What happens if a proposed placement is not suitable for your household?

A proposed foster placement that is not suitable for your household should be reviewed before it is accepted, with the child’s needs and everyone’s safety considered carefully. You can ask for further information, request a matching discussion or decline the arrangement if the identified needs cannot be managed safely with the support available.

Suitability is assessed through matching. The child’s social worker and fostering agency should consider the information known about the child alongside your household’s circumstances. This can include the child’s age, routines, health, education, behaviour, relationships, communication needs, identity, cultural or religious background and any known risks. Your own children, other household members, pets, employment, transport arrangements, available space, skills and experience are also relevant.

Information is not always complete, particularly when a placement is arranged under pressure. That does not remove the need for an honest discussion. Before making a decision, ask what is known about:

• the reason the child needs foster care and what they may be experiencing;
• their day-to-day care, health, education and contact arrangements;
• behaviours or risks that could affect your household;
• how the placement may affect children or adults already living with you;
• the practical arrangements, including school, transport, appointments and contact; and
• the training, supervision, therapeutic input, respite or other assistance that has been identified.

Your supervising social worker should help you separate a placement that is challenging from one that is fundamentally unsuitable. Foster care involves adapting to a child’s needs, but you should not be expected to manage risks or responsibilities that have not been properly assessed or explained. If important information is missing, ask for clarification rather than agreeing on the basis of assumptions.

If you decide not to proceed, explain why clearly. Give specific reasons linked to your household’s capacity, the child’s needs or an identified safety concern. The agency can then record the decision, discuss whether additional support would alter the assessment and consider whether another household is a better match. Declining one proposal does not mean that fostering is unsuitable for you overall. However, any concerns that arise repeatedly should be explored as part of supervision, training or your ongoing assessment.

If the placement has already started and problems emerge, raise them promptly. Contact your supervising social worker and the child’s social worker, describe what is happening factually and ask for a review of the placement plan. Depending on the concern, the response might include clearer routines, changes to contact arrangements, additional training, specialist advice, practical support or a formal review. Keep records of significant incidents and communications in line with the recording requirements explained by your agency.

Do not try to end a placement informally or arrange for a child to move without the agreement of the professionals responsible for the placement. A planned move should consider the child’s welfare, legal status, relationships, education and future care arrangements. If there is an immediate risk of serious harm, follow the safeguarding and emergency procedures given by your agency and contact the appropriate emergency service where necessary.

When a placement ends unexpectedly, the agency and local authority may hold a disruption or review meeting. Its purpose is to understand what happened, whether the matching information was sufficient, what support was effective and what could be done differently in future. You should be able to contribute a factual account and discuss any impact on your household. This review is separate from deciding whether you remain approved, although serious safeguarding concerns will need to be considered through the appropriate procedures.

Before accepting any proposed placement, make sure you know who to contact, what support has been agreed and how concerns will be reviewed. A careful matching decision protects the child and helps you provide care that is realistic, safe and sustainable.