8 reasons why people are disqualified from fostering

The fostering regulations prevent anyone who has committed a ‘specified offence’ from fostering. Specified offences are very serious offences, including serious offences against children. Fostering providers cannot approve fostering applicants who have committed specified offences and are expected to deregister any carers who commit specified offences after becoming approved foster carers.

Other than the occurrence of specified offences, fostering providers can refuse to register carers for any reason that may impact on the carers ability to provide suitable care to children who are fostered. Some of the reasons may include:

1. No spare bedroom: All fostering homes need to have at least one spare bedroom available for fostering. Also, there needs to be enough communal space (including bathrooms and living areas) for all members of the household.

2. British citizenship is required to foster.

3. Dishonesty or omission of the truth: Fostering social workers must be able to trust foster carers to be honest and transparent, especially with complicated or difficult information. This is essential so that social workers can trust that children are being offered the best possible care.

4. Failed references: Typically, a reference would only lead to the end of the assessment or risk deregistration if it stated that the carers have caused harm to children, or intend to harm children. Any other issues raised would be explored further and a support plan would be considered.

5. Failed checks: A check would only be a barrier to fostering if concerns are raised about impact on children. For example, if the family owns a pet which presents a risk of harm to the child, or if the home conditions aren’t safe for the child. A previous criminal history is only considered relevant if it’s likely to impact on their carer’s ability to support children. Health checks are also completed to ensure that carers are well enough to care for children.

6. Poor understanding of the needs of children who have experienced hardships: All foster carers are expected to have the knowledge and skills needed to support children through tough times. Usually foster carers have obtained this knowledge from being parents themselves, but sometimes the experience is from caring for other children in the family or as childcare professionals.

7. Poor professional skills: Fostering is a professional role as well as a caring role, and competency is required in both aspects of the role. Foster carers must be able to complete paperwork and training to a good standard in a timely manner. Also, foster carers must be able to work effectively with the ‘team around the child’.

8. Lack of availability: Even when all checks and references are clear, some people are just too busy to foster. Sparks Fostering gets an idea of the availability of fostering applicants during the assessment process – if applicants aren’t able to complete the paperwork in a timely manner, this most likely indicates that the applicants are too busy to foster, or they lack the professional skills to required to complete documents in a timely manner.