Keeping children safe from harm is one of foster care’s primary tasks. Criminal records checks are one of the statutory checks designed as safeguards to help ensure, as far as possible, people who are approved to be foster carers are suitable for the role.
Some other checks are undertaken as good practice, including:
- verification of identity
- public records check
- overseas checks
- school references
- previous applications to foster
- health and safety checks
- personal, medical and employment references.
About criminal record checks
Fostering services across the UK have an obligation to undertake statutory checks on all fostering applicants and other household members aged 18 (and over 16 in Scotland).
There is no legal requirement for a fostering service to repeat criminal records checks within a set period (apart from in Scotland where regulations state that local authorities should seek up-to-date enhanced enclosures every two years). However, most services have a policy about how often they will routinely update criminal records checks for their approved foster carers and other adult household members.
Having a criminal conviction does not necessarily disqualify you from becoming a foster carer. The circumstances of the crime, how long ago the criminal activity took place, and the type of offence are all factors considered during the application process.
There are slightly different rules for criminal records checks across the UK:
- Disclosure Barring Service for DBS checks (formerly known as CRB checks) in England and Wales.
- Disclosure Scotland
- Access Northern Ireland in Northern Ireland.
How we can help foster carers
- Our advice lines provide confidential, independent and impartial advice for foster carers in the UK.
- Our members also have exclusive access to our online community where you can log in to share your experience and get advice from other foster carers.