Who supervises foster carers after approval in Worcester?

After approval, a foster carer is normally supervised by a qualified supervising social worker (SSW) employed by the fostering service. The SSW is the carer’s main professional contact and is responsible for helping them meet fostering standards, develop their skills and provide safe, consistent care. A team manager or registered manager oversees the SSW’s work, while the child’s own social worker remains responsible for the child’s care plan and welfare.

The SSW’s role is separate from that of the child’s social worker. The child’s social worker focuses on the child’s history, needs, contact arrangements and long-term plan. The supervising social worker focuses on the foster carer’s practice, support needs and approval requirements. These professionals should work together, but they have different responsibilities.

Supervision usually includes planned meetings and contact to discuss:

• how the placement is progressing and whether the child’s needs are being met;
• the carer’s observations, concerns and record-keeping;
• relationships, behaviour, routines, education, health and contact with family;
• the carer’s use of agreed strategies and any additional support required;
• training completed and further development needs;
• compliance with fostering regulations, safer-care arrangements and the service’s policies; and
• any changes in the household, including health, employment, accommodation or family circumstances that could affect fostering.

Supervision is not just an administrative check. It gives the carer an opportunity to reflect on what is happening in the placement, consider how their approach is affecting the child and identify difficulties before they become more serious. The SSW may help the carer prepare for meetings, understand professional decisions, contribute to assessments and communicate concerns through the appropriate channels.

A supervising social worker may also coordinate practical support around a placement. This can include arranging advice, identifying relevant training, discussing equipment or adaptations, and involving a manager or other professional where the situation needs a higher level of oversight. If there is a safeguarding concern, allegation, serious incident or significant change in a child’s behaviour, the carer should report it promptly in line with the fostering service’s procedures rather than waiting for the next supervision meeting.

Foster carers are also reviewed through the formal fostering process. The fostering service monitors their ongoing suitability, records their development and considers whether their approval remains appropriate. A review may take account of placement records, supervision notes, training, feedback from professionals and the carer’s own views. The fostering panel may be involved in particular review or approval decisions, but it is not the person who provides the carer’s routine supervision.

In practice, the exact arrangement can vary according to the fostering service, the carer’s approval, the complexity of a placement and any changes in circumstances. Become a Foster Family’s regional team provides ongoing support after approval, with a supervising social worker and management structure working with carers throughout their fostering journey. Before accepting approval, it is sensible to ask who your named SSW would be, how supervision is recorded, who provides support if that worker is unavailable, and how urgent safeguarding concerns should be reported.