How to apply
Form F
This is the official form that social workers are required to complete during the home study part of a person's application to become a foster carer.
The social worker conducting the assessment will visit you and your family on a number of occasions to compile the report. For couples, they may well see you both together and individually. They will also want to speak to any children you may have.
The social workers have a duty to allow you to read the report when it is completed and you should be given an opportunity to make comments about the report and the way the assessment was conducted.
Make sure you do this in time for your comments to be considered by the Fostering Panel.
The different sections of the form include:
The first part of Form F gathers basic factual information about the applicants - personal details, religion, language spoken and details about work.
It also requires details of any children the applicants already have, including those who are not living with them.
You will also need to specify who is living in your house and their relationship to the applicant (lodger, friend, relative etc).
In addition you will need to describe your home including the type of accommodation, how many rooms, details about local schools and what sort of local amenities there are.
It is now that you will need to specify what sort of child you are looking to foster including their age range, if they have a physical or mental disability, medical conditions or history of abuse. You will also need to stipulate what factors you would not be able to accommodate.
You will also be asked what support you might need from the agency, including help with transport if you don't drive or own a car and help during the summer holidays if you have work commitments.
The report will also detail what training you have had and what you may need in the future.
The assessment will require the agency to seek a number of references for a variety of sources.
Some of these referees should know both you and your family very well. A member of your family may also need to be a referee and it is possible that the referees will be visited by the agency.
These checks will be in addition to the statutory references needed from the probation service, police and the area health authority.
Many agencies ask you to complete a medical questionnaire. You should always make a social worker aware of any medical condition you may have. Many will not affect your application.
You will have to undergo a health check by your own doctor. There will be a fee for this, which you will have to meet. Your GP's report will be considered by the Fostering Panel medical adviser who will comment on your suitability to foster.
The second part of the Form F is a more subjective report which will usually include a profile on each applicant including present and previous relationships, background, education, employment, interests and motivations to be a foster carer.
There will also be a profile on each child and any other adults living in the household.
The assessment social worker will want to know what support you are likely to receive from friends, relatives, neighbours, etc. They will also look into the lifestyle of your family.
Once the report is complete, the next stage of the procedure is for the report to be considered by a Fostering Panel.© adoption-net.co.uk 2000
This site has been designed with few graphics to make it quick to load and simple to navigate.