Voices of Fostering

Joann - Key Insights from an Assessment Manager

• National Fostering Group • Season 4 • Episode 8

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In this episode of the Voices of Fostering podcast, host Tim welcomes Joann, a foster carer assessment manager at National Fostering Group. Joann provides a detailed overview of her role and what a typical day looks like, emphasising the variety and the unique challenges of her work. 

She discusses the essential qualities and experiences of successful foster carers and delves into the specifics of the foster care assessment process. 

Joann addresses common concerns and misconceptions, including questions about age and medical conditions, and offers valuable advice for those interested in starting their fostering journey. 

If you would like to find out more about fostering please visit our website here.

If you have any questions that you would like to be answered on our next episode email podcast@nfa.co.uk

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Tim:

Hello, and welcome to the Voices of Fostering podcast. I'm Tim, and joining us today we have our assessment manager, Joann Murray. Hi Joann.

Joann:

Hi. Nice to meet you.

Tim:

Nice to meet you too. So, I guess the main sort of focus of today's podcast is gonna be around the assessment, uh, the assessment process itself, and just the complications and the detail around that. But I wondered just to get things going, could you give us a bit of an overview as your role as foster carer assessment manager, and just give us a bit of a snapshot. What's a typical day look like for you, Joann?

Joann:

Yeah, so I'm an assessment manager and I work with the NAS team, which is the National Assessment Service, and we, um, are part of the national fostering group. So I suppose every day for me is completely different. You never know from one day to the next what, what it's gonna look like. So my main role, um, along with my colleagues is to oversee assessments from application to, um, applicants gone through to panel. Um, so we support assessors. We work alongside, um, the applicants who are being assessed as foster carers. Um, we work closely with the regional teams that we're allocated to. So each of us covers the geographical area, so we're in close contact with the teams we support, um, to make sure we're keeping them up to date with how assessments are progressing. Um, any issues that have come up, um, any, anything that they need to be aware of, um, we link in as a team to do sort of team meetings. Um, but I suppose a main part of my job is QAing reports, reading the assessments once they're completed by the assessors, making sure that they're of a quality that is needed for panels. And making sure that all the paperwork is, is ready on the date that's needed for our admin workers to prepare them ready for panels. So every day's different. It's the best bit about my job is that it's, there's so much variety. You get to meet so many different people. And I guess, um, really having that, that kind of, um. Honor of meeting so many different people who are going through the assessment process. So you meet people from all, all sort of different parts of the country, all different parts of life.

Tim:

Yeah. I guess the people there, the key, um, fundamental part of all of this, aren't they? And I was just gonna ask you actually what. What qualities or experiences do successful foster carers tend to have? How does that look? What are you, I guess, looking for interested in? How does that look for you?

Joann:

Yeah. Every, um, person who applies to foster comes with their own unique life experiences. So there's no one, um, person fits. Fits the kind of, um, picture because, you know, we have children who have such diverse needs and range of, um, care needs that, you know, to have one specific, this is what we need, it just wouldn't fit. So we, we really need people who are, who have, I suppose the key things I look for is patients. Um, people have resilience and, and understanding that. They are looking after children who could have experienced quite significant T trauma. Hmm. Um, so they need to have that kind of insight into, to the needs of the children and people that are willing to. Work as part of a team because although they're, they're based at home and they're working, kind of caring for these children in their own home, they are part of a wider team. So it's really important that they, they work well as part of the, the team that they're, they're attached to and having a good sense of humor, being able to sort of, um. You know, have fun with children. Give them the nurture that they need, the care and the support. Um, and I think just meeting even basic needs, things like, um, you know, having nice meals ready for them, having, you know, clothes that they need. So, so there's a lot of qualities people need, but fundamentally it, it's really having that understanding, patience and resilience, I would say.

Tim:

Yeah, I think that fun element of it's really important, isn't it? Because I guess when there's a lot of admin involved and process that can maybe sometimes get a bit lost.

Joann:

Absolutely. And, and, you know, children love people that can, can laugh with them and Yeah. And, you know, do things that that, that they may be missed out on. So all the fun activities that they would like to do. So, um, absolutely. And you know, a lot of our. Uh, foster carers will say it's, you know, it's a, it's a challenging but extremely rewarding role. Yeah. Um, and I think if you can have that element of fun with children, that makes it even more rewarding.

Tim:

And is that patience that you describe, is that aimed, um, at the process itself? Is it aimed towards, um, fostering the child, or is it just generally it's a great quality to have. I

Joann:

think it's a great quality to have throughout because the assessment process in itself can feel like a long drawn out process for some people. We try to obviously make it as, as, as sort of easy as possible for, for people, but it is, it is quite a long process from application to panel and people can question why they're being asked. Lots of the information that we ask or why we do certain checks and references, so they need patience with that, but we are there to guide them and help them understand why we're doing that. Um, but certainly with children, they need to understand that this is scary for children coming to a new home. Mm-hmm. That, you know, it's, it's for them, it's something applicants have. You know, when people want to become foster carers and they've been assessed, it's something they really want to do. Um, so they're really excited and, and, you know, really ready for, for this new opportunity, but for the child coming to live with them, this is a brand new home, brand new people. Um, and it's not easy for them. So when they come into that door for the first time, we need people to, to be able to, to. Bear with them. Give them that little bit of time, give them that little bit of space just to get used to, to a new home environment.

Tim:

Yeah. Patience, empathy, fun, all the good stuff.

Joann:

Yes, absolutely.

Tim:

This is quite a big question, Joann, but um, I guess there'll be a lot of people listening to this thinking this right now, but what does. The foster care, uh, assessment process involve, like, how does it look? What can people and applicants expect? And I'm very aware, that's an enormous question.

Joann:

It is. I mean, initially what happens is when peop somebody's interested in becoming a foster carer, they've either seen one of our adverts or they've spoken to, to one of our foster carers who fosters and they've told them, um, about the role, and it's kind of peaked an interest. So they can pick up the phone or send an, an email inquiry, um, via our, our website to, to basically get in touch with one of the regional teams from the area they live in, um, to say that they're interested in fostering and would like somebody to contact them to, to have a a, a further discussion. So that's kind of how it starts. Mm. And it's from there that, that. Pictures built. So somebody will have sort of an initial conversation to sort of check out. Um, importantly things like have they actually got the space within the home to, to, to apply to foster. So it's really important that they have, um, a spare bedroom. They'll go through questions around, um, where they live. What their kind of current situation is. And if that kind of screening process, um, works well, they then invite, they'll have what's called an initial visit from one of our carer recruitment officers or from a member of the regional team who'll come out to see them and get a lot more information. So they'll find out things like, who lives in the house. Are there pets? Um, are there any health issues? They'll, they'll basically go through a lot of questions to get a picture of, of the person that that's, that's interested in fostering. Um, and then from there, if that all goes well, then they would be invited to apply, which involves completing an application form, which then goes to the team that they've applied to, and it comes to myself to then allocate to one of our assessors. So the assessment process involves, um, a fostering assessor going out, um, on home visits. And they'll come out to meet with the, the person that's applied and the family, and build up a full picture of their skills, their experiences, um, their history, um, relationships, their children. Um, basically it uncovers. Every, every aspect of, of basically someone's life from when they were born, really to where they now are in life. And that's really for us to, to be really sure that they have the skills, the qualities, and the commitment that we need, um, to make people safe and secure. Foster carers for the children that we, we would potentially be, be put in with to live with them.

Tim:

I guess do, do you find as the assessment manager that there are common and frequent concerns or misunderstandings during the process? Are there common things that come up in regular questions?

Joann:

There are. I think people worry about, um, their age. Are they, um, too old to foster? Um, they, they maybe have medical condition that they're concerned about. Um, some people are worried that, uh, are they in a relationship or not in a relationship. Will that be something that that will go against them? And some people it's around their, maybe they don't have children of their own. Are they able to foster. So what we do is basically everybody is obviously unique. We look at everybody's diverse qualities and skills that they have. Um, we carry out checks, things like medical. So if someone does have a medical concern, um, every applicant has a full medical. So if there was anything there, I. That, you know, would potentially, um, stop them from fostering that would be identified within the medical and we would work really closely with people to support them with that. Um, we do things like police checks, so some people are concerned if they have, um, a conviction. We would obviously discuss that initial visit.'cause there are certain ones that we would rule out immediately. Mm-hmm. But there are other things that we can consider and do risk assessments around. Um, is it okay? Can we proceed with that? So a lot of people do have concerns. Um, the main one we have is, well, I'm, I'm on my own. I don't have a partner. Can I foster or am I have children living in the house, my own children? Um, is that something that would go against me? So all of these things are discussed and if there are any issues or, or barriers, we would be really honest and open with people about what they are. And is it something that might change in the future, or if it's something that that is. Is easily worked through. So we support people from a whole diverse range of backgrounds, um, and welcome people to apply to foster that, um, have varying skills, um, varying different life experiences, and we work really closely to assess them.

Tim:

And just could I push you a bit on the age? Thing, um, on both, both aspects, both ends of the scale on that, I guess young people, old people, how does that look and, and what are you looking for there? Is there a, a, a requirement and, and what are the regular questions that you get asked around that?

Joann:

Yeah, so there isn't a maximum age uhhuh, but in the UK there's a minimum age of 21. Right. Um, but there isn't a maximum age. But again, it comes down to somebody's, um, you know, they're, they're basically physical, um, capacity. Their, their health. I mean, if they're, they're fit and able and are, you know, very much, um, able to care for children, then that's all taken into consideration. Um, and we have lots of different types of fostering as well. So for some people, um, foster long-term fostering, some people only do, um, what we call short break and respite, which is for holidays, weekend periods to give, um, our current foster carers, um, time if they've got something that, that they, they need to attend, that a child can't go with. So we are able to consider people's skills and, and look at what kind of fostering, um, might be more suited to them.

Tim:

Thanks for that. Um, my final question to you, Joann, and this again is another big question. I guess, what advice would you give to people who are listening to this? They wanna start their fostering journey, but they may be a little bit, I dunno, afraid or apprehensive about the assessment process.

Joann:

I would say, um, pick up the phone. We have a great team of people that are there to support and guide and answer any questions. We have, um, an amazing team of, um, CROs who are our carer recruitment officers who can come in and answer questions. They'll support people right from the beginning into, into assessment. Mm-hmm. And sometimes it just takes picking up the phone to either be reassured or. Potentially have your sort of worries confirmed. Actually, maybe now isn't the right time. I think if you've got an interest, pick up the phone because there's a great team of people that are really, um, experienced at answering all sorts of questions, and they'll give you advice and guidance and help you to understand what the process looks like. And if you go on to apply and you go into assessment, there's people with you the whole way through it. So you're not on your own. There's people there to support you. Support you with the training to guide you through the whole process. Um, so I would say if you've got an interest, just pick up the phone, um, make that first call and if it works out fantastic and um, it's something that, you know, we would absolutely welcome people to do.

Tim:

Yeah, the support is definitely there throughout the whole process from, from start to finish. Uh, thanks very much for your time today, Joann. We really appreciate it.

Joann:

No problem. Thank you.

Helen:

Thank you so much for joining us for another episode of Voices of Fostering. If you'd like to find out more, head online and search National Fostering Group and make this the year you foster.