The following provides information on conducting and reviewing DBS checks for households and forms part of our Stay Put guidance.
The fostering regulations require criminal records checks to be made in respect of anyone applying to become a foster carer and all members of their household aged 18 and over. This is done by means of a check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). It is established practice for fostering services to update DBS checks at regular intervals.
The same regulations require foster carers to notify the fostering service of any change in the composition of their household or anything else which might be seen to affect their suitability as a fostering household. This would include a criminal offence committed by any adult member of the household. When a young person moves from being looked after (fostered) to staying put this means that they become an adult member of the foster carer’s household and a DBS check must therefore be undertaken, as it would for the foster carer’s own adult children.
The suitability of a foster carer and their household to continue fostering must be reviewed whenever the fostering service considers it necessary, but at intervals of no more than 12 months. We recommend that the DBS check is obtained before the young person becomes 18; this means that it can be considered at the review of the foster carer’s approval before the staying put arrangement begins.
In the majority of cases the DBS check will not reveal anything surprising or unknown to the young person, the fostering service or the carer, and any pre-existent criminal offences should have been addressed via the young person’s care plan, placement plan and if required via a risk assessment. Whatever the circumstances the completion of a DBS check should not come as a surprise; as part of the preparation for transition young people and foster carers should be aware of the processes that will come into effect.
The duty to undertake a DBS check does not apply if the foster carer’s approval ends immediately the staying put arrangement commences.
