What checks are required before I can foster in Herefordshire?

The required checks form part of a full fostering assessment designed to establish whether you can provide a safe, stable and suitable home for a child. They are carried out by the fostering service with your cooperation and are considered alongside your circumstances, motivation, relationships, parenting approach and ability to work with professionals.

Who is normally checked?

Checks usually apply to every adult who lives in the household, not just the person making the application. This may include a partner, adult children and other regular members of the household. The fostering service will explain whether any other person who has frequent contact with children also needs to provide information or complete a check.

Everyone involved should give honest and complete information. Leaving out relevant details can cause greater concern than disclosing them at the beginning, because the assessment team needs to understand the full circumstances before making a recommendation.

What the checks are intended to establish

• Identity and residence history: documents and address history help confirm who is applying and where household members have lived. Previous addresses may be relevant when other checks are requested.
• Criminal record information: DBS screening helps identify convictions, cautions and other relevant information. A record does not always mean that fostering is impossible. The fostering service will consider the nature of the offence, how long ago it occurred, the circumstances and any evidence of changed behaviour. Some offences involving children or serious harm can prevent approval.
• Local authority information: enquiries may be made with councils connected with your previous addresses or work. These enquiries can identify information relevant to safeguarding, including previous involvement with children’s services.
• Health information: you will normally be asked to complete a health assessment so that the service can understand whether your physical and mental health could affect your ability to care safely and consistently. The purpose is not to require perfect health; it is to consider the practical demands of fostering and any support or adjustments that may be appropriate.
• References: personal referees are asked about your character, relationships, reliability and experience of caring for children. Referees should know you well enough to give a detailed and independent account. The fostering service may speak with them directly.
• Financial circumstances: the assessment considers whether your household can manage everyday living costs without relying on fostering payments as its only means of meeting essential expenditure. You may be asked for information about income, commitments and any financial pressures.

What happens during the home assessment?

A supervising social worker will discuss your home and household arrangements in detail. This includes sleeping arrangements, privacy, household routines, safety measures, transport, pets, visitors and how fostering may affect everyone who lives there. The assessment also explores how you respond to stress, set boundaries, manage behaviour and work with a child’s family, school, social worker and other professionals.

You may need to complete practical safety actions before approval, such as addressing hazards or making agreed changes to the child’s room and shared areas. The exact requirements depend on the type of fostering sought, the child’s likely needs and the layout of the property. Renting a home does not automatically prevent an application, but the fostering service may need to confirm that the accommodation is suitable and that the tenancy permits the proposed arrangements.

Other information that may be requested

The assessment can include discussions about previous relationships, children you have cared for, significant events in your life and any experience of abuse, neglect or trauma. Former partners may be contacted for information where their knowledge of your parenting or household history is relevant and it is safe and appropriate to do so. The social worker should explain why information is needed and how it will be handled.

Information is treated as sensitive, but safeguarding duties may require relevant concerns to be shared with the appropriate people. If a check raises an issue, you should have an opportunity to provide context, correct factual errors and discuss how the matter affects your application.

Checks are not the only part of the decision

Once enquiries and assessment work are complete, the social worker prepares an assessment report. This sets out your strengths, any identified risks, the types of placements that may be suitable and any training or support needs. The report is considered through the fostering service’s approval process, which normally includes an independent fostering panel or another formal decision-making stage, depending on the service’s arrangements.

Approval is not simply based on whether every household member has a clear record. The decision considers the evidence as a whole, including your ability to keep children safe, promote their wellbeing, respect their identity and maintain appropriate boundaries. If circumstances change while you are being assessed, tell your social worker promptly, including changes to your household, address, health, employment or legal circumstances.

Before applying, it is useful to gather identity documents, address details, contact information for suitable referees and an overview of your household finances. Being organised can make the assessment easier, but you should ask the fostering team to explain any document or check you do not understand. Become A Foster Family can provide guidance through the assessment and explain how the requirements apply to your household.