Your fostering journey

After you complete a call back form, we'll:

• call you to get some basic information and check you are eligible to foster
• answer your immediate questions

Next, we'll arrange an informal, confidential and no-commitment chat in the comfort of your own home. 

The home visit allows us to ask and answer more detailed questions about each other. We'll explore the fostering experience and how you see it working in your life. We'll also outline the process you will follow once you apply.

After that we consult our team managers who may have more questions. They will then make a recommendation about an application.

Once managers agree, we'll send you links to 2 online forms:

• the application form
• the Disclosure Barring Service check for anyone living in your household over the age of 16

You can complete both at the same time.

The assessment to become a foster carer is a 2 stage process.

Stage 1

You will be looking after other people’s children, so we need to make sure that you are right for the job. That’s why this stage feels like a job application.  It includes:

• a check of your DBS documentation 
• a local authority search to check and confirm any pervious involvement with social services
• professional references
• personal references, including ex-partners
• feedback from children in your care 
• a free medical examination with your GP to make sure there are no health reasons why you should not foster
• a health and safety check on your home
• a pet risk assessment (if you have pets)

Once checks and references are returned, our management team decide if you should move on to stage 2 or whether more information is needed.

At this point, an approved foster carer can act as your buddy through stage 2.

Stage 2

As you will be looking after other people's children, we have to be 100% sure that fostering is right for you. 

This part of the process draws out your skills, experiences and strengths. It will also explore any areas of development to help you become the best foster carer you can be. 

If you have children, we will talk with them about their views about fostering. We need to make sure they are comfortable with the idea and can provide additional guidance if needed.

This part usually takes 3 to 4 months over 8 to 10 visits. By the end of it you will have an idea of the types of foster care that are right for you.

Your assessing social worker will then write up your evidence into a report for you to read and comment on.

Our management team review the assessment. They decide if you should move on to fostering panel or whether more information is needed.

If you are not approved for panel at the end of stage 2, you can ask for your application to be reviewed. 

Skills to Foster

During the assessment process we will invite you to 'Skills to Foster'. This preparation course introduces you to the practical aspects of the fostering task.

Run by members of the fostering team, you will meet our social workers, foster carers and others on their fostering journey.

Finally, a panel of independent people will read through your assessment report. 

The people on the panel are all involved in fostering, including a care experienced young person. They will ask you and your assessing social worker some questions so they can make a recommendation about your suitability to foster.

Our Agency Decision Maker will make the final decision which will be confirmed to you about 2 weeks after panel.

As a Bracknell Forest Foster Carer, you will then be allocated a supervising social worker. They will guide and support you and talk through the needs of any children that need your support to see how the placement might work for you and your family.