Fostering
Fostering in Liverpool: Step-by-Step Application and Allowances
Thinking about fostering in Liverpool? Brilliant. This guide walks you through how to apply step-by-step, what training and checks to expect, and the current 2025/26 allowance levels you can use to plan your household budget. We’ll focus on applying with Liverpool City Council Fostering (the local authority), but the process is similar with reputable independent fostering agencies (IFAs). Where figures are national (like England’s minimum weekly rates), we cite the official sources so you’re working with up-to-date numbers.
How fostering works in Liverpool
Fostering provides safe, stable family homes for children who cannot live with their birth families. Liverpool recruits, trains and supports local foster carers and offers a clear preparation pathway, including the nationally used Skills to Foster training before approval. Expect early support from supervising social workers and access to ongoing learning once you’re approved.
Who can foster?
You do not need specific qualifications to start. Liverpool looks at your stability, space (usually a spare bedroom), health, and support network. Carers can be single, partnered or married, renting or owning. The key is that you can provide safe care and commit to ongoing training and teamwork with the child’s social worker and school. (Council and agency pages across England echo these inclusive criteria.)
Step-by-step: the Liverpool application journey
1) Make an enquiry
Start with a simple enquiry to Liverpool City Council Fostering via the website or an information event. They’ll share an information pack and explain the routes (short-term, long-term, respite, parent & child, etc.). Early conversations help you understand matching, bedroom expectations and support.
2) Initial home visit (pre-assessment)
A worker visits your home to discuss your motivations, experience with children, work patterns, support network, and home layout. This is a two-way conversation: you can ask about allowances, training, the local need in Liverpool (for example, sibling groups and teens), and timeframes to panel.
3) Skills to Foster training
Liverpool runs Skills to Foster over 2–3 days during assessment. It gives a realistic picture of daily life as a foster carer—boundaries, therapeutic approaches, teamwork with schools, and contact with birth families. You’ll meet experienced carers and often young people with lived experience, which many applicants find invaluable.
4) Form F assessment (full assessment)
A qualified assessing social worker undertakes a detailed assessment (“Form F”). It covers your background, family life, health, finances, references, DBS and other statutory checks, safer caring plans, and your home environment. The goal is to evidence your strengths and identify any support you’ll need. This is thorough but supportive—you’re guided through what to prepare.
5) Fostering panel
When your assessment is complete, your report goes to an independent fostering panel, which reviews the evidence and makes a recommendation to the agency decision maker (ADM). You’ll attend to answer simple questions. Most applicants who reach panel successfully pass—your assessor will not take you to panel unless you’re ready.
6) Approval and first placements
If approved, Liverpool will discuss suitable referrals with you. You can and should ask questions quickly but carefully (age, needs, school, contact, health, risks). Good matching at the start supports placement stability for the child and for you. Your supervising social worker provides ongoing support, visits, and help with training and reviews.
Allowances in Liverpool (2025/26)
In England, all foster carers must receive at least the National Minimum Allowance (NMA), updated every April. Liverpool, being in the Rest of England band (not London or South East), uses the rates below as the minimum weekly child-maintenance allowance for 6 April 2025–5 April 2026:
| Child’s age | Rest of England minimum (weekly) |
|---|---|
| 0–2 | £170 |
| 3–4 | £176 |
| 5–10 | £194 |
| 11–15 | £220 |
| 16–17 | £258 |
A few things to understand:
- Allowance vs fee: The amounts above are to cover the child’s day-to-day costs (food, clothing, utilities, transport, clubs). Many councils and IFAs also pay a carer fee/skill payment on top, which recognises your time and expertise. Packages therefore vary above the minimum—always ask Liverpool (or an IFA) for a written breakdown of allowance, fee and any add-ons. Sector bodies explain this distinction clearly.
- Extras: You may receive additional payments—e.g., birthday, festival/holiday contributions, equipment, and mileage for school runs and contact. Local authorities set out these extras in their fostering finance guidance and information packs.
- Specialist/therapeutic placements: Higher, needs-led packages are common where children require additional support. Public examples from agencies show how combined packages can rise with complexity and skill level.
What does the allowance have to cover?
Typical weekly costs include food, clothing (including seasonal items), school costs (trips, uniforms top-ups), activities and hobbies, mobile/Wi-Fi share, transport, and a share of household bills. Keep receipts where your service asks for them and maintain a simple log of mileage for school and contact—you’ll claim back eligible journeys according to local policy. (Council information packs outline how Liverpool structures claims and evidencing.)
Tax: 2025/26 Qualifying Care Relief (QCR)
Most foster carers pay little or no income tax on their fostering income because of QCR. For 2025/26, HMRC sets a fixed yearly amount plus a weekly amount per child that together create your “tax-free threshold”. If your total fostering receipts are below that figure, you owe no tax on fostering income; if above, there’s still a simplified calculation method. Always check the latest HMRC helpsheet before filing.
Sector guides summarise the weekly elements used in the QCR calculation (higher for older children), and explain record-keeping—track who was in placement each week and their age band. If you’re unsure, ask Liverpool’s team to signpost an accountant experienced with carers.
How long does the process take?
A typical timeline from enquiry to panel is often 4–6 months, depending on checks, your availability for training, and how quickly references and medicals return. Liverpool’s Skills to Foster training sits inside that window and is scheduled regularly to keep applicants moving. If anything slows (e.g., a delayed medical), your assessor will flag it and agree next steps.
Choosing between Liverpool City Council and an IFA
Both routes recruit and approve foster carers. Key differences to consider:
- Placements & need: Councils prioritise placing with their own carers first, which can support local school stability. IFAs often specialise in complex or sibling placements and cover wider geographies.
- Support and pay: Packages vary—look at support hours, on-call/out-of-hours cover, training, peer groups, respite, and how fees sit on top of the allowance. Always compare written breakdowns rather than headline “per-week” figures. Sector resources and agency pages are helpful references for how packages differ.
Matching and saying “yes” safely
When Liverpool sends you a referral, you’re entitled to ask detailed questions before agreeing:
- Education (current school, transport needs, EHCP/SEN support)
- Health (conditions, medication, CAMHS involvement)
- Contact (frequency, supervision, who transports)
- Risks (missing episodes, peer influences, online safety)
Strong matching prevents avoidable disruptions and is better for children and carers alike. Use your supervising social worker as a sounding board.
After approval: training and support
You’ll have regular supervision visits, an annual review, and access to CPD (continuing professional development). Expect refreshers on safeguarding, recording and report writing, education for children in care, and therapeutic approaches. Liverpool’s pathway emphasises practical preparation before and after approval—lean into it; it’s there to help.
Frequently asked questions (Liverpool-focused)
Do I need a spare bedroom?
Usually, yes—children generally need their own bedroom in foster care. Sibling-sharing exceptions are considered case by case. Your initial visit will cover bedrooms and any simple adaptations that help.
Can I foster if I rent?
Yes. You’ll need your landlord’s permission and a reasonable, stable tenancy. Liverpool will complete safety checks in any home, rented or owned.
Can I work while fostering?
Many carers work part-time or flexibly. You’ll discuss your availability (school runs, meetings, contact) during assessment so Liverpool can match placements that fit your household. Respite can help if you need regular breaks.
How much will I actually receive?
At a minimum, you’ll receive the England NMA (Rest of England band) for the child’s age (see table above). On top, Liverpool or an IFA may pay a carer fee/skill payment and offer extras (mileage, birthday/festival, equipment). Always compare written breakdowns.
Will I pay tax on fostering income?
Often no—or very little—because of HMRC’s Qualifying Care Relief. The helpsheet explains how the yearly fixed amount plus weekly per-child amounts create your tax-free threshold. Keep simple records or use a foster-carer-savvy accountant.
Next steps: how to get started this week
- Make your enquiry with Liverpool City Council Fostering and request an information pack. Attend a local info event if possible.
- Walk your home with the checklist in mind: spare room, storage, basic safety (locks, smoke detectors), and car/transport for school and contact.
- Block dates for Skills to Foster—treat it as essential professional prep, not just a tick-box.
- Gather documents (IDs, references, GP details, landlord consent if renting) to keep the assessment flowing.
- Do the maths using the 2025/26 allowance table and a conservative estimate of fees/extras; then overlay QCR to understand your likely tax position.
Bottom line
Liverpool needs more foster carers—especially for siblings and teens—and offers a supportive path from your first enquiry through training, assessment and approval. If you follow the steps above, you’ll know exactly what’s involved and how 2025/26 allowances work in practice. Start the conversation, get your information pack, book Skills to Foster, and build your plan. The stability you can offer a child in Liverpool really does change lives—for theirs, and for yours.