Approval as a Foster Parent

Chapter contents

Becoming a Foster Parent

N.B. The terms ‘foster parent’ and ‘foster carer’ can be used interchangeably.

The Role and Status of Foster Parents

Foster carers have a challenging and key role to play within a foster care service. They need skill, knowledge, expertise, self-awareness, commitment and the ability to work as part of a team, providing a high quality, effective service to vulnerable children. To undertake this role successfully it is essential that their contribution to improving outcomes for looked after children is appropriately recognised and acknowledged, their status respected and their levels of authority clearly defined so that they can give children in their care a full experience of family life, safeguard them and help them to grow and reach their potential. (Children Act 1989)

Foster carers care for the majority of England’s looked after children. All foster carers have to be assessed and approved by a fostering service provider.  You can only be approved by one fostering service at a time.

For more information about the process of becoming a foster parent, see our policy: Assessing Prospective Foster Parents

Assessing Prospective Foster Parents ProcedureDownload

For information about your foster parent Health Report and how we manage the confidentiality of your health information, please see our procedure:

Foster Parent Health Report Confidentiality ProceduresDownload

Read our Privacy Policies:

Privacy Policy – Foster Parents and ApplicantsDownload
Privacy Policy – Associated Supporting NetworkDownload

Terms of Approval

When you are approved as a foster parent, your agreement with the agency includes the terms of approval:

  • How many children you can care for;
  • The agreed age range of children placed;
  • Types of fostering, e.g. short-term; permanence; parent and child.

The terms should reflect your skills, experience and confidence.  Children can only be placed outside of these terms on an emergency basis, for no more than 6 days, and only by the child’s Local Authority – not by ISP.

Your terms of approval will be reviewed, and can be amended, as part of your annual review of approval (also known as the ‘Annual Home Review’).  If you wish for your terms of approval to be formally reviewed at any other time, you need to ask your supervising social worker for a review of approval, which may mean the next timetabled review is brought forward.

The usual fostering limit

The law usually limits the number of children you may look after at any time to three.  This means that no one may foster more than three children unless:

  • The foster children are all siblings in relation to each other or
  • The local authority grants an exemption from the usual fostering limit, for specific named children. 

ISP will request any necessary exemption. We will take into account the needs of all children in the house when doing so.

Foster Care Agreement

Once a foster parent is approved by ISP, they will be notified in writing of this fact and of the terms of their approval. They will also be required to enter into a signed Foster Care Agreement.

The Foster Care Agreement will include:
  • The terms of approval
  • Training and support arrangements
  • The review process
  • Placement procedures
  • Insurance and legal liabilities
  • Complaints and representations procedures
It will also outline your responsibilities to:
  • Care for a child as if they were your own, keeping them safe and promoting their welfare.
  • Let us know of any change of address or change of personal circumstances or significant events that could affect the child. This includes:
    • Relationship breakdown
    • Change of employment, or redundancy
    • New members of the household. We will complete a DBS check for any new partners and any other adults joining the household.
    • Pregnancy
    • Physical or mental health problems

N.B. Changes of circumstances will sometimes lead to a fostering review of approval.

  • Let us know if you will have any overnight visitors to your home.
  • Not use physical punishment
  • Keep children’s information confidential and not share without consent from ISP
  • Carry out your duties in line with the child’s Placement Plan
  • Comply with ISP policies and procedures
  • Allow Ofsted inspectors to visit your home

Read our guidance documents regarding procedures for overnight visitors to the foster home, and new relationships:

Guidance on assessing a new partner of an existing single foster carerDownload
Guidance on Overnight Visitors to the Foster HomeDownload

Foster Parent Charter and Professional Code of Conduct

For more information about the role of a foster parent, and how ISP will support you in your role, read our Foster Parent Charter and Professional Code of Conduct

Foster Parent Charter and Professional Code of ConductDownload

Fostering Annual Reviews

What are fostering annual reviews?

Fostering regulations require that every carer’s approval must be reviewed each year, although a review can happen sooner if we think this is necessary. The review must consider whether you and your household continue to be suitable to foster and whether your terms of approval are still appropriate.

Fostering annual reviews look closely at:

  • Your fostering during the past year
  • Your successes and challenges during the past year
  • The services and support you have received from ISP

Your first review will be presented to the ISP fostering panel and you are expected to attend. After that, your annual review is overseen by the ISP team.

Process for fostering annual reviews

ISP is responsible for arranging your annual review.  An independent social worker will meet with you and your family, gather other people’s views, and prepare a report for ISP. The review might then involve a meeting between yourselves and centre staff, and you will be notified if this is to be the case. 

Whose views do we collect?

We are required by law to take into account your views, together with the views of any child placed (if they are able to contribute), and the child’s social worker. In addition, we invite comments from your own children and anyone else professionally involved with you, e.g. schools.

Matters covered by the review

The focus of an annual review is on you and your work as a foster parent.  We look at your achievements and any difficulties you’ve had, and in particular we note any fostering work that was out of the ordinary.

The review will identify any training completed as well as your current training needs.  You will also have a chance to discuss whether you are receiving enough support from ISP.  Your health and safety checklist will be updated and we will confirm that all your insurance arrangements are still in place.

Review reports
  • Your centre manager, supervising social worker and fostering advisor will provide feedback to inform the review process.
  • An independent social worker will conduct the review and write the report.
  • We quality assure the report and submit it to the ISP panel (for initial reviews) or the agency decision maker (ADM) for subsequent reviews.
  • The ADM considers the review reports, and the recommendation/s (if any) of the fostering panel, and makes their decision.
  • We will send you a copy of your final review report and you can give feedback.
  • Local Authorities for the children in your care might request a copy of your review report.  

Proposals to change foster parents’ terms of approval

If the agency decision maker (ADM) thinks it is appropriate to change your terms of approval but you don’t agree with this, they will issue a ‘qualifying determination’. You will then have 28 days to appeal or to apply to the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM). ISP will explain how you can do this at the time.

If you do agree with the proposed change to your approval terms, then as long as ISP identifies in writing any additional support needs, the ADM can proceed to an immediate decision. We always ask you to sign the Agreement to Proposed Change in Terms of Approval Form, so the ADM is aware you are in agreement with the proposed change.

For more information, read our policy: Foster Annual Review Procedure

Fostering Annual Review ProcedureDownload

Fostering Panels

Core Functions of a Fostering Panel
  • Examine applications for approval, and recommend whether or not a person is suitable to be a foster parent and, if so, their terms of approval (e.g. number and age of children to be placed).
  • Consider the first review of approved foster parents, and any subsequent reviews referred to it by the fostering service, and recommend whether or not they remain suitable to be foster parents, and if the terms of the approval remain appropriate; 
  • Review any representations from applicants or foster parents in relation to matters of approval; 
  • Oversee the conduct of assessments carried out by the fostering service; 
  • Monitor and advise on the procedures for undertaking reviews of foster carers; 
  • Give advice and make recommendations on any other matters. 

Fostering panels therefore play a very important quality assurance role.  They can challenge practice which they believe falls short of the regulations or national minimum standards, or is not in the interests of children. The panel cannot make decisions, but rather make recommendations which the agency decision maker must take into account. They also give regular feedback to the fostering service.

For more information, read our Fostering Panels policy:

Fostering PanelsDownload