What checks are needed to foster in Shrewsbury?

The checks needed to foster in Shrewsbury are safeguarding, identity, health, household, home and background checks. They are completed as part of a wider fostering assessment, so the assessing social worker can understand your circumstances and decide whether fostering is suitable for you and the children who may be placed with you.

Criminal record and safeguarding checks

• An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is normally required for each applicant.
• Checks may also be required for adults and other household members, and for people who have regular contact with your household.
• The assessment considers any convictions, cautions, reprimands or other information revealed. A previous conviction does not always prevent someone from fostering, but it must be disclosed and assessed carefully.
• Children’s services checks are made with the relevant local authorities. These can include Shropshire and any other areas where you have lived or had significant involvement with children’s services.

It is important to provide complete and accurate information. Deliberately withholding information can raise greater safeguarding concerns than an issue that is discussed openly and assessed in context.

Identity, address and household checks

You will need to provide documents confirming your identity and address. The assessment also examines who lives in your home, the relationships within the household, and whether everyone understands what fostering may involve. Household members may be spoken to directly, particularly where their views or circumstances could affect a child placed with you.

If you have previously fostered, adopted or cared for children through a formal arrangement, information may be requested from the relevant organisation. Previous partners or other people with important knowledge of your experience may also be considered as part of the assessment where appropriate.

Health assessment

A medical assessment is usually completed by your GP or another approved medical professional. This looks at your general health and whether any physical or mental health conditions could affect your ability to provide consistent care. It is not simply a pass-or-fail test. The relevant question is how your health affects fostering and whether suitable support or adjustments could help you meet a child’s needs.

You should discuss any ongoing treatment, significant illness, disability or medication honestly. The assessment may also consider your stamina, mobility and ability to manage the practical demands of caring for a child.

References and work-related checks

• Personal references are requested from people who know you well and can comment on your character, relationships and ability to care for children.
• An employment reference may be needed if you work or have recently worked. This can help clarify your reliability, responsibilities and likely availability for fostering.
• Where relevant, information may be sought about previous caring, childcare, education, volunteering or professional experience.

The number and type of references can vary according to your circumstances. For example, someone who has recently changed employment, worked with children or had a previous fostering application may need additional information.

Home and safety assessment

Your home is assessed to establish whether it can provide a safe and suitable environment. This may include checking sleeping arrangements, household safety, privacy, storage of medicines and hazardous substances, fire safety, pets, smoking arrangements and access to outside space where relevant.

You do not usually need a perfect or unusually large home, but there must be appropriate space and arrangements for a child’s age, needs and privacy. If you rent your property, permission from your landlord may be needed. The assessment also considers whether your home environment is stable and suitable for the type of fostering you are considering.

Financial and practical checks

Your finances and practical circumstances are discussed to ensure that fostering is a realistic commitment for your household. This is not about being wealthy. It is about understanding whether you can manage your existing responsibilities and provide a stable home without relying on fostering payments to resolve serious financial difficulties.

The assessing social worker will also discuss relationships, support networks, work commitments, childcare arrangements, transport and any other responsibilities that could affect your availability to foster.

What happens after the checks?

You normally provide documents and consent at the start of the assessment. The fostering service gathers the required information, follows up anything that needs clarification and discusses the findings with you. You should be given the opportunity to explain relevant information and correct factual errors.

The checks are considered alongside your interviews, preparation training, home assessment and discussions about the kinds of placements you could support. The completed assessment is then considered through the fostering approval process, which normally includes a fostering panel and a final decision by the agency’s decision-maker. Approval is based on the complete assessment rather than on one check in isolation.

Become a Foster Family can explain which documents and consents are needed for your circumstances and guide you through the assessment from initial enquiry onwards. Its staff support applicants across Shropshire and the wider West Midlands, including through the regional offices in Droitwich and Stoke.