Support and Training

Choosing to foster a child is a hugely rewarding experience, but one that can be challenging. There may be times when your patience and perseverance are put to the test, especially as many foster children come from difficult backgrounds which can impact on their development negatively.

 

At Choice Fostering you will have 24/7 support, and our high-quality training programmes are in place to give you the skills needed to deal with tricky situations. When fostering, you are not alone – our whole team is dedicated to the wellbeing of you, your family and the child you care for.

 

At Choice Fostering, you will benefit from our integral support framework to help you be the best you can in your important role:

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• A dedicated Supervising Social Worker (SSW) will be assigned to support you on every step of your fostering journey. Your SSW has responsibility for assisting you in your career development and identifying training and development needs for skills and knowledge. We train our Supervising Social Workers to recognise that they not only have a responsibility to look after their Carers, but it is also their responsibility to ensure that the needs of the child are paramount and so they will share the same interests as you.

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• Monthly supervision meetings and additional support visits with your SSW will focus on positive developments for both Carers and children, as well as areas of concern.

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• Support group Meetings: Regular Foster Carer Support Group Meetings are held to enable Foster Carers to meet and socialise together, share good practice ideas, develop peer support and receive information from the agency. These meetings are facilitated by Choice Fostering staff and Management.

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• Emergency Support: Choice Fostering provides a 24/7, 365 days a year on-call service to Foster Carers. This service also provides a family placement service for Local Authorities for the placement of children in an emergency.

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• Annual Review: You will undergo an annual review to ensure you continue to be suitable to hold registration and approval as a Foster Carer. The review will provide you with the opportunity to evaluate your practice and development and to set new goals and action plans.

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• Policies & Procedures: You will have access to a comprehensive Fostering Handbook, which is provided upon approval. The handbook contains information, policies and procedures on all aspects of the fostering task and is updated regularly to ensure it remains a relevant reference document.

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• Record Keeping: You will be expected to maintain records of events and information regarding the child or young person in placement. Foster Carers also contribute to a monthly report for the Local Authority detailing the progress made by the child or young person in achieving 5 key every Child Matters outcomes.

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• The Fostering Network Support: We provide all of our Foster Carers with membership to The Fostering Network, an organisation dedicated to supporting Carers and improving foster child opportunities who can also provide expert guidance, resources and a confidential helpline.

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• Having Fun: at Choice Fostering we recognise that taking care of other people’s children is a serious business and can be challenging and at times stressful. We believe that it is important to come together informally to support our Carers and de-stress. Choice Fostering encourages Foster Carers to get together and socialise. We also organise regular social events where Carers can have fun and share experiences with like-minded people.

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