Do fostering regulations set a timescale for completing an assessment?

Fostering assessment timescales are governed by a combination of regulations, statutory guidance and the agency’s own procedures. The legal framework requires an agency to assess whether an applicant is suitable to foster, but it does not create an automatic approval or refusal simply because an assessment takes longer than expected.

The eight-month expectation is a target for completing the assessment, rather than an absolute statutory deadline. If the assessment cannot be completed within that period because of exceptional circumstances, the fostering service should explain the reason for the delay and keep the situation under review. A delay should therefore be identifiable, justified and actively managed rather than left unexplained.

Several parts of an assessment can affect the timescale. These may include:

• initial checks and the collection of identity, health, employment and financial information;
• Disclosure and Barring Service checks and local authority checks;
• references from personal and professional referees;
• health information from the applicant’s GP or another appropriate medical professional;
• discussions with household members and any children living in the home;
• training and preparation for fostering;
• home visits and interviews with each applicant;
• assessment of the applicant’s relationships, support network, experience and capacity to meet children’s needs; and
• the preparation of the written assessment report for consideration by the fostering panel.

The agency should explain the main stages of its process and identify information it needs from the applicant. Applicants can help prevent avoidable delays by returning forms promptly, telling the agency about changes in circumstances and making relevant household members available for visits or discussions. This does not mean an applicant is responsible for delays caused by outstanding statutory checks, difficulties obtaining professional information or the agency’s workload.

Some circumstances may reasonably require additional assessment work. For example, the agency may need more information about a health condition, a previous relationship, a criminal record, family circumstances, financial stability or the needs of a child the applicant may be considered to foster. Where further enquiries are necessary, they should be relevant to the suitability decision and explained clearly. A longer assessment is not, by itself, evidence that an applicant will be rejected.

If the expected timescale is approaching or has passed, an applicant can ask the assessing social worker or fostering service to confirm:

• the date on which the application was recorded;
• which assessment tasks have been completed;
• what information or checks remain outstanding;
• why any delay has occurred;
• when the assessment report is expected to be ready; and
• what the next step will be, including whether and when the application will go to panel.

The agency should keep a clear record of progress and of any reasons for delay. If communication has broken down, the applicant can raise the issue with the supervising manager or use the agency’s complaints procedure. They may also ask how the agency monitors compliance with fostering regulations and statutory guidance.

Completion of the report does not necessarily mean that approval is immediate. The report must be considered through the agency’s decision-making process, which normally includes fostering panel consideration and a decision by the agency decision-maker. The panel may request clarification or further information if the assessment is incomplete, and this can affect the overall timetable.

Most importantly, the timescale should not be treated as a substitute for a careful assessment. The purpose of the process is to reach a properly evidenced decision about suitability and the types of fostering a person or household may be able to provide. If more time is genuinely needed to obtain reliable information, completing the assessment properly is more important than meeting an arbitrary date, but the agency should keep the applicant informed throughout.