Becoming a foster carer

Experienced foster carers

If you foster already you have the right to move from your current agency or local authority and foster for us. You should not feel pressured to stay with them. If you need advice on transferring to our fostering service, we are happy to help make the process as smooth as possible. Contact the team for more information.

Stages to becoming a foster carer

Stage 1

Stage one of the fostering assessment process is to complete a telephone enquiry, where we ask about your reasons for considering fostering, your family circumstances and whether you have a reasonably-sized spare room.

You may want to apply to foster at this stage, which means we start the initial security (DBS), medical and referee checks. This helps to establish if you and your household are suitable, whether your home is a safe and comfortable environment, and whether you can provide a good standard of care.

The next step is for us to arrange a visit to your home, where you will have an opportunity to find out more about fostering and the kind of children who need care. The visit gives us the opportunity to see your potential as a foster carer. If your application is in line with our criteria, we will invite you to our Skills to Foster training course.

Skills to Foster

Skills to Foster is a 3-day foster training course that you (and your partner if you have one) must attend as part of the assessment. Any of your adult children are also welcome. The course helps you make an informed judgement about whether fostering is for you, and helps us gain a sense of whether you have the right skills and attitude.

As we work with you, you will be aware of the reasons why we make a decision to progress or not. At any stage you can meet with an existing foster carer to find out about their experiences in Enfield. You can also apply to foster at any stage of the process up until the completion of the preparation training (and before stage 2 begins).

Stage 2

At stage 2 you will be allocated an assessing social worker, who will meet with you in your home approximately 8 times over 4 to 5 months. They will carry out an in-depth assessment for our fostering panel and during the visits they will get to know you and set practical tasks.

The visits will assess how you may manage fostering and determine what type of fostering is suited to you. As part of this, the assessor will discuss your past experiences of being parented as well as your past relationships. This is to form a picture of how you have become the person you are today. You will have an opportunity to share any concerns and consider the impact fostering will have on your family.

Fostering panel

The fostering panel will consider your assessment report and make a recommendation. Our Assistant Director will then make the final decision about approving you as a foster carer.

Although the process can seem daunting, it’s a rewarding experience which gives you an opportunity to reflect and gain a sense of the skills you can bring or will need to develop.