Fostering or Adoption

FOSTERING OR ADOPTION

>	What Kind of People become Foster Carers?
>	Adoptive Parents and Permanent Foster Carers
>	Points to Note
>	What to do Next
>	Next Steps
>	After Approval

Fostering

Adoption

Training

Family Placement Service

Further Information

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Next Steps

Once we have received your completed form and if you have asked for someone to visit you at home, a family placement worker will contact you within the following 2 weeks, to arrange a suitable time to do this. During this visit, he/she will talk with you in more detail about your interest in fostering/adoption and about your own family circumstances. This worker will also explain our procedures, and tell you more about the tasks involved in being a carer. You will also be given a "task description" which will give you a fuller idea of what is expected of a carer. He/she will also begin to look at whether or not we can take you to the next step in this process, which is completing the Application Form.

The decision will be based on several things, such as whether this is really the right time for you and your family to go through an assessment. You may have medical or other issues or concerns that you and/or the worker would prefer to be checked out prior to application - in this case the worker would process your medical or other forms with your consent, and then get back to you once these have been seen by our Medical Advisor.

If it has been mutually agreed that you proceed to the application stage, an application form would be left with you. This form includes most of the consent forms to allow us to carry out the statutory checks mentioned earlier on you and your family.

When we receive your completed application form, we will invite you to attend a family interview, either at our office or in your home, with 2 family placement workers (this may be the worker who came to meet you at home, along with another worker who may carry out your assessment). This helps us to make a final decision about whether or not we can take up an application from you.

If an application is to be taken up, the workers will explain what happens next, such as when the next training course will start. Training is an important part of the process, and attendance is compulsory.
You would be allocated your own worker who would process your statutory checks straight away and would hope to have these back within a month -- sometimes it could take longer. If there is a problem with your checks, your worker will arrange to see you to discuss this and what it means.
You would begin your assessment either before, during or after the training. The assessment will look at you and your family and why you want to foster or adopt, what you feel you have to offer and how much you understand about the tasks involved. Professional opinions will be discussed openly throughout the process
If there is any doubt about whether an application should proceed at any stage, then our Fostering and Adoption Panel will become involved in any decisions about outcomes
An assessment should be completed 6 months from an application being received. However, there can be unforeseen delays, such as medical issues or a change in circumstances which requires "time-out"
Your assessment will be presented, as a report written by you and your worker together, at our Fostering and Adoption Panel which will make a recommendation about whether or not your application should be approved and on what basis
This Panel comprises experienced childcare social workers and managers, other professionals such as our Medical Adviser, and independent members such as an experienced adoptive parent or foster carer. You will be invited to attend the Panel when your report is presented. Our Agency Decision Maker, who is a senior manager in the Social Work Department, makes final decisions about approval. There is a right of appeal if you do not agree with an Agency decision.