Working with a fostering service

Fostering services and foster carers work together to ensure that foster carers are supported to provide care for children and young people in foster care. At your fostering service you should have a social worker who is sometimes known as the Supervising Social Worker or Link Worker who will support you in your work as a foster carer and carry our regular reviews. There will also be the children's social workers.

We have produced resources to help you with who's who in your fostering service and give you information about the wide range of meetings that you will be a part of.

Members of the Fostering Network log in here for more information and resources on working with your fostering service, and access to peer to peer support in our online community.

View our resources on Working with a fostering service

Good practice guidance

Best practice guidance on the transfer of foster carers in Northern Ireland (2012)

This guidance lays out the issues and the procedures for foster carers moving from one fostering service to another in Northern Ireland.

Download the best practice guidance on the transfer of foster carers in Northern Ireland
Ofsted's guidance on foster carers who also provide childcare (2010)

This document provides insight into Ofsted's guidance for inspectors who inspect local authority and independent fostering services in England on the issue of foster carers who also provide childcare.

Download Ofsted's guidance on foster carers who also provide childcare
Transfer of foster carers protocol: England and Wales (2012)

Guidance for fostering services and foster carers on transferring between fostering providers in England and Wales.

Download Transfer of foster carers protocol: England and Wales
Transfer of foster carers protocol: Scotland (2007)

Produced by the Independent and Voluntary Fostering Providers' Forum, this is guidance for fostering services and foster carers on transferring between fostering providers in Scotland.

Download IVPF transfer of foster carers protocol: Scotland

Newsletters

A stronger voice (2011)

The latest issue of A Stronger Voice, the e-newsletter for local foster care associations in England.

Download A stronger voice newsletter, issue 17, November 2011

Podcasts

Presumptions and assumptions: caring for a child with special needs (2011)

One of five podcasts that give a short insight into the lives of men who foster. Recorded during a storytelling workshop for the book Men Who Care: experiences and reflections from male foster carers.

Listen to this episode

Download this episode (right click and save)
Shopping trip: views from men who care (2011)

One of five podcasts that give a short insight into the lives of men who foster. Recorded during a storytelling workshop for the book Men Who Care: experiences and reflections from male foster carers.

Listen to this episode

Download this episode (right click and save)

Publications

A stronger voice: building foster care associations (2009)

With numerous case studies and examples, this practical toolkit is an essential and accessible resource that clearly sets out how to set up and run a foster care association. Developed as an outcome of the Lottery funded Foster Care Association Network Project, it recognises the crucial role such groups play in providing carers with support, information and representation.

Order A stronger voice: building foster care associations online
Record keeping (2009)

This Signpost booklet explains why it is so important for carers to keep detailed records abut children or young people in their care.

Order Record Keeping online

Record Keeping Signpost (download pdf)
Reviews and meetings (2009)

This Signpost booklet provides a guide to different meetings about children and young people: what they are for and how they are run. It explains the difference between a review and a case conference, and carers' rights to attend these or other meetings.

Order Reviews and meetings online
Working with social workers (2009)

Foster carers are part of a team responsible for the wellbeing and development of the children and young people placed with them.

This Signpost aims to help foster carers understand:

Order Working with social workers online

Reports

Learning as they go (2009)

This report contains the results of a survey of foster carers on the issues around accessing learning and development opportunities.

Download Learning as they go
Like everyone else: summary report of the delegated authority project (2011)

Summary report of the delegated authority project which ran from 2009-11.

Download Like everyone else: summary report of the delegated authority project
Reinforcing networks (2010)

This report explores the key attributes, aspirations and challenges for local foster care associations across England. It finds that although FCAs are a diverse group with different support and development needs, there is great value in the opportunity to share experiences, skills and learn from one another on a local, regional and national level. An executive summary is available at www.fostering.net/all-about-fostering/resources/reports/reinforcing-networks-executive-summary.

Download Reinforcing networks
Reinforcing networks: executive summary (2010)

The executive summary of a report that explores the key attributes, aspirations and challenges for local foster care associations across England. The full report is available to download at www.fostering.net/all-about-fostering/resources/reports/reinforcing-networks.

Download Reinforcing networks: executive summary
Support to foster carers (2007)

Report on a survey carried out in Scotland about the support available to foster carers. This includes looking at what foster carers feel are the largest problems facing foster carers such as isolation and what support is available, support groups being one example. The report makes recommendations as to how support for foster carers in Scotland can be improved.

Download Support to foster carers

The Fostering Network's position

Learning and development: policy and recommendations (2009)

This is the second of four papers under the Together for Change campaign (launched in October 2009) and focuses on the need for foster carers to be skilled and knowledgeable.

Download Learning and development: policy and recommendations
Learning and development: summary of issues (2009)

Foster carers today are expected to look after children within a tightly regulated service that places many expectations on them and requires that they have a thorough understanding of child development and the legislative and regulatory system within which they work. All of this means that foster carers must be very skilled and knowledgeable.

Download Learning and development: summary of issues
Status and authority: policy and recommendations (2009)

Making foster care work for every fostered child and every foster family

Policy paper on status and authority, the first of four policy papers to be published under the Together for Change campaign.

This paper focuses on the need for the status and authority of foster carers within the children's workforce to be recognised and supported.

Download Status and authority: policy and recommendations
Status and authority: summary of issues (2009)

Over the past 20 years the task of fostering has changed almost beyond recognition. The needs of many of the children who come into foster care have increased dramatically, requiring a more skilled approach from those who look after them.

Download Status and authority: summary of issues
Support: summary of issues (2009)

Fostering services are responsible for providing foster carers with a range of formal and informal support, including proper supervision, short breaks, peer support, out-of-hours support and access to independent support, as well as support for their sons and daughters.

Download Support: summary of issues

Useful links

Children England

A membership organisation for all those in the voluntary sector who work with children and young people and their families.

www.childrenengland.org.uk
Children in Wales

Children in Wales is the national umbrella organisation for those working with children and young people in Wales. It aims to promote the interests of its members from the voluntary, statutory and private sectors.

www.childreninwales.org.uk
Independent Review Mechanism (Adoption and Fostering)

The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM) reviews fostering panel decisions.

It can be contacted by telephone at 0845 450 3956 and by fax at 0845 450 3957. More information can be found on their website listed below.

www.independentreviewmechanism.org.uk
IRM Cymru (2010)

The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM) reviews fostering panel decisions in Wales.

The function of the IRM panel is to review all documents and information relating to a ‘qualifying determination’ and to make a recommendation to the fostering service provider about whether a person is suitable to act as a foster carer. A qualifying determination is a decision made by a fostering service provider not to approve a foster carer; to change the terms of a foster carer's approval; or terminate a foster carer's approval.

www.irmcymru.org.uk

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Working with a fostering service

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Further reading