Help us shape the West London Fostering Hub offer

Which Local Authority do you currently foster for?

What age group do you mainly foster?

0–2

2-5

5–10

11–15

16–18

Parent & child

Disabled children

Remand / emergency

Other (please specify)

Overall, how do you feel about moving fostering recruitment and assessment activity to a regional service?

Very positive

Somewhat positive

Neutral / unsure

Somewhat negative

Very negative

Optional comment box: Please add any brief examples if you wish.

If there were a regional fostering service, what would matter most to you? (Select up to 3)

Clear single point of contact

Faster and more predictable timescales

Knowing who is responsible at each stage

Retaining a strong local connection

Consistent information and decisions

High-quality, well supported assessors

Flexible training options

Access to peer support

Transparency about progress and delays

How important would each of the following be to making a regional approach work well?

Having a named worker guiding you through the process

Very important

Important

Not very important

Not important

Clear handover from regional to local team

Very important

Important

Not very important

Not important

Shared systems so information isn’t repeated

Very important

Important

Not very important

Not important

Local knowledge being built into assessments

Very important

Important

Not very important

Not important

Consistent standards across boroughs

Very important

Important

Not very important

Not important

Opportunity to give feedback during the journey

Very important

Important

Not very important

Not important

What concerns, if any, would you have about a more regional approach? (Select all that apply)

Losing local relationships

Assessments feeling impersonal

Less understanding of local communities

Confusion about who to contact

Delays caused by handovers

Inconsistent decision-making

Too much focus on process rather than people

No concerns

Other (please specify)

What should the regional service prioritise in its first year? (Select up to 3)

Speeding up checks and references

Speeding up the assessment process

Better use of digital tools

Stronger peer support offer

Regional benefits and payment recognition

Consistency and fairness across boroughs

Clear communication and transparency

Reducing duplication and bureaucracy

Supporting local authorities to do their role better

Providing high quality training and preparation

Strengthening support for carers

During your fostering application or assessment, where were the biggest delays or frustrations? (Check all that apply)

Initial response after enquiry

DBS check

Medicals

References

Waiting for training

Social Worker availability

Assessment paperwork

Panel scheduling

Communication / unclear next steps

None

Other (please specify - Please add any brief examples if you wish)

Is there anything else that would help us design the regional service well?

Maximum 2,000 characters

0/2,000

10.

Before today, how much did you know about the West London Fostering Hub?

I had never heard of it

I had heard of it, but didn’t know much about it

I had a basic understanding

I knew quite a lot about it

I was very familiar with it

11.

Based on everything above, how confident are you that a regional approach could improve fostering recruitment and assessment overall?

Very confident

Fairly confident

Not very confident

Not at all confident

12.

Based on what you know now, what is your overall view of the West London Fostering Hub?

Very positive

Somewhat positive

Neutral / unsure

Somewhat negative

Very negative

I still don’t feel I know enough to say

13.

Which statement best reflects how you currently see the role of the West London Fostering Hub?

A positive opportunity to improve fostering recruitment and assessment

A useful idea, but it depends on how it is implemented

I am concerned about how it might affect local services

I do not think a regional hub is the right approach

I’m not sure yet

14.

If you would like to be involved in further consultation please leave your name and email address so that we can contact you in the future.