The assessment process is a continuation from your initial enquiry and application. Information of which can be found via this link.
Once you feel ready to begin the assessment process you will be allocated a Supervising Social Worker who will come to your home to talk you through this process more fully. The Assessment itself takes approximately 20 weeks during which time your worker will visit you on a weekly basis. Your Supervising Social Worker will guide you through each step of the assessment and plan home visits around times that suit you and your family.
As part of the assessment, we will want to speak to the people you live with, including your children, to gather their views and expectations of fostering. We will ask you to do some work in preparation for the assessment, such as building your family tree and telling us more about your support network. Fostering is a family venture, and we want to include the people who are important to you to feel and be included in this process.
The assessment is very in depth, we discuss your life experiences from you were little until now. We will discuss your relationships with your family and your own childhood experiences as well as significant relationships you have had as an adult. During this assessment we will draw out experiences and strengths you bring as a foster carer and use this information later as we move forward to matching you and your family with a child or young person. We want to prepare our carers as best we can for the task of fostering and we will recommend books and other materials for further learning during your assessment.
At the end of this, you will be given a full copy of your assessment report to read through. Your Supervising Social Worker will talk you through this assessment and give you time to reflect on this.
Fostering Panel
Once your assessment has been completed your Supervising Social Worker will support you to attend your Panel at the Care Visions office base to consider your Approval. Our fostering panels are made up of experienced, independent panel members who will have had time to read your assessment and ask any questions they may have. You will also be asked for your feedback on the process. The discussions with Panel last for approximately 45 minutes. This is a positive time for our carers as it signifies the end of their assessment process and the start of their time as foster carers.
Simply fill out the form below to get your FREE foster carer info pack. By filling in the form there is no obligation to foster, we just want to discuss with you where you are at and help you on your journey.
