How to safeguard everyone in your household
Home safety checklist
Foster homes should provide a warm and welcoming environment where children are safe from harm or abuse as well as bullying.
The home should be clean and well maintained, including decor. A number of checks will be completed during the assessment process and some of them must be updated on a regular basis, or if changes have occurred in the household.
Assessing and supervising social workers should satisfy themselves that each applicant's or carer's accommodation is suitable to enable them to provide safe and stimulating care.
In reaching such a decision, a number of factors will need to be taken into account, not least the age, gender and numbers of children proposed to be fostered. Please refer to the Health and Safety Policy (PDF) [254KB].
Once approved, The Health and Safety Check will be updated annually, or sooner if there's a significant change, such as getting an extension built or moving house.
The Safe Care policy will be drawn up before approval and will be updated annually, or if any new placement is being made. For further details, please refer to the Safe Care Policy Procedure.
If you have a firearm, you must complete a Firearms Questionnaire. If a change has occurred within the household which involved committing an offence, an assessment of the risk of reoffending will be undertaken as per the guidelines for assessment of risk of reoffending.
You'll be asked to complete a dog ownership/pet questionnaire on approval and then following any changes to pets within the household, such as new additions or incidents involving pets.
Standards and regulations
Fostering Services National Minimum Standards (England) 2011
Standard 10 - Providing a suitable physical environment for the foster child (opens new window)
Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care
- Standard 2 - Understand your role as a foster carer
- Standard 3 - Understand health and safety, and healthy care
Read the Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care