Resilient and healthy enough to care? Exploring the role of the medical adviser for adoption and fostering in providing advice on the health of substitute carers

Abstract

The assessment of physical and mental health is an integral part of the process of choosing substitute carers for children and young people. It must be done during adoption, foster care or kinship and special guardian assessments. Medical Advisers for adoption and fostering from a paediatric or general practice background are ideally placed to undertake this review of the GP-completed Adult Health report. Having the knowledge and experience to write evidence-based advice for social workers undertaking the assessment of the substitute carers is paramount. While medical advisers are able to review health conditions in substitute carers which may impact on their ability to care and be emotionally available, they are also able to hold the possible short and long-term needs of a vulnerable and possibly damaged child at the centre of the process. The complexity of children for whom substitute carers are sought has increased and carers need to be resilient, emotionally available and healthy enough to care for and nurture a child until adulthood which can be at 18 years, or beyond if there are additional needs.