Fostering with A1 Foster Care
A1 Foster Care offers a wide range of diverse and appropriately matched placement types for children and young people in need of a stable, caring and safe environment.
Short Term Placement
Providing a placement for a child for a short period of time whilst longer term plans are established. This placement could last from a few days, weeks or even a number of months. Usually during this time assessments and care plans for children are being established.
Long Term Placement
This placement would offer a child/young person a stable home for up to the age of 18 and if appropriate post 18.
The Fostering Process
Enquiries from prospective Foster Carers are welcomed; couples, single people, any gender/non-binary, culture or ability over the age of 21 years.
All applicants receive an Initial Screening Visit to ensure a high quality and consistent first point of referral for those interested in becoming Foster Carers.
The Fostering Service has clear timescales for responding to enquiries about the service.
Preparation of Foster Carers
After an initial visit, if applicants wish to continue pursuing a fostering vocation and the service has initially assessed that it is appropriate to continue; they are invited to participate in an induction process which involves gathering additional information on any perspective candidate/s and sharing more formal information about the fostering task. This helps to prepare applicants to be aware of and be able to deal with issues they may face if they become Foster Carers. During this induction course, applicants have the opportunity to meet experienced Foster Carers who co-deliver the course with Team Members from the Fostering Service. A section of this training also involves young people who have had the experience of being Looked After and also includes young people who are birth children of Foster Carers wherever possible.
Assessment of Foster Carers
Alongside the fostering skills induction process, the applicant is subject to a formal Foster Carer Assessment. The assessment procedure is comprehensive and takes place over a number of months at the prospective Foster Carer’s home.
It includes specific verification checks that comply with the requirements of Schedule 3 of the Fostering Service Regulations 2011 and Regulation 26.
Applicants have the opportunity to comment on anything that is written and recorded about them, throughout the process. Once the assessment has been completed the report is submitted to the agencies Independent Fostering Panel.
The Fostering Panel complies with the Fostering Service Regulations 2011. This independent panel, comprising of people from a variety of backgrounds, considers and makes recommendations in respect of initial or on-going approval of Foster Carers.
All initial Annual Reviews will be presented to the Fostering Panel.
The Fostering Panel’s recommendation is shared with the Agency Decision Maker who ratifies a final decision.
All applicants are encouraged to attend the Fostering Panel. All recommendations and decisions are communicated to the applicant both verbally and in writing, in line with timescales set out in the Fostering regulations.
Support and Supervision of Foster Carers
Every A1 Foster Carer is allocated a qualified Supervising Social Worker (SSW). The SSW will usually be the first point of contact for the Foster Carer and be able to offer support, advice, guidance and supervision regarding most matters relating to fostering and to the care of the child or young person.
Foster Carers can access support from their SSW during office working hours and from a duty worker out of office hours.
All newly approved Foster Carers will have access to a ‘buddy/mentor’. A ‘buddy/mentor’ is an experienced Foster Carer who has the necessary skills and qualities to undertake this role.
We offer a bi monthly A1 Breakfast Club which is an informal setting for foster carers to meet up, chat and discuss future social outings and events for the children in their care.
As an agency we provide access to clinical and psychological support for our foster carers and the children and young people in our care via Aspire Psychological Services
Training for Foster Carers
Foster Carers will be expected to attend all mandatory and appropriate on-going training to enable them to meet children’s needs, in a way that is consistent with the National Minimum Standards. The Fostering Service produces an annual training programme that will include the core training elements that are considered essential for foster carers.
Foster Carers will have access to training that is delivered in various formats, this will include e-learning, distance learning workbooks, workshops.