How to become a foster carer

The first step to becoming a foster carer in Brent is to have a chat with our fostering team about why you want to become a foster carer in Brent.

We will then invite you to come to a fostering information evening. You can book a place online at anytime.

This gives you a chance to meet our fostering team, some of our foster carers and to ask any questions you have.

If after the session you feel fostering is right for you, we will arrange a home visit with you.

Contact us about fostering

The home visit allows us to get to know you better, see where you live and find out about your wish to foster.

A social worker will talk with you about your childcare experience, your suitability to foster, health, finances, and relationship history. It is also a chance for us to learn more about how your family feels about fostering because they will play an important part in providing a loving home to a foster child.

After your home visit, it’s time to complete your application form.

Once you have submitted your application, your fostering assessment will start.

Your assessment is split into two stages and can take up to six months in total to complete. This is because we need to be as thorough as possible when deciding if someone is suitable to care for a vulnerable child. 

Stage 1

Your allocated social worker will ask you to share more about yourself, and your partner and children, depending on your circumstances. This stage can take up to two months to complete.

It will also include:

• background checks on you, your partner, and anyone else in your household aged 16 or over, including a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check 
• requests for references from previous and current employers, and personal references from people such as previous significant partners who know you well and can comment on your ability to care for a foster child.

We will also invite you along to some initial training to learn more about fostering.

Once this part of the assessment is successfully completed, you will progress to the next stage. 

Stage 2

You will be assigned a Brent fostering social worker. They will visit your home at least every week during this part of the assessment. This stage can take up to four months to complete.

During this time, we will ask you more about your background and lifestyle. This will include questions about:

• your experiences of education and employment
• your day-to-day lifestyle
• religious beliefs
• cultural background
• any skills you already have around caring for children and young people

When the assessment is complete, your Brent fostering social worker will write a detailed report which will be presented to the fostering panel meeting.

The fostering panel is the final step in the application process. We will invite you to attend a fostering panel meeting. This can sound a little scary but the panel members and your allocated social worker will make this step as welcoming and comfortable as possible.

The panel will consider the report from your assessment before making their recommendation. Your social worker will be at your side throughout the fostering panel meeting to support you.

The panel’s recommendation is then sent to the Agency Decision Maker. This is a senior manager in our Children and Young People’s Department and is independent of the panel. 

They will make the final decision on your suitability as a foster carer.

Before your first foster child is placed with you, your allocated supervising social worker will be on hand to give you all the support you need. Once the placement begins, the child’s allocated social worker will be part of a dedicated team there to support both you and the child.