Fostering Services to Local Authorities
Committed to working in partnership with agencies
Fostering diversity
At Family Fostering, we welcome diversity and we will offer placements to any child or young person from all walks of life and background, who has suffered childhood trauma and are unable to live with their birth families. Placements will usually be within the Kent and South East London region in order for children and foster families to most easily access the support services we provide.
Our vision is to strive for longevity in placements, recognising this stability is fundamental to effectively supporting children and young people. Therefore, our focus will be on securing long-term placements wherever children are unable to return to their birth families. However, we recognise the significant difference foster carers can make to children and young people even during brief placements. Often emergency and short-term placements can progress to long-term and even permanency. In all cases we will demonstrate commitment to working in partnership with all agencies involved with the children and young people to ensure care planning is rigorous and each child and young person is fully supported, however brief the duration of their placement is.
Our services to Local Authorities
We accept the following placement types subject to stringent matching against foster placement vacancies:
- Emergency
- Long term
- Short term
- Short Breaks
- Bridging
- Children/young people with disabilities
- Solo
- Sibling groups
What we provide
Family Fostering will, subject to individual contracts with Local Authorities, provide:
Supervision of contact
Escort and transport for professional appointments
Psychological and therapeutic services
Our matching process
During our foster family matching process, we strongly consider the following:
- Location
- Education
- Skills
- Health
- Experience
- Contact
- Training
- Diversity & Equality
Placement assessments
Potential placements will be thoroughly assessed for suitability using a stringent matching process, ensuring that children and young people are matched closely with a foster family capable of meeting their needs. Through this we will strive to ensure foster placements are given the greatest chance of long term success. This will be further built upon by each foster carer’s Supervising Social Worker liaising closely with the child and young person’s Local Authority Social Worker and the Placements Officer. This is to ensure a tailored support package is in place as soon as is practicable following confirmation of the placement.
All our foster carers receive:
Training
Each of our foster carers receive specialist training to develop their therapeutic insight into caring for children and young people who have experienced childhood trauma.
Development Support
We ensure all our foster carers have received sufficient training and support to achieve the Training Support and Development Standards.
Social Worker
An allocated Supervising Social Worker will be assigned to each foster family.
Foster Talk
Enrolment to one of the UK’s leading 0rganisations that support foster carers. Providing essential support, legal advice and guidance from a team of experienced advisors.
24/7 Support
A qualified social work is always available to provide advice, guidance and support. 24 hours a day. 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Local Groups
Every foster carer will receive details for local support groups, workshops and activity days.
Short Breaks
Our foster carers have access to short breaks, both planned and compassionate, throughout every placement.
Guidance
A comprehensive set of policies and procedures are provided and we will spend time guiding each of our foster carers through these and the importance of their use.
Fostering allowance
We pay a fostering allowance for each child/young person placed in a foster families care. The allowance includes all reasonable disbursement in respect of their responsbilities to provide for the needs of the child.
Supervision & support visits
You will receive monthly supervision every month. With access to clinical supervision from our trauma informed psychotherapist One will take place in your home with your Supervising Social Worker and one will take place with your Supervising Social Worker and our Psychotherapist for Clinical Supervision. These visits will ensure that you are receiving the right advice and support to help you care for each child placed with you. A weekly support call will also be made and a minimum of two unannounced visits will take place in your home each year.
What to expect with Family Fostering
We have an expectation that all of our Foster Carers drive, have a mobile phone and a computer with internet access. They must ensure they keep up to date and accurate records and follow rigorous safeguarding procedures.
We hold regular training events, Foster Carer meetings and social gatherings; either in our office or at a location in the local vicinity.
Our Foster Carers have a wealth of experience and can offer secure, nurturing homes for the children and young people who need them. As a small agency we are able to provide our Foster Carers with the highest level of support. Our Social Workers are committed to fostering and welcome the opportunity to provide tailored Social Work support to our Foster Carers based on their individual needs.
We believe in the principle of ‘small is beautiful’ and we pride ourselves on every member of staff having excellent knowledge of all children placed in our care.
Positive Outcomes
Historically, Looked After Children have under-achieved in many areas – most noticeably in the field of education.
Family Fostering not only provides children and young people with safe, secure and nurturing family placements but also offers Looked After Children the educational input, support and backup which promotes inclusion and high achievement. As a small team we are privileged to be able to work closely with our Foster Carers and the children they support and we are committed to working to current Government targets for Looked After Children and young people.
We aim to significantly exceed the national expectations in:
Attendance in education
We will aim for all our young people and children to attend main stream education and encourage regular attendance.
Stability of placements
We strive to achieve an outstanding record in providing stable placements for all children in the car of our foster families.
Focus on Key Stage targets
We promote educational achievement of children and young people placed with us by focusing on attainment of all their key stage targets.
Development of Social Skills
Family Fostering Foster Carers will work closely with placing authorities to develop the social skills of the children in their care. They do this by promoting opportunities for them to participate in social and extra-curricular activities and encouraging the growth of independence and personal responsibility. By recognising achievements and providing positive role models, Foster Carers help young people to develop a true sense of self-worth and high self-esteem, which in turn promotes resilience in the face of adversity and disadvantage.
Make a referral
Urgent placements
Outside of office hours, please contact our Duty Social Workers:
