what will happen on the home-check?

[lorrmill38]

hi.

I got a letter from the sw the other day and it mentioned that my home check will be carried out soon.
Id rather start trying to make preparations just now, and wondered what kind of things they will maybe mark me down on.
id appreciated hearing as many experiences as poss - so that i can make sure my house is 100% in order.

thanks

Hi lorrmill, as it's years since we first started fostering I can't actually remember our initial home check and to be honest the regulations/guidelines have changed so much I can only give you a rough idea of what I guess they'll want to see.

That your house is warm and safe as well as clean.

Show perhaps that you have things like stair gates, socket covers etc. They are very big on things like fire blankets/extinguishers.

That you keep chemicals and cleaning stuff out of reach or locked away.

That you have a first aid box perhaps.

Will the child have his or her own room? They will want to see it.

I'm sure there is loads more, I'll have a think

They won't expect erything to be 100% safe now, but will give you guidlines on what to do if there are any issues,

they will also want to know if you keep firearms or dangerous pets (snakes and stuff). People foster who live on farms and stuff so it covers all kinds of homes.

I think the first one is mainly to check things would be ok for a child, spare room ect.

When we had our home check / risk assesment the s/w had a check list to follow such as smoke alarms, carbon monozide detectors,meds and cleaning products stored safely .We had to have window restrictors put on some of our bedroom windows and have a fire escape plan in place .
Hope this helps Caz

They definitely like a first aid kit and smkoke alarms-like to make sure pets are under control and will give you a check list of things that you have to complete before you can be approved for fostering.
They will come back and check that you have completed all that they have specified.

WE were given a first aid box, fire extinguisher and blanket after approval. We already had smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Is it the first home check or the "formal" health and safety check?

oh - im not really sure. She wrote to me a week or so ago and advised that she was waiting for references to come back and then would be in touch for a 'home visit'. Thats as far as i know.
And obviously im being ott - and wondering if i should become mary poppins/60 minute makeover ...........and try and transform the whole house within a day.!!!!

I was also planning on getting some socket covers in place, cupboard latches, testing smoke alarms etc - before any visit.

I'd just make sure that eveything looks tidy, clean and child friendly. Tidy away obvious dangaers like slug pellets or any tools and show them that your home is a safe environment.
Our SW asked us to get a fireguard and keep cleaning materials out of reach before she did a formal health and safety check.
She also told me that our house was fine and had no need to worry - and told me about one house she'd visited which had loads of carpet pins/nails sticking out on evey stair tread. I guess that's the kind of thing they don't want to see....

Hi I just had a homecheck last week. Basically its very straight forward. They check that it is clean and tidy. They make sure that the spare room is big enough for the single bed and cupboard the child needs and that they and move around the space in between. That there is nothing dangerous in the house. The plug sockets should have covers in them and the cleaning products should be in a child proof locked cupboard. They ask if you have a fire blanket in your kitchen and a green first aid kit. They ask about your smoke alarms as there must be one on each level of the house, and if your checking them one a month. If they are mains fitted it is not necessary. they are making sure your food is stored reasonably in your kitchen. And that any alcohol is out of reach or locked away. they check your own child/ren have adaquite space in the house too. They check the garden is safe and secure with no hazards.IE a trampoline without anenclosure or a pool without a cover. a swingset not fixed into the ground properly. they ask to see your annual gas safety check cert. Ecectric one too if you are given them if not you have to send off for one before you go to panel. Its exactly the same homecheck as the childminders have before approval. Dont worry if there are things you are unsure of or that you dont have yet they will advise you on what you need and give you time to sort them out. They are very simple dont take long and not at all invasive. You have nothing to worry about. Hope this helps.

I have 30 years experience as a socila worker and team manager in fostering and adoption. The initial home visit, is as others have said is to make sure that your home is clean warm and comfortable and that there is a spare room for the child. I always asked to see the spare room. Some applicants want to show you round the house but I never pressed that if I could see that there were reasonable levels of hygiene and that is easy to see pretty quickly!

Don't worry about tidying up too much especially if you have your own children - leave their toys about - this shows that you are child-centred.

I don't know what age of child you want to foster but things that others mention are dependant upon the age of the child. You won't expected to have plug covers, stair gates, cooker guards etc etc if you are planning on fostering a child over 5. If there are obvious dangers I usually point them out and explain that later on I will need to do a health and safety checklist ad leave them a copy so that they know what is required. Don't worry about fire blankets because ordinary families don't have those anyway. Dependent upon the l.a. the health & safety check is quite comprehensive. Ask to see a copy and again much is dependent uponthe age of the child.

If big alterations need to be made at the carer's expense I would advise that these were not made until after approval. The panel will understand this and conditional approval can be given at panel subject to the work being carried out.

Don't worry too much - the main thing is that the child is going to be kept safe and looked after in a home which is not a show home. This worries me far more than a house where children are free to play with their toys and the garden is fenced in. Sorry to mention the garden is also on the H & S check list - it must be safe (fenced in) for younger children and agaib no obvious hazards. But what ever needs to be done can be done as the assessment proceeds - you aren't expected to comply to the l.a. H & S checklist on a first visit!!