Darcy
Agency Mascot
Do you need a little more info on the ins and outs of Foster Care?
We have put together a complete guide to answer all your questions.
You can register your interest by completing the online form or you can call our office and speak to one of our team. If you would like more information you can download our Prospective Carer Guide.
A social worker from our team will visit you at home to discuss fostering with you and answer any questions you may have.
A social worker from our team will visit you at home (when you have time) to discuss fostering with you and answer any questions you may have.
When you and our social worker agree to continue, you will be invited to complete the Pre-Approval Training called ‘Skills to Foster’.
This training is conducted over 2 or 3 days at weekends and in the evenings.
Following your pre-approval training your application may continue onto assessment. You will then need to complete and sign the form that will be shared with you following the training.
This is the part where we gather information for the next stages, see below. If you have any questions our team is always happy to help.
STAGE 1
Medical check
Identity check
Statutory & DBS checks
Health & Safety checks
STAGE 2
We talk to you and your family
Fostering Panel Meeting
The amount that you receive will vary depending on: the type of placement, the age of the child or young person, whether they have complex needs, or if you are providing a more specialised therapeutic placement which pays higher allowances.
Foster carers are treated as self-employed for tax purposes. There is a specific tax scheme that foster carers can use called "Qualifying Care Relief". The scheme calculates a tax threshold unique to the fostering household, which determines if a foster carer has to pay any tax from their fostering.
There are also generous tax allowances available to foster carers. Further details with regard to tax is provided to applicants.
As an agency we have a duty to provide training courses and to assist Carers to attend them, by ensuring training is held at times convenient to child care (which at times we may be able to facilitate).
We also commission online training from "The Social Care Training Hub" who provide a range of courses, all aimed at ensuring our Professional Foster Carers have the necessary range of knowledge, skills, and experience, to undertake the role.
Director
Registered Manager
Business Support
Senior Supervising Social Worker
Supervising Social Worker
Agency Mascot
Child Health Advisor
These placements are made at very short notice, often because a referring authority have concerns about the care and safety of the child or young person.
These placements are for children and young people who may not have been in care before, and where assessments are being carried out on their families so that long term plans can be made. This may include a return home, fostering or adoption.
These placements are generally for children and young people where it has been agreed that it would be in their best interests to remain in foster care until they reach 18 years of age.
All Therapeutic Fostering carers are entitled to two weeks paid holiday each year.
During this time, children and young people are placed with respite carers in a planned way. Respite carers are therefore seen as an extension to the foster carer’s family.
These children are separated from their own families. They may have travelled from war torn countries and experienced significant loss. They may have a limited understanding of English. Carers offer these children and young people a safe and supportive home.
These placements are offered to carers who have experience and an interest in supporting and assessing young parents to develop their parenting skills, so that they can care for their own children independently in the future.
These are placements offered for children and young people who are not in the care of the Local Authority but who, due to a disability or other needs, require short breaks with foster carers to support them and their families.
The PACE model prioritises creating and maintaining secure attachments with children and young people who have undergone early-life traumatic relationships. Caregivers are encouraged to examine approaches they have used in the past when caring for these children and reflect on why other methods may not yield the desired results.
Where it has been assessed that a child has complex needs. Foster carers are provided with a higher level of support from our social workers and have access to our Paediatric Nurse Specialist and Consultant Clinical Psychologist.
Download a copy of our Statement of Purpose Document PRESS HERE