Service Description: Fostering is substitute family care for children and young people who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to live with their own families. Services available via the Fostering Service are Long Term Fostering, Short Term Fostering, Respite Care, Day Care Providers, Family Link and Combined Accomodation Scheme (CAS). The service currently consists of 3 Units and a Fostering Duty Worker.
Answer: The Assessment involves home visits by a social worker to find out as much as possible about you, your family and your home and family life. Whilst it is about finding out about you, it is also an opportunity to go into more depth about the kinds of situations you may come across when you are a foster carer. At the end of the visits which normally take between one and two months, a report is written by the social worker and presented to the fostering panel who make the decision to approve any new carer.