- At a minimum, the reviewer should consult the foster carer, any children in placement during the last year, and the children’s social workers and write an annual review report.
- It is also good practice for them to consult any birth or adopted children who still live at home or extended family who are significantly involved in the family’s fostering.
- They may also wish to seek the views of other professionals that the foster carer has worked with during the year – educationalists, children’s social workers, contact supervisors and so on.
- The review process should consider any changes since the last review, including any changes in the household. It should also take into account the foster carer’s learning and development and any additional support that they need.
- If the report is going to panel, the foster carer should see it first, preferably at least two weeks before panel takes place.
- The foster carer also has a chance to write their own response for the panel to consider. Foster carers are also entitled to attend and be heard at all panel meetings and to bring a supporter to the panel if they so wish.
- The decision maker at a fostering service will make the final decision about a foster carer’s approval, taking into consideration all the information available to them including any recommendations made.
Foster carer medicals
As part of a foster carer’s initial assessment and approval, they will need to have a medical. This is usually carried out by the foster carer’s GP who will have been sent documents by the fostering service. The GP then returns the forms to the designated authorised person in the fostering service. This person will then look at the report and pass on any information that may impact the foster carer’s ability to foster to the fostering team.
Foster carers usually then complete a medical every three years, although this usually requires the foster carer and the GP completing forms rather than a visit to the GP.
Medical information is only one part of the assessment, and there is nothing in the fostering regulations or standards that would direct a fostering service to turn down an application based on any named illness, disability, past or current medication or treatment.
Any foster carer who is concerned about this process should speak to their fostering service or contact our advice lines.
Changes to terms of approval
Usually, foster carers will be given terms of approval which set out the number of children, their gender, age range and any other information about the type of foster care that they are approved to provide.
Once they have been fostering for a while, foster carers may want to ask for a change to their terms of approval – for example, to be allowed to foster older or younger children.
Their supervising social worker might also want to suggest a change. The annual review is a good time to discuss this – the supervising social worker can then recommend any changes in their report.
Termination of approval
In the event of complaints, allegations or standards of care concerns, a fostering service might want to terminate a foster carer’s approval. In this situation, the service’s report must go to panel. A foster carer should see any report before it goes to panel and has the right to write their own response and/or to be present, with a supporter, at the panel meeting.
Following a recommendation by panel, the decision maker at the fostering service will decide on the foster carer’s approval.
If a foster carer is not happy with the decision, they can make ‘representations’ and inform their fostering service who will take it back to their panel. In this situation the fostering service must bring together a differently constituted fostering panel.
In addition:
- in England and Wales, they can take the case to the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM) to seek a recommendation.
- in Northern Ireland, foster carers who are unhappy with the outcome of a fostering panel can appeal, and their case will be heard by an independent panel
- In Scotland, foster carers may request a review of a decision not to approve them as a foster carer, to terminate their approval or to vary the terms of their approval within 28 days of the date of notification of the decision.