Reviewing my Approval and Appeals
Standards and Regulations
Once you have been approved, your Supervising Social Worker will work with you to support you in caring for children placed with you. Their role also includes monitoring and helping you in your development as a carer.
Your approval as a foster carer will be reviewed annually and also at other times when the Fostering Service consider it necessary (for example if there is a significant change in your family circumstances; if there are concerns about the care being provided; or if the Fostering Service want to change the terms of your approval).
See: What happens when an Allegation is made against me or my family.
At any point you may give notice in writing that you wish to resign as a foster carer. In this situation, your approval will be terminated automatically 28 calendar days after the resignation notice was received by the Fostering Service, even if you decide to withdraw your resignation.
If you resign and you wish to foster again, you would normally need to go through the assessment process again.
Your Supervising Social Worker is responsible for your review of approval which takes place at least once a year. The purpose of the review is to determine whether you will continue to be approved as a foster carer and, if so, whether your terms of approval will stay the same. If it is proposed to change the terms of your approval (called a 'qualifying determination') you will be notified of this in writing. If you are in agreement with any proposal to change your terms of approval the change will take place immediately.
Your Supervising Social Worker will visit you and is responsible for writing the annual review report by drawing together all relevant information. To complete the report they will:
- Talk to all carers in the household, your own children, fostered child(ren) and other significant members of the household - to find out their views;
- Consult local authorities who have placed children with you;
- Consider any information in relation to complaints or allegations made against you or your family;
- Review the training you have completed, and identify any future training needs;
- Complete a health and safety checklist;
- Review your family's Safer Caring Plan;
- Provide a recommendation on your suitability to continue as a foster carer including whether any changes to your terms of approval are proposed.
Your Supervising Social Worker will share the report with you and will ask you to add your views and sign it.
If you are not happy with any of the areas in the report, then you should raise this with your Supervising Social Worker.
Your Supervising Social Worker will also complete at least one unannounced visit each year. This means that they can come to your house for a visit without informing you.
A Disclosure and Barring (DBS) will also be completed for you and any adult members of your family every 3 years.
If it is your first review, the review report must be presented to the Fostering Panel for a recommendation and then presented to the Agency Decision Maker for a final decision. The review report will also be presented to the Fostering Panel in certain other situations, such as where significant changes to your approval or the termination of your approval are being recommended. The goal of the fostering panel is to promote safe, secure and stable placements through engaging with you and the Fostering Service. Attending fostering panel for your review will be similar to attending panel for your approval.
Whether presented to the Fostering Panel or not, the review report will be presented to the Agency Decision Maker for a final decision as to whether you remain suitable to foster and whether your current terms of approval remain suitable. Where your review report has been presented to the Fostering Panel, the Agency Decision Maker will take into account the Panel's recommendations.
Any recommendations for change in your approval will be highlighted in the review report.
The Fostering Panel or the Service Manager will recommend whether or not your current approval category is still appropriate. If the review is heard at the fostering panel, the panel recommendation will be sent to the Agency Decision Maker for a decision. The decision will be sent to you in writing.
If you are a prospective or an existing foster carer who has recently received a qualifying determination which you don't agree with, you have two options.You can either apply to the IRM for a review of fostering service provider's qualifying determination or, you can make representations to your fostering service provider. More information on the IRM is available via the website.
The Head of Fostering, Adoption and Placements Service can be contacted via the e-mail below:
E-mail: Head of Fostering, Adoption and Placements Service.
However, the Independent Review Mechanism is a review process conducted by a review panel independent of the fostering service; it is not an appeal process. If you decide to refer to the Independent Review Mechanism, they will receive all the appropriate reports within 10 working days of their written request.
Click here to see Prepare for a review panel: adopters and foster carers.
They will be able to review recommendations made by the fostering service but the fostering service's Decision Maker will make the final decision.
The only circumstance where you cannot ask for a review by an Independent Review Panel is if you are disqualified or have been cautioned for an offence.
Written notice of the final decision and reasons must be sent to you within 7 working days of the receipt of the Independent Review Mechanism recommendation.
Last Updated: February 10, 2025
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