What happens if my circumstances change during the fostering assessment?

A fostering assessment reflects your current circumstances, so a significant change may require parts of the assessment to be reviewed or repeated. This does not automatically mean that your application will end. The effect depends on what has changed, how it affects your ability to care for a child, and whether the new circumstances can be safely and practically managed.

Changes that should be discussed include:

• a change of address, household members or living arrangements;
• starting or ending a relationship, separation, or a change in who will provide support;
• a new baby, pregnancy, caring responsibility or other change affecting family life;
• a change in employment, working pattern or financial situation;
• a significant change in physical or mental health;
• a new conviction, police involvement, court matter or safeguarding concern;
• a change in childcare arrangements, pets or other factors affecting the home; and
• an event that changes your availability or the type of placement you could consider.

Your assessing social worker will consider the change in relation to fostering requirements, household safety and the needs of children who may be placed with you. They may ask you to explain what has happened, when it happened, how it affects daily life and what arrangements are in place to manage it. Information may need to be gathered from other household members or professionals where it is relevant to the assessment.

Moving home can involve a review of the accommodation, sleeping arrangements, space, safety and suitability for fostering. A change in household composition may also require conversations with the people who live in, or regularly visit, the home. The assessment needs to establish that everyone understands how fostering could affect family routines, privacy and responsibilities.

Changes to health or caring responsibilities are considered on an individual basis. A health change does not automatically prevent someone from fostering, but the assessing team must understand whether you can meet the practical and emotional demands of caring for a child. Further medical information may be requested, with your consent, so that the assessment is based on current information rather than an earlier report.

Changes involving checks or safeguarding information must be addressed openly. If new information arises from a disclosure, police check or other assessment process, it will need to be considered before the assessment can progress. The relevant information, its context and any steps taken since the event may all be important. Withholding a material change can create greater difficulty than raising it promptly, because the assessment depends on accurate and up-to-date information.

The next step may be relatively simple, such as recording the change and updating the assessment report. In other cases, the assessing social worker may need to arrange additional visits, request updated references or checks, seek further professional advice, revisit training needs or reassess the proposed fostering approval. If the change affects the type of placement being considered, the discussion may focus on what age range, needs or level of support would be appropriate.

If the assessment has reached fostering panel, the updated information may need to be included in the paperwork or presented to panel before a recommendation is made. The purpose is to ensure that any recommendation is based on your present circumstances. Where more information is needed, the process may take longer while the position is clarified.

Some changes may mean that fostering is not suitable at that point, or that it would be sensible to pause the assessment. This is different from saying that fostering can never be considered. If circumstances become more stable later, you can discuss what information would be needed to review your position. The decision should be based on the circumstances and the safety and wellbeing of children, rather than on the fact that a change has occurred by itself.

Keep your assessing social worker informed, provide relevant documents when requested and ask how the change will be recorded in your assessment. It is also useful to discuss any practical support you may need, such as help from family members, adjustments to working arrangements or preparation for a different type of placement. Clear, timely information allows the assessment to reflect your real circumstances and ensures that any decision about progressing is properly informed.