What you can expect from the Private Fostering Team
If you have an overseas student under the age of 16 (or under 18 if disabled) staying with you for 28 days or more, there is a legal requirement for you or your guardianship agency, language school, agent, or other involved in placing the student, to inform Devon County Council. This legislation is in place to protect and safeguard children.
Once you have notified us of the placement, we will:
- arrange to visit you and your student within seven working days of them arriving in the country, or within seven working days of us being notified
- need to verify your DBS certificate and those of anyone aged 16 years old or over living in your household – these will have been undertaken by the agency placing the student with you – we will ask to see the identification you provided at the time of your DBS application
- ask your permission to make medical checks with your GP to confirm they have no concerns about you caring for somebody else’s child
- ask you to provide the names of two referees (not family) who you have known for two years or more, and who will be able to comment on you as carers and members of the community
- check our records to see if you have been known to us in the past, in what circumstances, and whether there have ever been concerns about you caring for a child
- take some time to get to know you and your family, your experience and knowledge and what it is that motivated you as a family to welcome a student into your home for an extended period of time
- ask about house rules, keeping students safe both in and outside the home and fire alarms amongst other things
- talk to the student alone about their experience of living with you, what they like and whether they have any concerns about staying with you or more general things
We will then summarise our findings in a report with a recommendation to agree or not to the arrangement.
You will be able to comment on this report before it is presented to a senior manager, who makes the decision to agree or not to the arrangement for the student to stay with you. If agreed we will visit the student every five to six weeks.
Throughout this process we are available to offer advice and support to you as necessary. We will always offer a listening ear to you, your family and the student you are caring for, to talk through any issues you may have.
Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns regarding the process. You can contact the Private Fostering Team on 0345 155 1071 or email privatefostering@devon.gov.uk.