I was contacted last week by somebody interested in becoming a Foster Carer and wanting to know the process and what is involved. Well, it is a long process and it can also become quite intrusive for some people. You will, initially, be visited by a Social Worker who will talk to you about the process and the training you need to complete. Based on the information provided and your acceptance of it, you will be allocated a Social Worker to undertake your Form F assessment. Many of these assessing Social Workers are independent of the Agency you have applied to and are freelance. This is where your assessment can get intrusive as, basically, you are telling your whole life story, good and bad, to somebody. This will include your childhood, your parents, your siblings, your schooldays and where you lived. This will then go onto your work history, finances, children, housing, health, support and even your beloved pets. Although this sounds quite straightforward you will go into details regarding each category. What was your relationship with your parents? Were you happy at school? Do you smoke? Do you drink? Why did your marriage break down? As I said, quite intrusive. If you had a wonderful childhood, great school life and a perfect marriage then you’ll still need to explain how and why. If, like me, you have the odd skeleton in your cupboard, just come out and be honest about it. If you are a private person who doesn’t like discussing personal matters then you will have to ‘bite the bullet’ and open up. Some people don’t understand the relevance of providing all of this very personal information but imagine if it’s your children going into care, you would want to know that the person who will be caring for them is physically and mentally able to provide that service. So why does your financial situation have to be included in your assessment? The agency will want to know if you are reliant on the Fostering income to pay your bills and if you are financially responsible. You will be dealing with money for the young person or people including savings etc., so a bit of financial acumen is required. With pets, it’s quite obvious why this information is required. Is your XL Bully going to be a danger to the children or is your Poodle to be trusted with an inquisitive 3 year old? Then your property will be assessed, how many bedrooms? How many are available for Fostering? Is the house safe? Is your garden secure? How about you support network, family and friends? If you have children living at home, are they supportive of you Fostering, what are their feelings about it, do they understand about what Fostering involves? As all of this information is collected you are getting closer to the completion of your form F. There will be basic training courses to complete, running alongside the Social Work visits and, of course, more questions. Once the questions finished and your mandatory training is complete you will then be given a date for attending Panel. Panel is, basically, a meeting where various people with a background in Fostering or Social Work, who have read your form F and a whole raft of other documentation will make judgement on whether you tick all the boxes to become a Foster Carer. Panels are not stressful; the people on the panel are generally friendly and want you to succeed. Once you are accepted by Panel get ready for the phone to ring!
Recent Comments