Understanding the Fostering Assessment Process
Becoming a foster carer is a meaningful and rewarding step, and we are here to guide you through each stage with clarity and support. Our fostering assessment is designed to help us get to know you, understand your strengths, and ensure that fostering is the right fit for your household. It is a thorough but supportive process focused on safety, readiness and stability for children who need care.
What is a fostering assessment?
A fostering assessment is a structured process where a trained social worker works with you to explore your experience, lifestyle and motivation to foster.
It helps us:
- Make sure you can provide a safe, nurturing home
- Match you with the type of fostering that suits you best
- Understand your support needs
- Prepare you for the reality of fostering
This process is sometimes known as a Form F Assessment and is used by fostering services across the UK to ensure consistent, high-quality standards.
What the fostering assessment involves
1. Initial home visit
After your enquiry, we arrange a friendly home visit to understand your interest in fostering, answer questions and discuss the next steps. This is an informal conversation and not an inspection.
2. Skills to Foster training
You will be invited to attend pre-approval training, called Skills to Foster.
This training helps you:
- Learn about the needs of children in care
- Understand the role and responsibilities of foster carers
- Meet other prospective foster carers
- Build confidence before the assessment begins
Training is fully accessible, and adjustments can be made to support any learning needs.
3. Background and safety checks
To ensure the safety of children, we complete essential checks, which may include:
- DBS checks for all adults in your home
- Health assessments
- References from people who know you well
- Employment and previous fostering references (where applicable)
- Home environment checks
These are standard safeguarding steps used across all local authorities.
4. Form F assessment
A qualified assessing social worker will meet with you several times to explore areas such as:
- Your family background and experiences
- Your daily life, routines and support networks
- Parenting experience and skills
- Motivation to foster
- Personal strengths and areas for development
- Understanding of children’s behaviour and trauma
All discussions are open, respectful and focused on helping you succeed as a foster carer.
5. Preparing your family
If you have children or other adults living with you, we speak with them to ensure they feel informed and supported. Their views and wellbeing are important parts of the assessment.
6. Matching your fostering role
By the end of your assessment, we will identify the type of fostering that fits your skills and home environment, such as:
- Short-term fostering
- Long-term fostering
- Respite care
This helps us make safe, well-matched arrangements that benefit both you and the child.
7. Fostering panel review
Once your assessment is complete, it is presented to an independent fostering panel.
Panel members review the information and may ask you some final questions. They then make a recommendation about your approval to the Agency Decision Maker, who gives the final decision.
How we support you through the process
Throughout your fostering assessment, you can expect:
- A dedicated social worker throughout your journey
- Accessible training and learning resources
- Clear communication at every stage
- Support to prepare your home and family
- Opportunities to speak with experienced foster carers
We aim to make the assessment transparent, inclusive and empowering.
Frequently asked questions about the fostering assessment
Do I need to own my home?
No. You can foster whether you rent or own, as long as your home is stable and you have a spare bedroom.
Is the assessment intrusive?
The assessment is detailed because we must make sure children are safe, but our team is supportive,
respectful and focused on your strengths.
What if I’m not sure which type of fostering is right for me?
Don’t worry, your assessing social worker will help you explore options throughout the process.
Thinking about fostering?
If you are interested in fostering, we would love to talk to you.
Our fostering team can explain the process, answer your questions, and help you decide if this is the right path for you.