How are foster carers involved in placement matching decisions in Warwickshire?

In Warwickshire, placement matching is a structured suitability assessment carried out with the foster carer, the fostering service and the placing local authority. Its purpose is to determine whether the proposed arrangement can meet the child’s needs safely and whether the placement is workable for the foster household. Foster carers are not expected to accept a referral without sufficient information or the opportunity to discuss whether the match is appropriate.

How the matching process works

When a child needs a foster placement, the placing authority prepares information about their circumstances and the support they require. The fostering service then considers which approved foster households may be able to meet those needs. This initial consideration usually takes account of matters such as:

• the child’s age, development and day-to-day care needs;
• any health, emotional or behavioural support required;
• the child’s relationships with brothers and sisters or other important people;
• school, transport and contact arrangements;
• the child’s cultural, religious, linguistic and identity needs;
• any risks that need to be understood and managed; and
• the terms of the foster carer’s approval and the household’s ability to provide the required care.

The foster carer is then given the information available about the referral. This may be discussed with a supervising social worker or another member of the fostering team, who can help explain the child’s needs and identify questions that need answering before a decision is made.

What foster carers can contribute

Foster carers contribute practical knowledge about how the proposed arrangement may work in their home. For example, they may need to explore sleeping arrangements, school journeys, contact visits, appointments, supervision, pets, other children in the household or the effect of the placement on an existing foster child. These points are not simply administrative details: they can affect whether the placement is safe and sustainable.

Carers can also ask for clarification where information is incomplete or where a child’s needs have changed since the original referral. Relevant questions may include:

• What is known about the child’s routines, triggers and ways of communicating?
• What contact with parents, relatives or siblings is planned?
• Are there medical, educational or therapeutic needs requiring specific arrangements?
• What risks have been identified, and what safety measures are expected?
• What professional support will be available to help manage those needs?
• How will the placement be introduced to the child and the household?

This discussion allows the foster carer to make an informed recommendation about whether they believe they can meet the child’s needs. A carer may raise concerns, request further information or decide that the referral is not suitable. Saying no to an individual referral does not necessarily mean that a person is unwilling to foster; it may indicate that the proposed match does not fit the household’s approval, skills or circumstances.

Who makes the final decision?

The placing authority remains responsible for deciding where the child is placed. The fostering service and foster carer provide important evidence and professional judgement, but the carer does not make the statutory placement decision alone. The decision should reflect the child’s welfare, the information available and the ability of the proposed placement to meet the child’s assessed needs.

Where a placement is agreed, the professionals should record the reasons for the match and set out the practical arrangements in the placement plan. This should cover the child’s care, education, health, contact, safeguarding and support needs, as well as the responsibilities of the adults involved. The foster carer should understand what is expected before the child moves in, while recognising that further information may emerge after placement.

Can matching decisions be revisited?

Yes. Matching is not a guarantee that every difficulty has been identified in advance. A child’s needs may become clearer, circumstances may change, or the agreed support may prove insufficient. Foster carers should raise concerns promptly with their supervising social worker and the child’s social worker. Professionals can then review the arrangements, consider additional support and decide whether the placement remains suitable.

For prospective foster carers in Warwickshire, the key point is that accepting a placement should be an informed decision based on the information available, not an expectation to agree to every referral. Careful questioning and honest discussion help the professionals identify a placement that is suitable for the child and manageable for the foster household.