child’s progress, although a change may be necessary if circumstances or staffing arrangements change.

Assignment usually forms part of a wider support plan rather than being an isolated decision. The plan should identify the supervision you will receive, the training relevant to your role, the records you need to maintain and the other professionals who may be involved. Your support worker may also coordinate with the child’s social worker, education professionals, health services and the fostering service’s out-of-hours arrangements where those arrangements apply.

Before approval, ask how the matching process works and what happens between approval and your first placement. Useful questions include:

• Who will be my named foster carer support worker?
• What experience do they have with the types of placements I may provide?
• How often will supervision and home visits take place?
• Who should I contact if my usual worker is unavailable?
• How will the service introduce my support worker to everyone in my household?
• How can I raise a concern about the support I am receiving?

Your support worker may be assigned before a placement is made, or the service may confirm or adjust the arrangement when a child’s needs are known. This does not mean the worker makes placement decisions alone. Matching a child with a foster family is a separate process involving the relevant social workers and the information available about the child, the household and the proposed placement.

If your circumstances change, the child’s needs develop or the working relationship is not effective, speak to your support worker or their manager. A fostering service should be able to review the support arrangements and consider whether additional expertise, a different allocation or wider team involvement is appropriate. Any change should be explained clearly and reflected in the relevant records.