Reviewing My Approval and Appeals
Once you have been approved, your Supervising Worker will work with you to support you in supporting the young people in placement. Their role also includes monitoring and helping you in your development as a host.
Your approval as a host will be reviewed annually and also at other times when the Service consider it necessary (for example if there is a significant change in your family circumstances; if there are concerns about the support being provided; or if the Service want to change the terms of your approval).
See: What Happens If an Allegation is Made Against Me or My Family?.
At any point you may give notice in writing that you wish to resign as a supported lodgings host. In this situation, your approval could be terminated automatically on the 28th day after the resignation notice was received by the Service, even if you decide to withdraw your resignation There may be some negotiation if a young person is still in placement as it may not be possible to find another placement in 28 days.
If you resign and you wish to foster or host again, you would normally need to go through the assessment process again.
Your Supervising Worker is responsible for your review of approval which takes place at least once a year. The purpose of the review is to determine whether you will continue to be approved as a supported lodgings host and, if so, whether your terms of approval will stay the same. If it is proposed to change the terms of your approval you will be notified of this in writing. If you are in agreement with any proposal to change your terms of approval the change will take place immediately.
Your Supervising Worker will visit you and is responsible for writing the annual review report by drawing together all relevant information. To complete the report they will:
- Talk to all hosts in the household, your own children, and other significant members of the household - to find out their views;
- Consult local authorities who have placed young people with you;
- Consider any information in relation to complaints or allegations made against you or your family;
- Review the training you have completed, and identify any future training needs;
- Complete a health and safety checklist;
- Review your family’s Safer Caring Plan;
- Provide a recommendation on your suitability to continue as a supported lodgings host including whether any changes to your terms of approval are proposed.
Your Supervising Worker will share the report with you and will ask you to add your views and sign it.
If you are not happy with any of the areas in the report, then you should raise this with your Supervising Worker.
Your Supervising Worker will also complete at least one unannounced visit each year. This means that they can come to your house for a visit without informing you.
A Disclosure and Barring (DBS) will also be completed for you and any adult members of your family every 3 years.
Once the report is written, you will meet with your supervising social worker and a manager from
the fostering service to discuss your year as a host, including what has gone well, any areas of concern and any areas of development identified. This meeting will make a recommendation about your suitability to continue to be approved as a Supported lodgings host.
The minutes of the annual review meeting, alongside the report prepared by the host and supervising social worker, will then be sent to the agency decision maker (Service manager for the scheme) who will ratify this decision.
In the event that you are not happy with eh outcome of the annual review, you can make your own representation to the agency decision maker/service manager for the Supported Lodgings scheme or the Nominated individual for the scheme.
Last Updated: October 31, 2023
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