Approval

• After submitting an enquiry you will receive a visit from a member of the Capstone team who will tell you more about us and what fostering involves. If this leaves you enthusiastic and wanting to proceed, a second visit will generally be arranged, which will tell you more and offer another opportunity to have your questions answered.
   
• As you would expect, we undertake rigorous checks to ensure that children and young people are going to be safe in the care of anyone we approve as a carer. We carry out a thorough assessment using the revised Form F (BAAF) and request checks from the Criminal Records Bureau, Social Services and other agencies, as well as following up the referees you provide.
   
• You will be asked to have a thorough medical check, and a health and safety audit will also be made on your home.
   
• The process of approval takes 4-6 months and will include ten to twelve home visits, and visits to referees. Some agencies will fast track this process but we have found that if we do thorough work at this stage and get to know you well, then we will have a much stronger basis for matching you with the right child at a later date, given the preferences that you have expressed, thus ensuring stability for the child/young person.
   
• During this process you will attend six full-day or evening sessions of training in fostering and therapeutic foster care which teach the basic tools of understanding that you need to provide the Capstone gold standard of care and safety to a child placed with you.
   
• Finally, your Form F and all the accompanying paper work is submitted to the Capstone fostering panel for approval.

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