What does the foster care approval panel consider?

The foster care approval panel is an independent group that reviews the evidence gathered during your assessment and makes a recommendation about whether you should be approved to foster. It considers whether you can meet the fostering standards and provide safe, stable and appropriate care for the children or young people identified in your assessment.

The panel does not make its decision from a brief conversation alone. Members receive your completed assessment report and supporting information in advance. They examine the evidence, consider the assessing social worker’s recommendation and check that the proposed approval is properly supported by the information available. The panel may also identify areas that need clarification before it can make a recommendation.

Panel members and their role

A fostering panel normally includes people with relevant social care knowledge, independent members and someone with personal experience of fostering. Its members should be able to consider applications objectively and bring different perspectives to the discussion. The panel is separate from the social worker who completed your assessment, which helps provide an additional level of scrutiny.

Members are not there to look for reasons to reject an application. Their role is to test whether the evidence supports the recommendation and whether the proposed approval would be suitable for the children the fostering service is able to place with you.

What the panel examines

• Whether the assessment is complete, balanced and consistent with the supporting evidence.
• Whether any concerns identified during the assessment have been explored properly and addressed where possible.
• Whether your understanding of fostering is realistic, including the demands it may place on your household and relationships.
• Whether the proposed arrangements provide appropriate safeguards for children, including clear boundaries, supervision and safer-care practice.
• Whether the type of fostering requested is appropriate to your circumstances and the needs you are prepared to meet.
• Whether the recommended approval terms are clear, proportionate and supported by the assessment.
• Whether you have understood the responsibilities involved and are prepared to work with the fostering service, children’s social workers, schools, health professionals and birth families where appropriate.
• Whether any conditions, restrictions or additional support should be attached to the recommendation.

The panel may pay particular attention to the difference between being willing to foster and being ready to foster. Readiness includes understanding how a child’s experiences may affect their behaviour, accepting professional oversight and being able to follow agreed plans consistently. It also includes recognising when to seek advice rather than attempting to manage a difficult situation alone.

Questions at the panel meeting

You will usually be invited to attend the part of the meeting that considers your application. Panel members may ask questions about information in your assessment, your reasons for applying, practical arrangements in your household or any issue that needs clarification. Questions are intended to help the panel understand your circumstances and assess the evidence; they are not a test requiring perfect answers.

You should answer honestly and ask for clarification if a question is unclear. If information has changed since your assessment was completed, tell the fostering service before the meeting where possible. A significant change may need to be recorded or considered before the panel makes its recommendation. You may normally be able to bring a supporter, subject to the fostering service’s arrangements, but that person cannot answer questions on your behalf.

How the recommendation is reached

After hearing from the applicant and the assessing professionals, the panel discusses the application. It may recommend approval, recommend that approval is not given, or defer its recommendation while further information or clarification is obtained. A deferral is not the same as a refusal; it means the panel needs more evidence before reaching a properly informed view.

If approval is recommended, the panel also considers the proposed terms of approval. These may describe matters such as the number of children, their age range, the type of placement and whether there are other limitations relevant to the application. Terms should reflect what the evidence supports rather than what an applicant might ideally wish to accept.

The panel makes a recommendation to the fostering service’s agency decision-maker. The agency decision-maker considers the panel’s recommendation alongside the assessment evidence and then makes the formal decision. This means the panel’s recommendation and the final approval decision are separate stages, even though the panel’s view is an important part of the process.

What happens if the panel has concerns?

If the panel identifies an unanswered question or a weakness in the evidence, it may ask for further enquiries, an updated report or additional information. You should be told what information is required and what happens next. Where the recommendation is not to approve, the fostering service should explain the reasons and the representations or review arrangements available to you.

Before attending, read your assessment carefully, check that factual details are accurate and make a note of anything you want to explain. Consider how you would manage the practical responsibilities of fostering, how you would respond to support and challenge, and what questions you want to ask about the recommendation. A clear, honest discussion gives the panel the best basis for considering your application fairly.