Get started with an online account if you're a foster carer

You'll receive emails to your registered email account to tell you there's something you need to do within your account. This may be a form to complete, or a message or document to view.

Each email, where relevant, contains a link to take you to the account login screen.

The emails do not contain personal information for data protection purposes. So, if you are a foster carer, you won't know if an email telling you there's a form to complete is for yourself or for a child you're looking after.

If you've checked all the accounts you have access to and can't find the item, please check with your worker.

Items to complete

There are various forms we may send you to complete using your Children's Services Online account. Please refer to the specific downloadable user guides for support in how to complete these specific forms.

User guides

• Completing a Continued Professional Development form (PDF) [302KB] 
• Completing a Foster Carer Input to LAC Review Form (PDF) [388KB]
• Completing a Foster Carer Review form (PDF) [403KB]
• Completing a Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for a child in your care (PDF) [271KB]
• Completing a Valuing Care Foster Family Skills Measurement Tool form (PDF) [251KB]

Saving forms

You can save any form you are working on and come back to it later, using the Save for later or Save buttons within the form.

To find your forms again, you need to go to the 'Items to Complete' section of your dashboard. It will still be showing here, with your changes saved, until you submit the form.

Items to view

Your worker will send you documents via your Children's Services Online account. You can view these documents and, if you like, save them to your device.

You cannot send documents from the 'Items to view' section of your account back to your worker. Only items sent to the 'Items to complete' section of your account are interactive.

Messages

You can use the messaging function to:

• Reply to messages sent to you
• Create new messages, selecting from the different message types. For example, to complete a foster carer recording or message your worker.

If you select 'Message your worker', it's important to put both the worker's first and last name in the subject line. This way we know which worker we need to send the message to.

Linked guidance

If you want to know more about foster carer recordings, you can download our user guide Completing a Foster Carer Recording (PDF) [403KB].