DBS Checks, References, and Health Assessments for Fostering in Wales

Stage 1 of the Welsh fostering process is often where applicants stall. Not because they are unsuitable, but because they do not know what to expect — and anxiety fills the gaps. The DBS check, health assessment, and personal references are all mandatory, and they will each reveal something. Here is what each one actually involves.

The Enhanced DBS Check

Every adult member of your household must obtain an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate before your assessment can proceed. In Welsh fostering, this is not just a criminal record check — the enhanced certificate includes a check against the children's barred list, which records individuals who are legally prohibited from working with children.

An enhanced DBS check will disclose all spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, warnings, and any information the police consider relevant. It is more comprehensive than the standard DBS used for most employment.

The most common anxiety among applicants is about minor historical incidents — a caution from decades ago, a fixed-penalty notice, or something recorded in youth. The presence of a disclosure does not automatically disqualify you. The fostering service's job is to assess the relevance of any information, not to apply a blanket rule. What matters is the nature of the offence, when it occurred, your circumstances at the time, and what has changed since. A DBS disclosure involving violence against a child or a sexual offence is a serious barrier. A speeding conviction from fifteen years ago is not going to end your application.

Your fostering agency will request the DBS through their own registered body. You do not need to arrange it yourself. Be honest about your history before the certificate arrives — agencies consistently report that discovering someone concealed something is far more damaging to an application than the original disclosure.

The Health Assessment

All fostering applicants in Wales are required to undergo a health assessment. This involves completing a medical questionnaire and attending an appointment with your GP, who submits a report to the fostering agency. The agency's medical adviser then reviews the report and provides an opinion on whether any health conditions are likely to affect your ability to care for a child.

Common conditions — diabetes, managed mental health conditions, controlled hypertension — do not routinely prevent approval. The medical adviser is looking for evidence that your health is being appropriately managed and that you understand its potential impact on the caring role. If you have a chronic condition, it is worth being clear and factual in your questionnaire rather than minimizing it.

The health assessment can take several weeks, depending on your GP's availability and the agency's medical adviser caseload. It is usually one of the slower parts of Stage 1, so it is worth requesting the appointment as early as possible once your application begins.

Personal References

Welsh fostering services require a minimum of three personal references. However, the scope is wider than "three people who will say nice things about you." Your social worker will typically seek:

• Personal references from people who know you well and can speak to your character, your parenting capacity, and your ability to handle stress
• References from former significant partners, particularly if you lived together for any length of time
• Employment references, especially from roles involving children or vulnerable adults

References are usually obtained by interview rather than written form, allowing the social worker to probe specific areas. Referees should be prepared for questions about how you handle conflict, how you relate to children, and how you have coped with difficult periods in your life.

Choose referees who know you well and who will be candid. A reference that is too guarded or overly polished can raise questions rather than answer them. Brief your referees on what fostering involves and what the social worker is trying to assess — not to coach them, but so they are not caught off guard.

Employers, neighbours, and people you have only known for a year or two are generally not strong choices as personal referees. Former partners are always sought by the agency regardless of whether you list them — the social worker will usually ask for contact details.

What Stage 1 Is Actually For

Stage 1 is a safety and information-gathering exercise. Its purpose is to ensure there are no immediate barriers to proceeding and to build the factual picture of your household. It is not yet a character judgment or a deep-dive into your parenting philosophy — that comes in Stage 2 (the Form F assessment).

Completing Stage 1 takes most applicants between six and twelve weeks, with the health assessment often being the pacing factor. The fostering service should keep you informed of progress at each stage.

If you want to understand how these checks fit into the full two-stage process — and what the Form F assessment expects from you — the Wales Fostering Approval Guide walks through both stages in detail, including how to frame your personal history constructively and what the fostering panel will be looking at when your report is presented.

See more United Kingdom guides →