Fostering Journey
The next step…
If you’re interested in fostering on the Isle of Man, we would like to invite you to contact us to find out more. You can of course have a confidential meeting with a member of our team to discuss any queries you have. We will then arrange to visit you at home to check your ID and the safety and suitability of your home. We will also go through any other queries you may have.
Skills to Foster Training
This initial training will give you an insight into the process, the challenges, and rewards of fostering. Everyone involved in caring for the child should attend, including you and your partner (or family member) and even your own children (depending on their age).
Skills to Foster training involves three full days where we discuss:
- Foster Carer’s role
- The children
- Working together
- Safety
- Behaviour & ending placements
Background checks
Police checks will be made on every member of your household over the age of 18. We will also contact probation teams in the areas in which you have lived.
You will be asked to complete a full medical through your own GP. This is to ensure that you are in good health to care for a child.
You will be asked to provide three personal references per person. Your referees should be one family member, and two people that have known you for longer than two years and, ideally, live locally. We also ask for previous partner references, complete a social media check, and ask for references from any adult children you have.
If you have been involved in a previous significant relationship, we are obliged to contact your ex-partner.
We will also check any history of contact with the Department of Health and Social Care or other Local Authorities in the areas in which you have previously lived. We will also contact your children’s schools to assess attendance and commitment to education.
When you return your application form and your background checks are complete, you will be assigned a Supervising Social Worker who will conduct your assessment. We need to prioritise the allocation of Social Workers to suit the current need, so there may be a delay in your allocation following training.
Home Study Report
