What do fostering services’ policies and procedures cover?

Fostering services’ policies and procedures explain how the service makes decisions, manages day-to-day fostering arrangements and meets its legal duties to children, foster carers, birth families and local authorities. They turn regulations and statutory guidance into practical instructions, so carers know what is expected and whom to contact in different situations.

Legal and organisational responsibilities

Policies normally explain the fostering service’s structure, the responsibilities of its registered manager and staff, and how decisions are recorded and reviewed. They should reflect the relevant fostering regulations, the National Minimum Standards and other statutory guidance. The service should also make clear which responsibilities remain with the placing local authority and which are handled by the fostering agency or foster carer.

This distinction matters because a foster carer may work with several organisations at once. For example, the placing authority may retain responsibility for a child’s care plan, while the fostering service provides supervision and support to the carer. Written procedures should identify how those organisations share information and resolve disagreements.

Recruitment, assessment and approval

Although the detailed assessment process varies, policies usually explain the information applicants must provide, the checks that will be completed and how the assessment is presented to the fostering panel. They may cover:

• identity, residence and household checks;
• criminal record, health, employment and financial information;
• references and checks involving other adults in the household;
• home safety and space requirements;
• the assessment of skills, experience, relationships and support networks;
• preparation training and any further learning required; and
• approval categories, review arrangements and how applicants can respond to a decision.

There should also be a procedure for reconsidering or appealing certain decisions, together with an explanation of what happens if an application is withdrawn, deferred or not approved.

Matching and placement arrangements

Policies set out how information about a child is considered before a placement is agreed. This includes the child’s needs, identity, relationships, education, health, routines, risks and the carer’s approval and experience. A placement agreement should record practical arrangements such as delegated authority, contact with family members, transport, appointments, school arrangements, pocket money and permitted activities.

Procedures should also explain what happens when a placement is made in an emergency, when information is incomplete, or when circumstances change. They may specify who must be consulted before a placement begins, what documents the carer should receive, and how the arrangement is reviewed after the child moves in.

Day-to-day care and delegated authority

A fostering service will usually have guidance on ordinary decisions that carers can make without seeking separate permission. This can include haircuts, school activities, overnight stays, holidays, photographs, social media and routine healthcare. More significant decisions may require the agreement of the child’s social worker, the local authority, the parents or another person with parental responsibility.

Clear procedures should explain how consent is obtained and recorded, particularly for medical treatment, travel abroad, changes of school and participation in activities with additional risks. They should also recognise the child’s age, understanding, wishes and independence when decisions are made.

Information, records and confidentiality

Policies commonly cover what records carers must keep, how daily recordings are written, where documents are stored and who can access them. Records should be factual, dated and distinguish between what was seen, what was said and what action was taken. The procedure should explain how information is shared lawfully and proportionately, including with social workers, schools, health professionals and the child’s family.

Rules on confidentiality usually address conversations in public, electronic messages, photographs, social networking and the safe disposal of paperwork. They should also explain how a child can access information about their care and how corrections or disagreements about a record are handled.

Health, education and identity

Separate guidance may address registering with health services, arranging appointments, administering and storing medication, recording injuries, promoting attendance at school and supporting educational progress. Other procedures can cover religious observance, language, culture, ethnicity, disability, sexuality and personal identity. These areas help ensure that care is individualised rather than based only on the child’s placement category.

Complaints, disputes and independent support

A complaints policy should state how a child, foster carer, parent or professional can raise a concern, who investigates it and how the outcome is communicated. It should distinguish between an informal concern, a formal complaint, a safeguarding referral and an allegation about a carer, because each follows a different process. Information about advocacy and independent support should be available, particularly for children and young people who want help expressing their views.

Review and accountability

Policies and procedures should not be treated as fixed documents. The fostering service should review them when legislation or guidance changes, after an incident, or when learning from complaints and reviews identifies a better approach. Foster carers should be told about relevant changes, given access to the current version and offered guidance where a new procedure affects their responsibilities.

When reading a service’s policies, check whether they are current, written in accessible language and specific about who does what. It is reasonable to ask how carers receive updates, where the full policy documents are kept, how disagreements are escalated and what practical support is available when a procedure is difficult to apply. A sound policy is important, but its value depends on staff and carers understanding it and applying it consistently to the individual child.