You can make a difference, by fostering a child
Becoming a Foster Carer can be a long process and you are required to supply us with detailed information about your personal life. Below is a list of Questions and Answers to the most common queries. If you have any further questions please get in touch.
The CRB can often cause some concern for potential carers as it will disclose any offences that are on your record. Even minor indiscretions as a youngster may show up.
Although having a criminal record itself does not mean that you will be turned down, there are certain offences however that would lead to automatic exclusion such as a conviction for violence or crimes against children. However, minor offences, particularly those committed a long time ago may not affect your application - you will need to discuss this with the Agency. It is vital that you advise us of any situation where you have been arrested and/or cautioned even if you think the incident is “spent” as it will appear on an enhanced Criminal Record Bureau check.
Yes, you will be required to take a medical before becoming a carer. Don't worry about this, we are not looking for “Olympic athletes” or people in the peak of their fitness. What we do need to know is whether potential carers have any major complaints that would affect the way that they can look after children or young people.
During the assessment process, we will discuss with you which children you could foster - this may include children of a specific age or gender. Where the main carer for the child is a male, we may not decide to place girls in the household for Safer Caring reasons. Your preferences will be taken into account when your completed application is submitted to the Fostering Panel. However we are predominantly looking for foster carers who will take children aged 8 or older.
If the Panel decides not to approve you, the reasons for this will be discussed with you. Under new legislation you have the right to appeal this decision with an independent review body.
Having your own children at home does not mean you cannot foster. What it does mean is that we have to look at how having a foster child in the home will impact on your own children. It is not just the carers who foster, it is the whole family that fosters. Their views have to be taken into consideration and their safety and security will obviously be of great importance. In my experience, some of the best placements have been within families with children of their own who can act as positive role models.
It is generally accepted that smoking is harmful to adults and children alike. Some authorities will not place at all with carers who smoke, even if they only smoke outside the house or at work. Other authorities are more relaxed about carers smoking. As an agency, we would encourage carers not to smoke and even support them in giving up. Most authorities will not place children under 5 with a family where there is smoking.
The answer to this is yes. It is the quality of the relationship that matters, not the legal status. Oasis Fostering Services welcomes enquiries from people whether they are single, married or in a stable relationship of any sort.
We obviously expect you to be committed to fostering and fostering is as much a full time occupation as good parenting is. If you could juggle parenting and work then it may be possible to do the same with fostering. A lot will depend on the type of placement that you have. Some children may need more time than others. The important word is flexibility. Oasis Fostering Services will ensure that the needs of the child and you and your family are matched as closely as possible.
How long is a piece of string. Placements vary. Some placements may be only short term however it may be that a child comes in as an emergency placement and for _“a couple of weeks or so”_. The Local Authority then complete their enquiries and decide that some specific work has to be done with the child’s family, this could take weeks or months. If the plan is then to go into Care Proceedings then the placement could be with you for a year before proceedings are complete. If the decision is then taken that the child is to remain in Foster Care permanently, then you may then be asked to consider long term… all of this from “a couple of weeks or so”. During your assessment, recommendations will be made as to whether you are approved for long term, short term or respite approval.
You could very well do. Children will have a huge impact on your life, even the ones that may not be as easy to manage become _“part of the family”_ and you could very well have a period of missing a foster child once they are gone. The important thing is that you will have made a difference when it mattered. As one carer said about a particular “lively placement”… “you welcome them when they come… and welcome them when they go!” Throughout this process, your Supervising Social Worker will provide advice, guidance and assistance and whatever support you need.
At Oasis we recognise that carers will be wanting to get started as soon as possible however the assessment process is very thorough and can take several months. At Oasis we look to complete our assessments within a three month period which is reasonably fast when one considers the work that goes into them.