Archway Care Ltd

The assessment and subsequent approval of prospective foster carers by our Fostering Panel is the first step in a fruitful career in fostering. This process is of vital importance in ensuring that only those individuals who have the skills to foster, and who are suitablely fit to work with vulnerable children and young people, are successful. The assessment undertaken is in accordance with the Fostering Services Regulations 2002 and is a lengthy and intrusive process taking between 3 - 6 months to complete.

Recruitment Selection Process for Prospective Foster Carers

Archway Care believes that the recruitment and selection of foster carers who can offer good quality care is the first step in the development of a quality family placement service.

Archway Care has a policy of recruiting people who can demonstrate the potential to become foster carers by meeting the needs of children placed with them. They may have previous experience of fostering, or have significant experience of working with children in another setting e.g. birth children, nurseries etc. They also need to demonstrate an insight, through their life experiences, which will enable them to develop the necessary skills to care for foster children.

In addition, carers must undertake the training that Archway Care offers, in order to develop their skills and abilities further, and to ensure that safe caring practices are understood and adhered to. Each family will need to develop their own family policy to ensure the safest care possible for the children placed with them and Archway Care will help you develop this policy. Foster carers are also encouraged to participate in the development of the agency, and work as part of a professional team.

New applicants are visited in their family home to ascertain their suitability for specialist fostering. Information is given about Archway Care and the process of assessment, together with statutory checks and references to be undertaken.

At any time during this process we may deter some candidates from continuing with the assessment process, or terminate the assessment of candidates who do not meet the agency's criteria.

Assessment and Approval Process

We aim to treat all applications fairly and in confidence. The assessment and approval of foster carers by the fostering panel is governed by the Fostering Services Regulations 2002.

The criteria for appointment of prospective foster carers is as follows:

Applicants should be over 25 years of age, with no pre-verbal children (3yrs and under).

Applicants will need to have satisfactory statutory checks, also personal and additional checks completed for all household members over the age of 18 years, these checks are as follows:-

• Criminal Record Bureau disclosure checks
• Social Services checks - via direct contact with prospective foster carer's local Social Services Department
• NSPCC checks - via regional offices
• Identity checks (passport, birth certificate)
• A Health and Safety check of the foster home, including a Risk Assessment on pets
• A medical report on prospective foster carers paid for by Archway Care
• At least two personal references
• Employment reference, and school references if appropriate
• A full employment record, detailing any periods of unemployment.

Prospective Foster Carers must demonstrate that they are able to:

• Provide a good standard of care for children who may have been abused, or have experienced difficulties in their lives
• A spare room
• Promote equality
• Manage difficult behaviour
• Have good communication skills
• Provide 'safe caring'
• Work as a part of a team
• Respect confidentiality
• Show insight about themselves and their values, together with an insight into the nature and demands of the fostering task
• Provide evidence of having adequate family support networks
• Demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement through ongoing training and development

Form F assessments are prepared by qualified social workers experienced in family placement work. A minimum of eight visits are made to prospective foster carers in their homes. All statutory checks need to be completed before a Form F assessment is presented to our fostering panel.

Form F assessments are presented to the Archway Care fostering panel between three and six months of the initial enquiry. It is the fostering panel members who recommend propsective foster carers for approval.

Archway Care convenes a Fostering Panel as part of the quality assurance systems for the agency. The Fostering Panel checks that the assessment process has been comprehensive and thorough, and that the suitability of the applicant/s is demonstrated as far as possible. The Fostering Panel has the following functions: to consider each application for approval and to recommend whether or not the applicant is suitable; to recommend the terms of approval; to recommend whether a person remains suitable to act as a foster carer, and whether the terms of his/her approval remain appropriate.