Fostering step-by-step guide

Stage one - initial preparation and training

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Application form

You will complete a detailed application form.

“Skills to foster” training

We will invite you to attend the “Skills to foster” course where you will find out more about fostering.

You will learn about the children who need foster carers and how you can prepare for becoming a foster carer.

Checks

Initial checks will be carried out to make sure there are no concerns about you caring for a child.

These include Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, medical checks and personal references.

Stage two - assessment

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Fostering assessment

We will allocate you a fostering supervising social worker who will work with you to complete your fostering assessment.

They will visit you regularly to get to know you and assess your suitability to foster.

They will spend time with your own children to ensure their views form part of the assessment too.

Preparing the assessment

Your social worker will write up all the information from your assessment and share the report with you.

You'll have a chance to make any comments.

The fostering panel

Once your assessment is complete, it will be presented to the fostering panel.

This is a group of people who have knowledge of fostering. The panel includes a foster carer, representatives from Children's Services and independent members.

The panel will make a recommendation on your suitability as a foster carer.

Following this, the agency decision maker (a senior manager) will make the final decision to approve you as a foster carer.

What happens next?

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Once you have been approved as a foster carer you'll be allocated a fostering supervising social worker. Their role is to help you to prepare for a child coming to stay with you.

They will continue to support you throughout. They'll make sure you get the help and support that you need and identify any types of training that you might need to help you.

During your first year you will complete an induction. In following years you will have a personal development plan which will identify your training and learning needs.

If the time is right for you now, get in touch with Foster With North East [external link] to talk about taking the first step on your fostering journey.

If you are still undecided, join us for one of our informal fostering information events.