Navigating the Fostering Assessment Process with Ben Rice

08/30/23 • 39 min

So you’re interested in fostering?

What happens after you make first contact?

What kinds of questions will you be asked? What can you expect? What kind of information will you be given? What is the assessment process like? What happens on a home visit?

Will you be expected to know what kind of fostering you want to do from the off? (And what if you don’t yet know?)

Who and what are the ‘Panel’? And what happens when you are invited in front of them?

And how long will this all take?

For someone new to the world of fostering it can all seem a bit daunting so let's ease those worries and make the unfamiliar, familiar. Join us, as we uncover the fostering assessment process with seasoned expert, Ben Rice, the practice manager at Bernardo's Fostering and Adoption in Northern Ireland.
In this compelling conversation, Ben enlightens us on the different types of foster care: emergency, short term, long term, and foster-to-adopt. He walks us through the four-session preparation course that potential foster carers and adopters undertake, highlighting the indispensable role of foster parents in the daily lives of the children. We unravel the critical issues such as age requirements, experience with children, convictions, and the importance of a secure and nurturing home environment.
Finally, we delve into the decision-making process post-assessment, shedding light on how the fostering panel and social worker's roles contribute. From assessing an applicant's comprehension of fostering to ensuring the entire family's support, we cover it all. So, buckle up as we navigate the timescales of the assessment process, discuss how to prepare for the panel's decision, and equip you for this life-altering adventure. Let's journey together, shaping futures one foster child at a time.

Learn more about fostering and adoption with Barnardo’s:
https://www.barnardos.org.uk/get-support/fostering-and-adoption
To learn more about fostering and adoption in NI, visit our Linktr.ee:
https://linktr.ee/barnardosfosteringni
To ask a question, give us some feedback or make a topic request, email us at:
[email protected]
Foster belonging with us!

So you’re interested in fostering?

What happens after you make first contact?

What kinds of questions will you be asked? What can you expect? What kind of information will you be given? What is the assessment process like? What happens on a home visit?

Will you be expected to know what kind of fostering you want to do from the off? (And what if you don’t yet know?)

Who and what are the ‘Panel’? And what happens when you are invited in front of them?

And how long will this all take?

Previous Episode

Fostering & Adoption with Tony, Aine and Helen

ICYMI - revisit our online event where we chat with Helen Browne, head of the Barnardo's Fostering & Adoption service, and discuss working while fostering.
We also meet Tony and Aine who fostered a baby shortly after approval and, four years later, are in the process of adopting him. Tony & Aine continue to foster and reflect on being led by the individual needs of their child.

Next Episode

Meet the Adoption Agencies!

Did you know Barnardo’s Fostering & Adoption NI is just one of a small group of voluntary adoption agencies here in Northern Ireland?

In this very special panel discussion, to mark Adoption Week, Adoption Routes, Family Care Adoption Services and Barnardo’s Fostering & Adoption NI, got together to discuss what it is like to adopt via a voluntary agency, their assessment and matching processes and the kinds of support and post-adoption care you can expect.

The session was followed by a Q&A session.

Meet the Panel:

Lesley Delaney from Adoption Routes

Adoption Routes

Brian Downey from Family Care

Family Care Adoption

Hilary Armstrong from Barnardo’s Fostering & Adoption

Barnardo's Fostering & Adoption NI

Join us as we demystify the process and help you select the right voluntary adoption agency that serves your needs best.

Barnardo's Fostering & Adoption NI - Navigating the Fostering Assessment Process with Ben Rice

Transcript

Ness00:00:00.721

I'm sitting here with Ben Rice , who's a practice manager in Barnardo's Fostering and Adoption in Northern Ireland , and I'm Ness and I look after the marketing . I guess what we want to talk about today is the assessment process , because there's a lot of terminology that comes into social work and anything to do with social workers , which can be a little bit off-putting , I think ,