Once you’ve decided to enquire about fostering, the next natural question is: what actually happens? The fostering assessment process can feel daunting if you don’t know what to expect — but it’s designed to be supportive, not interrogative. This guide walks you through every stage, from your first call to approval at panel.
Stage 1: Initial Enquiry and Information Call
The process starts with a conversation. When you contact Solace Fostering, you’ll speak with a member of our team who will answer your initial questions, tell you more about what fostering involves, and help you think through whether it’s the right step for you.
This is not a formal assessment — it’s a two-way conversation. You can ask anything, and there’s no pressure or obligation. If you want to proceed, we’ll invite you to an initial home visit.
Stage 2: Initial Home Visit
A social worker from Solace Fostering will visit your home to meet you in person. This is a friendly, informal meeting designed to:
- Get to know you and your household
- See your home environment
- Answer any questions you have
- Start to assess whether fostering is right for you
This is still an early stage. No decision is made at this point — it’s about building a picture and moving forward together if both sides are happy.
Stage 3: Formal Application
If you’re happy to proceed after the initial visit, you’ll complete a formal fostering application. This involves:
- A detailed application form covering your personal and family history
- Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks for all adults in your household
- References from people who know you well (not family members)
- Medical checks from your GP to confirm you are in good health
- Local authority checks to confirm there are no previous concerns on record
These checks are thorough but straightforward. They exist to protect children, not to catch you out. Most people find the process smoother than they expected.
Stage 4: The Form F Assessment
The Form F (or Prospective Foster Carer Report) is the main assessment document. It’s compiled through a series of interviews and home visits carried out by your assessing social worker — usually over three to four months.
The Form F covers:
- Your personal history — childhood, relationships, significant life events
- Your parenting approach — how you manage behaviour, routines, and boundaries
- Your support network — who would help you if things got difficult
- Your home environment — safety, space, and suitability
- Your understanding of fostering — the challenges, the legal framework, the role of birth families
- Your motivation — why you want to foster and what you hope to offer a child
The Form F isn’t designed to trip you up. Your social worker is there to help you present an honest and complete picture of who you are. Don’t try to give “perfect” answers — give honest ones.
Stage 5: Skills to Foster Training
During the assessment period, you’ll attend Skills to Foster training — a preparation programme that gives you the knowledge and skills you’ll need as a foster carer. Topics include:
- Understanding the needs of looked-after children
- The effects of trauma and attachment on child development
- Safe caring and safeguarding
- Working with birth families
- The legal framework for fostering
The training is usually delivered over several sessions and most carers find it genuinely useful — not just a box-ticking exercise.
Stage 6: The Fostering Panel
The final stage is your fostering panel. This is a formal meeting attended by a panel of independent professionals who review your Form F and make a recommendation about whether you should be approved.
You will attend the panel in person. It can feel nerve-wracking, but the panel is not adversarial — it’s a chance to confirm what your assessment has already shown. After the panel makes its recommendation, the agency’s decision-maker makes the final decision. In the vast majority of cases, the panel recommendation is followed.
How Long Does the Whole Process Take?
From initial enquiry to panel approval, the fostering assessment typically takes four to six months. The exact timeline depends on how quickly checks and references are returned and how your schedule aligns with your assessing social worker’s.
Use the time to ask questions, build your knowledge, and make sure you’re genuinely prepared for the role.
Ready to Start?
If you’re ready to take the first step, get in touch with Solace Fostering. We support carers throughout Norwich, Dereham, Attleborough, Ipswich, Beccles, and across Norfolk and Suffolk. Our team will guide you through every stage — no pressure, no rush.
How long does the fostering assessment take?
From initial enquiry to approval at panel, the fostering assessment typically takes four to six months. The exact timeline depends on how quickly checks are returned and the schedules of everyone involved.
What is a Form F assessment?
The Form F (Prospective Foster Carer Report) is the main assessment document. It covers your personal history, parenting approach, support network, home environment, and motivation to foster. It’s compiled through a series of interviews and visits with your assessing social worker.
What happens at a fostering panel?
The fostering panel is a formal meeting with independent professionals who review your Form F and make a recommendation on whether you should be approved. You attend in person. The panel is supportive, not adversarial — it’s a chance to confirm what your assessment has already shown.