Training and support for foster carers
When you begin your journey to become a disability foster carer, we will provide training to complement your skills and experience and prepare you for your fostering role. Our foster carers benefit from further individualised training, tailored to the needs of any children in their care.
We believe that empowering the whole team around the children, including foster carers, support workers and our staff team, with the skills and knowledge of best practice, is paramount to developing the best outcomes for young people.
We have the expertise to support families caring for children with complex needs
Our team has extensive experience in supporting disability foster carers and their families. When you foster with Fostering Together, you also benefit from our established network of specialists and experts. Together we strive to provide the best possible support to our foster carers in their important role caring for children with the most complex of needs.
As part our core training program for foster carers, you'll learn about the Secure Base Model framework for therapeutic caregiving, underpinning your care at home with the understanding of therapeutic interactions which help children in care to develop attachments in a new family environment.
You will learn how to acknowledge and address your understanding of your child's care's needs alongside your own role and influence as a caregiver to promote a secure attachment for your child, enabling them to build on their confidence, feelings of belonging and reassurance that they have someone to support them.
Successful fostering lifestyles depend on well-resourced and knowledgeable teams centred and focussed on the child or young person in care, and dependant on the ongoing regular assessment of need, fostering families approved with Fostering Together will have access to:
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A named, experienced, qualified and personable supervising social worker.
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Priority access to our Registered Children's Nurse for Health and Medical care advice for your children.
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Support and advocacy at any placement and matching meetings.
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Monthly supervision and weekly phone or video contact, as a minimum, with a member of the Fostering Together team.
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A 24-hour ‘on-call’ telephone service.
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A monthly forum for foster carers within which they can find support and share experience with other fostering families.
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Specialist and high-quality training in line with each foster carer’s personal development plan and guidance & support to ensure that they achieve the Training, Support and Development standards within one year of being approved.
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Access to our bespoke information management system from FosterKit™ to enable easy & efficient recording and fostering admin.
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Representation at all childcare reviews.
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Peer support from other experienced fostering families and professionals.
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Social events for foster families, children and young people to meet other like-minded families in your community.
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Overnight Care Stays and/or tailored support services based on the requirements of the placed child.
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Generous allowance that is above the national average for foster carers.
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Free membership to The Fostering Network.
- High Street Discounts through the Blue Light Card Scheme.