Types of placements provided
Foster carers are approved as Short-Term, Long-Term; Respite, and Mother & Child and can care for children and young people within the age range for which they are approved
Short Term Fostering
Long Term Fostering (Permanency)
Respite Care
Remand Foster Carers
Unaccompanied Minors
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Short-term placements could involve a period of days, weeks, months or a period up to two years. Short-term placements are never initially planned to be long term or permanent. Prior to, or upon, placement the viability of the rehabilitation home is assessed by the child's social worker and a care plan is devised accordingly. This care plan is regularly reviewed through different forums, i.e. Statutory Reviews, Supervision and the Child Care Planning Panel. The review of all care plans includes consultation with the child/young person, parents and carer
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Long Term Fostering (Permanency)
For some children, often those who maintain close and significant relationships with birth parents or relatives, long term fostering may be a more appropriate option than adoption. Foster carers can be approved as long-term foster carers for these reasons
Ideally, children in short term foster placements return home, but if rehabilitation is not possible, adoption may be considered for children aged ten years and under. For older children, alternative permanency plans will be made and this often includes long term fostering
Occasionally, short-term foster carers ask if they can offer a permanent home to a child, they are looking after. In these instances, a full assessment is always undertaken to establish if this is the best option and plan for the child. If adoption or long term fostering is considered to be in the child's best interest, foster carers undergo the same assessment process as another prospective adopter or long term foster carer
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Focused Fostering are in the process of providing respite placements for disabled children and those with additional needs. The aim of this service is to offer short-term family based care to disabled children and young people to:
Achieve flexible responses to disabled children and their families
• Reduce risks of family/placement breakdown
• Prevent the need for long term accommodation
• Provide day care or overnight stays
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These are for young people who are at risk of being given a custodial sentence or have been remanded to the care of the local authority
A great deal of resilience is required by these carers (Remand Foster Carers) as the young people that they will be caring for behave well with the home setting but are extremely influenced by their peer group outside the home and are vulnerable to undertake inappropriate behaviour
Remand Foster Carers need qualities to:
• Establish Firm and consistent boundaries
• Be promoting and reinforcing pro-social norm, values and behaviour
• Do not collude with young person
• Challenge anti-social and pro-criminal views and attitudes and beliefs
• Have some knowledge of The Criminal Justice process or willing to learn about it • Ensure that young person attends all appointments with the relevant criminal justice agencies
• Ensure young people adhere to bail or remand conditions
• Not to discuss alleged offence with young people but have knowledge of it
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Unaccompanied young people come from different parts of the world, predominantly from countries in Africa and more recently from Afghanistan
Under current legislation the likelihood is that many of these young people will have to return to their countries of origin when they reach 18, and foster carers therefore have a difficult task in preparing them for what this may mean
Focused Fostering are particularly interested to recruit people from within the relevant refugee communities who understand the cultural needs of these young people and speak their languages. However, we are also recruiting potential carers from within the indigenous communities who are interested in caring for these young people
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Click for full details of how you, too, can become a Foster Carer
Focused Fostering
focused Fostering
Unit F26
40 Martell Road
London SE21 8EN
Telephone:
020 8670 0400
Learn how the fostering application process is easy to understand and accessible for you
Approval Process
We get to know each other well during the process of becoming a foster carer. You will find out all about being part of our fostering team over the 5 months or so leading up to approval
