General Information
The timescale for a fostering household review is first set following approval at panel. Initially, this is scheduled for 11 months after approval to allow completion within the 12-month statutory requirement.
• First reviews are set at 6 months after the first child is placed if that placement lasts for longer than 2 weeks, or after a series of shorter placements totalling 2 weeks.
• Subsequent reviews are conducted annually unless there is a significant change in circumstances or a concern is raised within the year. In such cases, an early review will be initiated.
Reviews involving a change of terms of approval, child protection, or standards of care issues will routinely be reported to panel. Other reviews are presented to panel every three years.
• All reviews, including those not presented to panel, must be considered by the Agency Decision Maker (ADM).
Supervising Social Workers (SSWs) should explain the annual review process to foster carers during supervision early in their fostering journey—ideally during induction and then again when the first child is placed. This supports carers to feel confident and prepared rather than anxious about the process.
Every time a child leaves a foster home, Support Services will email a feedback form to the Local Authority Social Worker (LASW).
• SSW to follow this up and ensure return of the document.
• Foster carers to return completed forms to Support Services.
• SSW must, where possible, obtain feedback directly from the child before the placement ends, approaching this sensitively and ensuring the child understands that their voice helps improve care for others as well as themselves.
Fostering household reviews are always conducted in person at the foster home, and the SSW must be present. Reviews are collaborative spaces designed to celebrate strengths, identify development needs, and ensure continued safety and wellbeing for children.
SSWs will always attend panel with the foster carers and the Fostering Reviewing Officer (FRO) when the review is discussed, ensuring carers feel supported and heard during the process.
Supervising Social Worker’s Responsibilities
SSWs are responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and trauma-informed quality of all review paperwork, including the administrative report.
They must review all documents to ensure:
- The Profile of the Family is accurate and up to date.
- The Welcome Book reflects current household members, pets, and relevant information.
- The previous panel minutes are reviewed for any outstanding actions.
- Placement history is complete and correct.
- Visits are accurately recorded.
- Two Unannounced Visits (UAVs) are recorded.
- If issues or notable matters were raised in a UAV, these must be addressed in the SSW’s review report.
- All safeguarding checks (DBS, LA, medicals) are up to date.
- The most recent Health & Safety (H&S) check is available, and any outstanding actions are completed and shared with Support Services.
- The Pet Checklist/Dog Assessment Form is accurate, noting any new or rehomed pets.
- Safer Caring Policies are signed and up to date for children currently placed (or the generic SCP if no children are currently placed).
- The Personal Development Plan (PDP) is up to date.
- This should confirm that carers have completed at least three trainings in the review period as per policy.
- It should also show whether they completed training listed in the previous PDP.
The SSW’s report must incorporate insights and themes arising from:
• Local Authority Social Worker feedback,
• Foster carers’ own feedback,
• Carers’ self-appraisal,
• Children’s interviews,
• Feedback from other professionals.
Throughout, the SSW must ensure their written language is respectful, collaborative, and non-judgemental, focusing on partnership, empowerment, and growth.
How a Review is Triggered
Support Services maintain a central spreadsheet of all scheduled reviews.
For first reviews, Support Services contact Fostering Reviewing Officers (FROs) to obtain available dates and email these to the SSW.
• SSW contacts the family to agree on a suitable date from those offered.
• SSW informs Support Services and the FRO of the chosen date.
• Support Services enter a date on BASE two weeks before the review. This appears as a task for the SSW and marks the deadline for submitting the review paperwork to the manager.
For subsequent reviews, at the end of the meeting a new review date must be agreed for the following year—no more than 11 months after the current review.
Even though the date is on the FRO report, the SSW must still notify Support Services and record it in their own calendar to maintain accountability.
Supervising Social Worker’s General Tasks for a Review
Support Services email foster carers 8 weeks before the review with the relevant forms.
• SSWs should follow this up and offer support where carers need help understanding or completing the forms.
Support Services also email the Individual Assessment of Placement template for each fostered child. This should be completed for every child who lived in the home during the review year, including those who have since left.
• SSW to follow up and offer assistance with completion.
• Foster carers return completed forms to Support Services.
Support Services send feedback forms to the LASW.
• SSWs should follow this up, and if necessary, offer to complete the form with the LASW via telephone, reducing delays.
If it is not possible to obtain information from the children’s social worker, the SSW must record their efforts to obtain it in the “Working with Professionals” section of the review report.
• Where specific feedback is unavailable, SSWs may include relevant comments from LASWs or Independent Reviewing Officers made at statutory reviews, PEPs, or in correspondence.
• Third-party feedback (e.g. from schools, CAMHS, or other professionals) should also be gathered where possible.
SSWs must discuss the current terms of approval with the foster carer to confirm that they remain appropriate and proportionate.
Documents SSW Needs to Prepare for the Review
SSWs must complete the template on Drive: ‘Foster Carers Annual Review Forms/Report by Supervisor for Foster Carers Review’.
• SSWs must share their report with the foster carers before it is merged, ensuring the family understands and feels included in the content. This transparency is essential to trauma-informed, collaborative practice.
• SSWs must gather feedback from all children living in the household (looked-after and birth children) and add this to the report.
• All adults living in the household must be interviewed, and their views added to the report.
• SSWs should encourage carers to identify people who can comment on their fostering practice (e.g., schools, health professionals).
SSWs must print the ‘SSW Signing Sheet Template’ and obtain signatures from all present at the end of the review:
• Foster carers sign to confirm they have read the SSW’s report.
• SSW signs to confirm they reminded the carers of panel attendance.
• FRO signs to confirm that feedback from carers was addressed.
The signed sheet should be scanned or photographed and sent to Support Services, or obtained electronically via the Signable facility.
Timescales
Support Services send review paperwork eight weeks in advance of the review date.
• SSWs must ensure families return their appraisals and feedback at least four weeks before the review date.
• Support Services update the admin section of the review document at least four weeks before the review.
• SSWs must verify that the admin information is accurate and current.
SSWs must:
• File their completed review report and all supporting documents in the family’s Drive folder (‘Review’) at least three weeks before the review.
• Notify their manager when the file is ready for QA.
- Reports must not be emailed to Support Services.
After submission:
• The manager reviews the report and accompanying documents.
• If amendments are needed, the SSW must act promptly.
• Once QA is complete, the manager informs Support Services that the document is ready to merge, no later than one week before the review.
After the Review Has Taken Place
The FRO submits their report to Support Services, the SSW, and the manager within three weeks of the review date.
• SSW must confirm that the signing sheet has been completed and sent to Support Services before the document can be merged.
• Support Services will wait one week, then confirm with SSW/TM before merging the FRO report into the final version for submission to panel or the ADM.
Positive Aspirations Group does not approve or re-approve carers on a “subject to” basis. All checks and information must be complete and satisfactory before any decision is made.
Allegations, Complaints, and Standards of Care Investigations
Fostering Regulations 2011, Regulation 28(2) states:
“A review must take place not more than a year after approval, and thereafter whenever the fostering service provider consider it necessary, but at intervals of not more than a year.”
This means reviews cannot be delayed. Where an allegation or standards of care investigation is ongoing, the review must still take place within statutory timescales.
The review should include a note advising the panel or decision-maker that an investigation is in progress and will be brought to panel once complete.
Throughout this process, carers must be kept informed, supported, and treated with fairness, empathy, and transparency, recognising the stress such investigations can cause.
