Step 3 - Assessment Process
Application Step 3 - Your Fostering Assessment
After your initial visit, if you and Tutis Foster care are in agreement, you will progress to the next stage, the Form F Assessment. At this point you will be assigned to an Assessing Social Worker , and your initial visit with them will be arranged.
What is a Form F Assessment?
A Form F is the legislative Assessment process that all potential Foster Carers must go through. The Assessment is aimed at getting a 'real' picture of who you are, and why you'd be perfect for fostering.
As a UK based Fostering Service, our top priority is ensuring that all children and young people placed with our foster carers is kept safe from all harm. Every child's wellbeing is at the centre of every decision made, this includes who we want as foster carers to look after them.
A Form F Assessment is very thorough, but it isn't designed to intimidate you, or be too intrusive. It is a process that all potential foster carers have to go through. Most foster carers will tell you that they found the process very eye-opening and thought provoking. being able to relive their childhood memories, how you were parented and your relationships with your family members. Some memories may not be happy ones, but even these memories contributed to making you the person who you are today.
What will happen during my Form F Assessment?
The Form F Assessment process generally takes anything from 3 to 6 months from completing your application form to being ready for Panel.
This may seem like a long time, but we do need to be sure that we have done everything possible to prepare you for the fostering role and that we are confident that you are ready to be foster carers. Timescales can be increased, depending on your own availability to meet with your assessing Social Worker. The other factor that has to be taken into consideration is how long it takes for all of your references and checks to come back to us. Again, you do have some control over this, by ensuring you have spoken to the people you are using as referees and they are expecting to hear from us.
Home Visits and your Form F Assessing Social Worker
At the beginning of the Assessment process you will be allocated an Assessing Social Worker, generally referred to as 'The Form F Assessor'.
They will work with you and your family to create your Form F Assessment. You will build a relationship with them as they get to know you and your family, through discussions around your family life and background. They’ll ask you about your children if you have them, previous jobs and your relationship with your family; this is to get a sense of who you are as a person, and how you’ll fit in to fostering.
Some conversations can bring up your past experiences, which you may feel nervous about. But any hurdles you have overcome can only serve you positively during assessments like this. It will show your resilience and how you can manage things like stress and challenges effectively in your day to day life.
The questions we ask will be designed to find out how fostering will affect you and your family. We ask you to be as honest as possible with us, and if you have anxieties, our Tutis staff will be happy to talk you through them.
There will be an element of 'homework' for you to complete between visits, but these again, are designed for you to be able to reflect on past experiences and your expectation going forward. There will also be a umber of training programmes for you to complete during the assessment period.
Checks and References
Our own local Recruitment & Panel Administrator will be dedicated to help you through your checks and references section. If you’ve had experience with working with children, we’ll need to request references from previous employers; this is so we can properly safeguard the children in our care.
We will also create a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check for you and any other adults in your household as simple background checks.
Another check we ask you to complete is a foster carer is a Medical Assessment (AH1 Form) with your GP. This is referred to as a fostering medical or foster care medical check. It’s done just to make sure that you don’t have any medical conditions that could affect your ability to foster a child.
Having a criminal record or a health problem does not necessarily mean that you will not be able to foster in the UK, but it is important that you are honest with us. We need to know about these issues from the beginning so that we can discuss and understand your circumstances.
As your report is written up with your Form F Assessor, we will be invited to complete a number of training courses, one of these is called The Role of a Foster Carer. The training is designed to help you learn about fostering alongside others going through the process. This training is an important foundation to give you the confidence to take your first fostering placement.
Once you have completed this course and your assessment is complete, you will attend a panel interview where experts will make the decision on whether they think you are suitable to become a foster carer. See our guide on The Fostering Panel for more information.
What Happens Next?
Once your Assessment is completed, you have undertaken all training required, you will be invited to attend Panel. This nothing to worry about, Tutis Foster Care and your Assessing Social Worker will ensure that you are fully prepared. You will be informed of the date and time of your Fostering Panel Meeting, you will be expected to attend panel in person.
