How to become a
Family Matters Foster carer

Recruitment and Approval of Main Foster Carers

Call us and let’s talk!  If you demonstrate the life experience and skills that we look for, we will immediately invite you to an interview at our offices as soon as possible, or arrange a home visit.

At our initial meeting we describe what is required of a foster carer working for Family Matters Fostering Ltd and look in more detail at your suitability to become a foster carer with us - and you have a look at us and see what you think!  It also provides an opportunity for you to ask all your questions. 

If at this point we all decide to proceed with your enquiry, we inspect and copy the various documents and forms of identification for Ofsted, the Independent Safeguarding Authority and the other checks we need to make.  All relevant forms are completed and we arrange for one of our social work team to visit you at their home, if we haven’t done that already.



Providing that all references are satisfactory, you and your spouse or partner, if you have one, will then be invited to a three day training ‘Triple F’ course - “Foundations For Fostering”.  This is your opportunity to really find out what fostering with Family Matters Fostering is all about.  You will have real life situations and meet and hear from our foster carers to give you a practical insight into what the work entails.  "This is a really good course”, says Antony Meade, our Managing Director. "A lot of this has been written in house and is presented by our own staff – I care about who looks after and trains my people and this course will open your eyes and make you think.  I don’t want anyone joining FM and becoming a carer without my being as sure as I can that they know what they are doing.  ‘Quitters’ and ‘don’t carers’ ruin children’s lives - and it is my job to minimise the risk of this happening."

Following the course, if we consider you possess the skills and qualities we require, and you still want to proceed we will invite you to make an formal application.  A qualified social worker begins a Form F1 assessment - an in depth report on your family and home life.  During this time you will be expected work (paid) from time to time as a carer support worker to gain experience in working and interacting with looked after children.  This is part of the assessment.