Who will be my main foster carer support worker?

In most fostering services, your main point of contact will be a supervising social worker, sometimes called a foster carer support worker. They are a qualified social work professional who works with you as a foster carer, rather than acting as the child’s social worker. Their role is to help you meet fostering standards, understand your responsibilities and manage the practical and professional demands of caring for a child.

Your supervising social worker is normally allocated after your fostering application has progressed, or before approval so that you know who will support you. The service may consider factors such as your location, experience, household circumstances and the type of fostering you are considering. The allocation should give you a clear professional contact who understands your circumstances and can help coordinate support when other people or services need to be involved.

The relationship is intended to continue beyond the assessment and approval process. Your supervising social worker may:

• help you understand fostering policies, procedures and expectations;
• visit you at home and discuss how fostering is affecting your household;
• review your training, development and support needs;
• help you prepare for a proposed placement and consider whether it is suitable for your family;
• talk through behaviour, communication, routines, boundaries and safeguarding concerns;
• support you to keep appropriate records and complete required reports;
• contribute to reviews of your fostering approval and ongoing suitability; and
• refer or escalate issues to the appropriate manager or professional service when they need a wider response.

They are not there to make every decision on your behalf. You remain responsible for providing day-to-day care within the agreed plans and for raising concerns promptly. Your supervising social worker helps you understand the information available, consider possible responses and follow the correct process. Where a decision concerns the child’s care plan, education, health or contact arrangements, the child’s social worker or another relevant professional may have the lead responsibility.

Support often includes regular supervision. This is a planned discussion about the placement, your caring role, the child’s progress, any incidents or concerns, and the effect of fostering on you and other members of your household. It should be a useful opportunity to discuss difficulties honestly, including matters that may feel minor before they become more serious. You can also use supervision to identify training needs or ask for practical guidance.

Your main support worker may not be the only person involved. Depending on the circumstances, your support network could include the child’s social worker, your fostering service’s manager, education or health professionals, therapists, a placement support worker, an independent reviewing officer or an out-of-hours contact arranged by the service. Each person has a different role. If you are unsure who is responsible for a particular issue, your supervising social worker should help you identify the right contact and make sure important information is shared appropriately.

When a placement is being considered, the supervising social worker should help you look beyond whether you have space in your home. Relevant questions can include the child’s needs, age, routines, background, relationships, behaviour, health, education, contact arrangements and the likely effect on everyone in your household. You should have an opportunity to ask questions and explain any concerns before agreeing to a placement. You should not feel pressured to accept a placement that you do not believe is suitable.

If a placement becomes difficult, contact your supervising social worker as soon as possible and explain what has happened clearly. Give factual information about incidents, changes in behaviour, missed contact, allegations, health concerns or risks in the home. Keep records in line with the service’s guidance. Your support worker can help you consider immediate safeguarding steps, involve the relevant professionals and agree what needs to happen next. Serious or urgent safeguarding concerns should be reported through the procedure provided by your fostering service rather than waiting for a routine supervision meeting.

You should also expect professional boundaries. Your supervising social worker can listen, advise and advocate for appropriate support, but they may need to share information where safeguarding, legal duties or the welfare of a child requires it. Ask how information will be recorded and who may see it if you are uncertain. Constructive challenge is part of the role: support should help you reflect on your practice as well as recognise what is working well.

If your allocated worker changes, the fostering service should explain who your new contact is and how your current support arrangements will be maintained. You can ask for an introduction, a summary of outstanding issues and the dates of upcoming meetings or reviews. If you cannot resolve a concern directly with your supervising social worker, ask about the service’s management or complaints process. Knowing how to raise concerns is part of understanding your support network, not a sign that you are failing as a foster carer.