What information will I receive about a teenager before accepting a placement?

Before you agree to a teenager’s placement, you should receive the information currently available to help you assess whether you can meet their needs safely and appropriately. This normally comes through a placement referral or information-sharing discussion with the fostering agency and the child’s social worker. The information may not be complete, particularly when a placement is arranged urgently, but any known concerns, important history and immediate support needs should be discussed before you make your decision.

The information provided will usually explain why the teenager needs foster care and what arrangements have been considered for them. It may include details about previous care experiences, significant changes or losses, and factors that have affected their behaviour or relationships. You may also be told about previous placements, what has helped or not helped in the past, and whether there are particular circumstances that could make a new placement more challenging.

Information should be specific enough for you to understand what daily care might involve. For example, you may need to know:

• how the teenager communicates their feelings and what they do when worried, angry or distressed;
• whether they have difficulty with sleep, personal care, eating, routines or managing appointments;
• what helps them to settle and how adults have successfully supported them before;
• whether there are known behaviours that could affect other children, household members, pets, property or the wider community;
• what supervision, boundaries or practical adjustments are likely to be needed;
• whether the teenager has additional needs, disabilities, neurodiversity or mental health needs that require specialist understanding; and
• which professionals and services are already involved in their care.

You should also be given the information needed to consider the placement alongside your existing household. This can include the proposed sleeping arrangements, how the teenager might fit with other children in the home, whether transport will be needed, and how school, college, work experience, appointments or other commitments may affect daily routines. If the teenager has restrictions, safety plans or arrangements that other household members need to follow, these should be explained clearly.

Where there are known safeguarding concerns, you should be told enough to understand the risks and the measures intended to manage them. This might include concerns about exploitation, going missing, substance misuse, self-harm, offending, harmful relationships or unsafe use of technology. The purpose is not to label the young person; it is to ensure that you can make an informed decision and understand the practical plan for keeping everyone safe. Ask who to contact, what to do in an emergency and how incidents will be recorded and reviewed.

The referral should make clear what is known and what remains uncertain. Records can contain gaps, conflicting accounts or information that has not yet been verified. Some details may only become clearer after the teenager has had time to settle. You should not be expected to agree to a placement on the assumption that missing information will not matter. Ask what is still being investigated, when further information is expected and whether the proposed plan will be reviewed if new facts emerge.

Information is shared on a need-to-know basis, so there may be limits to what can be disclosed before a placement. Personal information about the teenager should be treated confidentially and not discussed outside the people involved in their care. At the same time, confidentiality should not prevent you from receiving information that is necessary to protect the teenager, your family or other people in the household.

Before deciding, it is sensible to ask for clarification rather than relying on general descriptions. Useful questions include:

• What would the first few days and weeks look like?
• What are the teenager’s current strengths, interests and sources of support?
• What situations are known to trigger distress or conflict?
• How have previous carers or professionals responded, and what was the result?
• What contact or communication is expected with family members and other important people?
• What education, health or specialist appointments need to continue?
• What support, training or equipment would be available to help with the identified needs?
• Who would make decisions about healthcare, education, permissions and everyday activities?
• How will the placement be reviewed, and what should happen if it becomes difficult?

You should have an opportunity to discuss the referral with your supervising social worker or another suitably informed professional before accepting. Consider the information against your approval, experience, household circumstances, available space, practical commitments and ability to provide the level of supervision required. It is appropriate to ask for more time, request a fuller explanation or decline if the placement does not appear suitable. Saying no to a particular referral is different from deciding not to foster; safe matching depends on an honest assessment of what you and the teenager need.

Once a placement is agreed, information should continue to be updated as professionals learn more about the teenager. Their care plan, risk assessments and support arrangements may change, so ongoing communication is an important part of providing stable care.