Information Pack

You can contact the Sahara team to find out about more about being a foster carer. We can decide with you which local authority you are interested in becoming a carer for and arrange to have an information pack to your home. This can help you to decide whether fostering is right for you and your family.

The Initial Visit

If you decide you want to apply to be a foster carer, complete the application form in the information pack to register your interest. In some authorities you can request a visit by telephoning the fostering team.

A subsequent visit will be made by a Fostering Officer from the local authority fostering team, accompanied by a member of staff from the Sahara team, to provide more information and to answer any questions you may have. Information can be provided about the different kinds of fostering such as short term, respite (caring for a child for brief periods) and permanent fostering. It is expected that there will be a main carer who is not employed outside of the home.The Fostering Officer can go through the expectations of foster carers such as providing the child with a nurturing family home, working as part of a team and with other agencies, promoting the child's contact with their birth families where this is part of an agreed plan, attendance at the children's reviews and meetings, attendance at support groups to meet with other foster carers.Ongoing training is available and all Foster Carers have their own Fostering Officer to provide ongoing support and guidance.

 If you are interested in proceeding and are accepted by the local authority, the next step is that a number of checks would need to be made.These include a CRB check (criminal records check) to make sure that there are no reasons why you would be unsuitable to care for children. These reasons can include any violent offences either past or present, and offences relating to children. You will be asked to have a medical to ensure you are in good health and provide names of a number of referees - the number can vary according to different authorities.

Preparation and Training

Most people who want to foster will be invited to attend a preparation training programme. This is a training course with a group of other prospective foster carers, which will provide more in depth information about fostering and the expectations of you as a carer. This can help you to decide if fostering is right for you and your family. Courses are usually held in your local area and further information can be provided by your visiting Fostering Officer.

Assessment

The next stage is to undergo a comprehensive assessment with a Fostering Officer who will work very closely with you, and try to go at your pace, and can take about six months to complete. This involves a full assessment of you and your family, which will provide a full picture of your family and your suitability to become foster carers for the local authority. At the end of the process a large report is prepared by the Social Worker, known as a Form F. You will be able to read the report and make any comments which are included in the final report.

• You as the applicants.
• Your family - extended family.
• Your relationships past and present / Marriage.
• Your background: childhood days, teenage years, education, employment.
• Experience of parenting and looking after children.
• Ability to work with families and professionals in the local authority and other agencies.
• Potential ability to care for a looked after child
• Values, views and attitudes
• How you deal with stress.
• Your support networks.
• Caring for children who have had difficult life experiences. 

The process of assessment provides you with a lot of time to fully understand the fostering task, and to reflect upon whether fostering is right for you and your family. The important thing to remember is that you have a named local authority Social Worker to support you throughout the process, and we from Sahara Project can also be available.

Panel Approval

A report is then presented to a Fostering Panel, or if applying to become permanent carers, to the Adoption and Permanency Panel, which recommends whether applicants should be approved to foster for the local authority.

Applicants are invited to attend the Panel, which is considering their application. The final decision of whether to approve or not is made by the Agency Decision maker who is a senior manager in the local authority.

When a foster carer is approved they will be sent a  formal letter from the local authority confirming their approval as foster carers,  and sent a Foster Carer Agreement which outlines the expectations of all foster carers.You will sign the agreement and both yourself and the local authority retain a copy.

Support for Foster Carers

All approved Foster Carers are allocated their own Fostering Officer who will provide support and guidance and negotiate the placement of children.The children placed will also be allocated their own Social Worker.The Foster Carer will work as part of a care team alongside other professionals for the best interests of the child.

Foster Carers are also invited to support groups to meet with other foster carers. Groups are usually held regularly in the local area and are a very good source of support to meet socially, share issues and concerns, and learn from others who are in a similar role to yourself.