Who decides whether my foster care application is approved?

The person with legal authority to approve a foster carer is the fostering service’s agency decision-maker. This is not the social worker who completes the assessment and not the fostering panel. The agency decision-maker considers the assessment evidence, the panel’s recommendation and any relevant information before reaching the formal decision.

What does the decision-maker consider?

The decision is based on whether you can provide safe, stable and appropriate care for a child or young person. The assessment report will normally bring together evidence about:

• your reasons for fostering and your understanding of the responsibilities involved;
• your ability to meet a child’s physical, emotional, health and educational needs;
• your experience, attitudes and capacity to respond to behaviour affected by trauma or loss;
• the safety and suitability of your home;
• the views and readiness of everyone in your household;
• your health and ability to care for a child;
• references, background checks and information from relevant professionals;
• your participation in preparation training and your willingness to continue learning; and
• your ability to work appropriately with social workers, birth families, schools and other professionals.

The assessment is not a test of whether you have had a perfect life or already know everything about childcare. The important issue is whether the evidence shows that you are able to reflect, respond to advice, manage challenges and put a child’s needs first. Where there are concerns, the assessing social worker should discuss them with you and explain what further information or change may be needed.

What is the fostering panel’s role?

The fostering panel is made up of people with relevant experience and knowledge of fostering, social care, education, health or related areas. It reviews the assessment information and may ask questions before making a recommendation. It can recommend approval, recommend approval with particular terms, or recommend that the applicant is not approved.

The panel’s recommendation is an important part of the process, but it is not the final approval. The agency decision-maker reviews the panel’s recommendation alongside the full assessment and then records the formal decision. The decision-maker must give proper consideration to the panel’s views and provide reasons for the outcome.

What can the approval include?

If you are approved, the decision will set out the terms of your approval. These may cover matters such as the number of children you can foster, their age range, whether you can care for siblings, and any other arrangements relevant to the type of fostering you are being approved to provide. Approval terms are intended to reflect your assessed skills, circumstances, household and the support available to you.

Approval does not mean that a particular child will automatically be placed with you. Each possible placement is considered separately, taking account of the child’s needs, your approval terms and whether the match is suitable.

What if the decision is not to approve you?

If the fostering service is considering a decision not to approve you, you should receive written information explaining the proposed outcome and the reasons for it. In England, applicants are given an opportunity to make representations within the specified period, normally 28 days. The case may then return to the fostering panel for further consideration.

If the fostering service confirms a decision not to approve you after this process, you may be able to use the Independent Review Mechanism. The information provided by the fostering service should explain whether this option applies and how to request a review. An independent review does not automatically mean that the original decision will be changed; it provides an additional examination of the decision-making process and evidence.

Your assessing social worker should explain how your application is progressing, what information is still required and how the recommendation will be presented. You can also ask for clarification about any concerns, the proposed terms of approval and the reasons behind the final decision. The written decision is the key record of the outcome, so read it carefully and raise any point you do not understand with your fostering service.