How to become a foster carer

We carry out local authority residency checks for addresses you have lived at for the last ten years which include enquiries to local authorities and their child protection records (including previous involvement with services for children or vulnerable adults).

We will support you to attend a full Health and Medical Assessment to be completed by your GP. This will assess whether you have any health conditions that might affect your capacity to care for a child with additional needs. If you do have an underlying condition, you will not be automatically disqualified from fostering, and we will consider you manage your health at home. 

Your Assessor will complete a guided assessment and checklist to ensure that your home environment is suitable for a child with additional needs and is well-maintained for their best wellbeing. You may be set some requirements or suggestions to help ensure you are ready for a child to move in.

Pets are an important part of many families, and also can be fantastic therapy for young people in care. To ensure that there is no risk involved to a child with additional needs, a safety questionnaire will be completed.

We are unfortunately unable to accept applications from families who own a banned breed of dog under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

We will seek to attain a number of references from people you know and have worked with to give their opinion on your ability to care for children.

• Personal References: 3 personal references for a single carer or 2 personal references each for a 2 parent household. Of these a maximum of 2 references total can be from people you are related to.
• Employment References: We will seek references from current/most recent employers, as well as from any employment where you might have worked with children, young people or vulnerable adults.
• Ex-Partner from Significant Relationship Reference(s): For any previous significant relationships (e.g. a partner you have previously been with for a period of over 1 year, or someone you have had a child with) we will need to seek a reference with your permission.
  Where this is simply not appropriate we can take alternative steps to seek an alternative reference, and this will be discussed in your assessment.

If you have children or young people under 18 in your care at home, there are additional references that we may seek from those who know them. We will ask for Educational References from their current school or college, and/or from any Nursery or Health Visitors involved in their lives.