Item details

This guide provides practical advice on how to carry out each stage of a competency assessment, from recruitment to post panel. It is cross-referenced throughout to relevant sections of the Code of Practice and the UK National Standards for Foster Care.

Completed examples of the 12 assessment forms are found throughout the guide and part three contains an assessment report and portfolio for a fictional applicant family.

Chapter Summary

Part 1: Introducing the competency approach

1: An overview of the competency approach

• What is the competency approach?
• Why a competency approach?
• Who will assess applicants and what is their role?
• The assessment procedure flow chart
• Recording the assessment
• The competency approach for other assessments
• Values underpinning the competency

2: The competencies

Part 2: Using the competency approach

3: The recruitment stage

• Recruitment campaign literature and advertisements
• Task description
• Registration of Interest form
• Application form
• Initial interviews
• In summary

4: Planning the Assessment

• Standards for assessors
• The first assessment meeting
• In summary

5: Gathering evidence or information

• Using ecomaps and lifelines
• Observation
• Witness statements
• Discussion
• Records and reports
• Assignments and case studies
• Simulations
• Written questions and answers
• Shadowing
• Preparation groups
• If preparation groups are not available
• Review and Feedback
• In summary

6: Safe caring

• Assessment of risk using evidence from statutory and agency checks
• Assessment of risk using evidence from observation
• Assessment of risk using evidence from history of accidents and illness
• Assessment of risk using evidence from ecomaps / support network
• Assessment of risk using evidence from preparation groups
• Assessment of risk using evidence from personal referees
• Assessment of risk using evidence from personal profiles
• Assessment of risk using evidence from discussion with applicant(s)
• Evidencing assessment for safe caring in the summary report
• In summary

7: Checks and references

• Statutory checks
• Health and safety check
• References
• Employer's reference
• Relatives
• Health visitor's reference
• School references
• Medical reports
• Summarising the checks
• In summary

8: The assessment portfolio

• Writing the report
• The structure of the report
• Matrix to summarise evidence of competencies
• Portfolio of evidence
• In summary

9: Foster Panels

• Roles, responsibility and composition of panels
• How the competency approach helps panels
• Information to present to panels
• Panel decisions
• Minutes of panel meetings
• Feeding back decisions to applicants
• In summary

10: Common problems during assessment

Part 3: Case Study