APPLICANTS – BECOME A FOSTER CARER
Become a foster carer : The process of how to apply to become a foster carer is summarised below. You will receive full support at all stages and help with anything you are unsure of.
Appy To Become a Foster Carer
Call Us, Complete An Online Enquiry Form Or Arrange A Call Back
Sunbeam will contact you for an initial discussion and arrange for an enquiry form to be completed over the phone or online. If the enquiry is positive a worker will call you to book an appointment to come out and see you if you wish to proceed further with your enquiry.
Initial Home Visit
A worker from Sunbeam will visit to discuss fostering with you further, to gather some background information about you and your family and to check you have appropriate bedroom space in your home and discuss any other Health & Safety related issues. At this point you will be asked to provide photocopies of ID and some other documents and to sign a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check consent form. If the visit is positive application form can be completed following the home visit or alternatively this can be completed later and send to us by post.
Applicants able to accept teenagers
Applicants comfortable with parents visiting their home.
An ability to reflect on life experiences and to mature through them.
Previous employment or experience in children’s services – paid or unpaid.
If living with a partner/ spouse, the relationship should be established and secure.
Applicants who show a willingness to work towards meeting care standards for fostering.
An ability to see beyond children’s behaviour, and to link it to past trauma, where applicable
An empathy for and natural ability to nurture children traumatised by separation from their birth families.
Applicants with particular skills and experience in specific areas as learning difficulties, medical problems etc.
Applicants with experience of the previous fostering and/or close involvement with someone who has already fostered.
Fostering Assessment
The assessment process, sometimes called a ‘home study’ or ‘Form F’ essentially involves a review of your suitability to provide foster care. This will be undertaken by a skilled member of our staff and you will receive full support at all stages. As part of the process, you will be required to:
- Provide references – both personal and employment
- Undertake a medical check with your GP (paid for by us)
- Consent to other checks with Local Authorities, schools or other agencies
Invitation To Preparation Training
You will receive specific training through a three day training course to prepare you to foster and to achieve “Skills to Foster”. Attending courses will also allow you to meet other carers, share experiences and learn more about foster care. For carers wishing to look after disabled or challenging children, additional training will be provided at this stage.
01. Make an enquiry
02. Initial home visit
03. Application form
04. Fostering assessment
05. Preparation training
06. Panel
07. Approved
Panel
Following completion of your training and fostering assessment, the report will be submitted to an Independent Panel for approval recommendations to be made in terms of the numbers and ages of children that can be placed with you. You will be asked to attend the Panel with the social worker who completed your assessment.
Approved
The Agency decision maker will have the final decision regarding your approval. Once approved you will then be a registered carer with Sunbeam Fostering Agency, and be able to take “looked after children” and young people into your home and care for them. You will be allocated a Supervising Social Worker to help and support you.
The path to becoming a Foster Carer requires commitment to the assessment process and our current foster carers would be happy to share their experiences of the assessment process.
To become a foster carer, contact us today.