NFCQ Integrated Assessment Process (IAP)
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- Author:FosterWiki
- Published:November 2023
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Country:
The NFCQ Integrated Assessment Process for the approval of foster carers
Sarah Anderson, NFCQ Co-Founder
Introduction to the Integrated Assessment Process (IAP)
The biggest challenge currently facing foster care is the sufficiency of placements, specifically skilled, loving fostering homes able to meet the ever-increasing numbers and needs of our looked-after children.
The NFCQ wanted to respond to this challenge based on the Government’s statistics around the recruitment, assessment and approval of foster carers in 2021-22.
- 138,075 initial enquires.
- 5670 (5%) went into assessment.
- 3925 candidates dropped out during the assessment process.
- 71% of those candidates withdrew themselves.
- Out of 138,075 enquires just 1745 became foster carers.
- 1 in 3 of these 1745 newly approved foster carers will be de-registered within 18 months.
These figures show that initial enquiries to foster are not the issue, it’s what happens after this initial enquiry that needs addressing, While understanding the complexity of initial enquiries it is still highly unlikely that 136,330 people were unsuitable to foster.
With this in mind, The NFCQ has developed a new innovative strengths-based integrated foster carer’s assessment process, not a stand-alone piece of work but a foundation. A process that enables the opportunity for continual quality learning and growth, skilled carers able to meet the needs of children and work relationally in collaboration with the team around the child.
The NFCQ Integrated Assessment Process (IAP) will improve outcomes for children, with foster carers who are equipped to create skilled and loving homes, and long-term stable placements that go beyond just ‘meeting needs’ to being aspirational for those they care for.
One of the most crucial elements of the NFCQ IAP is the timescale, something we know to be one of the biggest barriers to recruitment and successful assessment to approval conversion statistics. We have therefore cut the assessment time from 6-8 months to approximately 8-10 weeks.
The Integrated Assessment Process (IAP) difference
The NFCQ is an integrated strengths-based system that supports the candidates’ journey from enquiry to conversion, facilitating more to the point of approval and minimising candidate withdrawal from the assessment process.
The NFCQ Integrated Assessment Process (IAP) is a robust system embedded in a modern timescale, consistent with fostering regulations and minimum standards, a system with safeguarding at its heart, a strengths-based multi-dimensional process with a built-in comprehensive foundation qualification that will deliver confident, knowledgeable, resilient foster carers.
The Integrated Assessment Process (IAP) will construct the foundations required to create long-term stable fostering homes able to meet the needs of traumatised vulnerable children and deliver robust outcomes.
The Integrated Assessment Process (IAP) will result in higher quality safeguarding, and better conversion figures from enquiry to approval and ensure good quality candidates prevail, not an end unto itself but a beginning. A modern strengths-based system that provides a solid foundation, with confident educated, trauma-informed reflective carers from day one.
This system will assess quality candidates in weeks not months, exponentially raise standards, focus on higher safeguarding principles and provide sufficient loving fostering families who are able to meet the needs of all our children in care.
How can you find out more?
All enquiries are welcome.
You can email us, have a phone conversation, or we can deliver online or face-to-face presentations. Contact us at [email protected]
How much does it cost
Contact us for pricing at [email protected]
Useful links
- Prospective Foster Carer Report (Form F) Wales
- Prospective Foster Carer Report (Form F)
- Assessment and Approval of Foster Carers
- The NFCQ Integrated Assessment Process (IAP) for the approval of foster carers
- National Foster Carers Qualifications
Information, Help and Support
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Please find our help and support page here.
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Please let us know what information or advice pages you would find useful and we will put them in place. https://fosterwiki.com/register/
