FAQ about Foster Care

FAQ about Foster Care

• What is an IFA Independent Fostering Agency (IFA)?

  There are many Independent Fostering Agencies in the UK.  They are privately owned and each have to be registered as suitable, with the Care Standards Inspectorate.  NEWFOCAS is registered with CSSIW (Care and Social Services Inspectorate in Wales) in North Wales http://www.cssiw.sales.gov.uk/ Ongoing inspections each year ensure that the high standards and quality of the agencies are maintained.  Most Independent Agencies are very proud of the high standard of their carers.

  The first thing you should note is that IFA's are often asked to provide a foster placement for children that the local social services can't place with their own foster carers.  This may be because all of their suitable foster placements are being used.  Frequently, children placed with IFA foster carers will have a history of difficulties and may have been in foster care previously in their home area.

  On many occasions local authorities will want to eventually place these children with their own foster carers.  This historically has meant that many IFA placements have been relatively short-term arrangements, at least when the placement starts.  However, IFA's have recently been able to provide placements for children on a long-term and planned basis.  The likelihood is that over the next few years IFA's will be able to provide a service for an ever wider range of children and certainly, within NEWFOCAS this is the increasing trend.

  The argument for IFA's tends to focus upon their ability to enrich choice and the commitment, both to and from carers.  They also argue, with some justification, that their existence has led to improved local council fostering services.  Those against, emphasise the loss of experienced carers to the IFA's and the high costs involved.

  IFA's do tend to offer much enhanced training, supervision and support and within NEWFOCAS this most certainly is the case with better terms and conditions all round.  Our social work staff caseloads are set at workable levels and stress levels are reduced as a consequence, making for a happy working environment.

  Within NEWFOCAS we pride ourselves that we have been able to recruit and train new carers to add to the much needed and valuable fostering bank and that the above local authority argument largely does not apply to our recruitment practice.  However, as with any other IFA, we accept potential carer referrals from any suitable applicant as it is an open market.  See "Why is fostering for a therapeutic agency different from any other type of fostering?!

   

  
  

• What is Fostering?

  Fostering is a way of offering children and young people at home while their own family is unable to look after them.  This is often a temporary arrangement  and many fostered children return to their own families.

  Children who cannot return home but still want to stay in touch with their families often live in long-term foster care.

  Foster carers look after babies, children and young people who are often distressed about being separated from their family, so they need to care about children's feelings and meet their needs.

  Fostering, can be used when a child's parents or extended family are temporarily unable to care for them, perhaps through illness or other personal difficulty.

  The child may need looking after for any reason from illness in the family to serious abuse.  Sometimes children may need only short-term placement and would return home quickly while others may need to be looked after until they are 18 years old.  Some will stay with foster carers for more than a year while plans are made for their future away from home or possibly be considered for adoption.  See 'What is the difference between fostering and adoption?'

  Foster carers are important people in helping to make care plans for foster children, whilst working closely with social workers and other professionals to give the child the very best opportunities in life.

  Foster carers keep children healthy and safe.  They make sure they get to school on time and help them to make good progress and do well with their homework.  It is important to help a child develop their life skills, encouraging hobbies and interests as well as meeting any special needs they may have.

  It is essential for children to maintain relationships with their friends and foster carers will also help the child to keep contact with their parents.

  Generally Local Authorities try to keep brothers and sisters together so placements that can offer more than one child a home can really make a difference.  Foster carers find that helping a child or young person thrive and develop is very rewarding.

  Lately fostering has extended to looking after parents and their baby as part of an assessment process towards the protection and well being of the baby.

  There are many different types of fostering. See 'What types of fostering are there?'.

   

   

   

   

   

  
  
  

• What is the difference between fostering and adoption?

  NEWFOCAS is not an adoption agency although it sometimes provides a short term foster home for a child in order to prepare them for adoption.  Often they have had a previous adoption placement breakdown.

  Adoption is where a child legally becomes a member of a new family and has one or two new parents.  If you are at least 21 years old and can provide a permanent, stable and caring home, your application to adopt will be welcomed.  There is no upper age limit.

  Only a court can make an adoption order.  The effect of the adoption order is that the birth parents no longer have any parental rights and responsibilities for their child.  Those rights and responsibilities are give to the adoptive parents.

  Once the court has made an adoption order the child becomes a full member of the adoptive family.  They take the surname of their adoptive parents and have the same rights and privileges as if they had been born to them.  This includes the right of inheritance.

  To be eligible for adoption the child must be under the age of 18 years and a child for who returning home to their parents is not possible.  Should the child be married or has been married they cannot be adopted.

  An Adoption Order severs all legal ties with the birth family and confers parental rights and responsibilities on the new adoptive family.  The birth parents no longer have any legal rights over the child and they are not entitles to claim them back.  Your child becomes a full member of your family; they take your surname and assume the same rights and privileges as if they had been born to you, including the right of inheritance.

  Bringing up a child is mutually rewarding and great fun, as well as being hard work and a big responsibility.  This is especially so when you choose to bring up a child who was not born to you.

   

  
  

• Why is fostering for a therapeutic agency different from any other type of fostering?

  It would be wrong to give the impression that traditional foster care is not therapeutic and any experienced carer can tell you about the behaviours the sadness and the rage fostered children bring into the foster home.  And, just like therapeutic carers, traditional foster carers are well; intentioned, loving and caring people who devote a portion of their lives to helping children and their families.

  The two types of foster care differ, however, in the type of children they serve, in what the agency expects and requires of the foster carers and the support compensation they are offered.

  In general, children in therapeutic care have more intense, complex needs than children in traditional foster care.  There needs frequently manifest themselves in behaviour such as mental illness, substance abuse, flash moods, developmental delays and intense behavioural misconduct.

  Therapeutic carers are therefore compensated at a much higher rate than traditional foster parents for the skills they are expected to have and to gain through ongoing training and supervision, thus reinforcing the need to fully commit to, access and learn from, all the training made available.  See "How much will I receive?"

  Therapeutic parenting is funded upon the principles of 'good parenting', or indeed 'ideal parenting'.  However, alongside 'good parenting' principles, therapeutic parenting is underpinned by psychodynamic theories of child development and an understanding of a attachment theory.

  NEWFOCAS provides ongoing help, training from the word go, and as part of the assessment and induction process, and ongoing 24/7 advice to assist our carers to gain this understanding.  Such parenting offers the child, directly or indirectly, symbolically or actually, important experiences denied by his or her own natural parenting.  It is offered within a substitute (fostering) environment which must be safe and which the child must be able to trust.

  We expect carers to be able and willing to offer to the child, high levels of nurture as we attempt to replicate 'normal' safe and stable family life.  A whole team around the child is put into place to support the carers to care in a therapeutic manner, for the child.  The containment for the child in a comfortable environment; safe from harm with a space that they can call their own, is the beginning of the healing process.

   

   

  
  

• What support will I get with NEWFOCAS?

  NEWFOCAS provides ongoing help, training from the word go, and as part of the assessment and induction process, and ongoing 24/7 advice.  As soon as you apply and are considered suitable you will commence a comprehensive assessment.  Throughout that assessment you will be able to access training where you will start to mix with NEWFOCAS experienced foster carers and begin to learn all about fostering therapeutically.

  Whilst you are undergoing the assessment process you may have an opportunity to undertake 'sessional care' which means that you will work with one or more of the NEWFOCAS placements as part of a therapeutic team.  This can be as simple as occupying the child by taking them, for example, swimming, or it may be supporting them when they are seeing their birth family.  The sessional carers are an important component in the therapeutic team around the child.

  After you are successfully approved you will have a comprehensive induction where you learn all about how to keep records, and all the practical expectations.  You will be allocated a supervising social worker and will join a carer team where your carer colleagues will also provide support and advice.  Our carers frequently develop good friendships and do gain a great deal of support from each other.

  Your Supervising social worker will visit you at least fortnightly and will also be on hand at the end of a phone to answer any queries of offer advice.  They will become a trusted and respected support to you.  Your Supervising social worker is backed by a team of administrators who are also very helpful. Carers have a dedicated admin worker especially for their own support.

  The child, young person or parent and child placed with you will also be allocated a NEWFOCAS therapeutic social worker who will put together a TAP (therapeutic action plan).  It is this worker who will arrange the therapeutic work for your foster placement.

  Every full time carer is allowed 4 hours per week 'time out' support, where they can get a sessional to look after their foster child to allow them some free time to themselves.  Some foster carers have a regular night out per week, some will use the support for other things such as an extra pair of hands.  Others will accumulate the hours and have a 'respite weekend' when the child goes to stay with known and trusted respite carers who are a part of the 'team around the child'.  The respite carers therefore become an integral part of the support for the foster carers.

  Another source of support for all carers are the monthly support meetings and the monthly training meetings.  These break up in the school holidays but your supervising social worker continues the support throughout the year.

  The dedicated Out of Hours (OOH) Team also provides crucial support for the foster carers.  They are available as soon as the office closes at 5pm (4:30pm on a Friday) and for the carers using the OOH service the motto is "If in doubt, check it out".  The OOH social work staff are also an integral part of the therapeutic team around the child and are regularly updated about plans for each child, young person and parent and baby, so that the carers do not have to go into long explanations to get assistance, the OOH staff are always familiar with every case.

   

   

  
  

• Why should I choose to foster for NEWFOCAS?

  'Small enough to care and large enough to excel' is our motto and our excellent Inspection reports back this.  Unlike many of the larger IFA's, NEWFOCAS has no desire for huge expansion because we wish to retain that 'family feeling' which makes our teams around children work so successfully.

  Everyone in the organisation know each other well, which means that the support we can offer always has that personal touch.

  NEWFOCAS is one of the only IFA's where the Managing Director is still working on the 'coalface' and, as the Registered Manager, is still able to imbue her passion for excellent services, each day, on the team which surrounds her.

  NEWFOCAS has an excellent and dedicated team and really values every staff member and carer.  For example - everyone receives a card and gift on their birthday!

  Our carers will tell you how great it is to work here, that they can always get hold of someone for advice and that they really enjoy the camaraderie and support from each other as well as all the support they receive from the social work and admin teams.

   

   

  
  

• How many carers are there?

  We currently have 13 sets of full time cares, 6 sets of respite carers, 1 peripatetic carer and average around 35 sessional carers.

  We recruit in an ongoing, but careful manner, and want all our carers to be able to fit well into the bigger team.

   

  
  

• Who can apply to be a foster carer?

  Anyone can apply to become a foster carer - whether you are single, married, co-habiting, divorced, gay, lesbian, heterosexual, as long as you are healthy enough to meet all the foster child's needs.  NEWFOCAS really values differences, which includes religions and cultural diversity.

  However, you will need to satisfy certain requirements:

  • you must have a spare bedroom
  • you must be over the age of 21
  • you must be able to commit to fostering on a full time basis
  • your home must be of a reasonable standard of repair and comfort
  • you must be prepared to attend support meetings, training meetings and supervision
  • you must be computer literate and be able to produce written reports
  • at least one carer must have a full driving licence and suitable transport

   

  
  

• Would previous convictions prevent someone from fostering?

  It is really important that you tell us about ANY conviction, however small or unimportant you think this is and whatever age you were at the time of conviction.  You should also tell us about any past Police 'Warnings' and 'Cautions', whatever the age you were at the time.

  Not all previous conviction would automatically stop you becoming  a foster carer, it would depend on the seriousness of the Conviction, Warning or Caution.  NEWFOCAS CRB (Criminal Record Bureau) check all carers in the initial stage of the assessment process, therefore it is recommended that you disclose any Conviction, Warning or Caution to us, so that we can make an early decision as to whether or not we need to stop the assessment process and discuss our reasoning behind the decision.

  Any conviction disclosed or that appear on your CRB will be kept confidential.

   

  
  

• What sort of checks are carried out on me and my home?

  NEWFOCAS will work closely with you and you will have a checklist of all the checks that are required.

  As part of the assessment process we carry out a CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check, checks with the Local Authority, the Local Authority Social Services and Probation serivce where you live, the Health Service and your own GP, the Education Department and a register which lists those prevented from working with children.  We would also complete a household Health & Safety plan which includes safe caring, household safety checklist and a fire safety plan.  This included vehicles, insurances etc.  The Fire Officer will be asked to visit and they give really helpful advice.

  NEWFOCAS will also request references from previous employers and personal references from at least two people who have known you very well and can verify your suitability to be a foster carer.

  You can also provide testimonies from people who can provide similar verification.  It may be someone whose child you have cared for as a babysitter, or friends who know how well you parent, or a school teacher who has seen how you manage your own or other peoples children.  Testimonials provide a really good checking source.

   

  
  

• If I am going to be the main foster carer, do you need to carry out checks on my partner?

  Yes NEWFOCAS are required to carry out checks on your partner.  If you share a home with your partner, then you would both go through the same assessment process.  You would both be assessed as a team that works together to meet the needs of the child, even if one party works, they would still have an influence in the family environment. Therefore, both partners would have all of the necessary checks and we would require both to attend training to support the child or young person place in your home.

  All adult members of the household would be required to have all the necessary checks.

   

  
  

• What sorts of carers does NEWFOCAS have?

  In NEWFOCAS we require a variety of different carers to complete the 'team around the child'.  All carers work on a 'self employed' basis.  See 'Can I be taxed on this income'.  All carers need to be able to communicate well with children and young people and have a genuine liking and respect for them.

  Full Time carers, are, as the name describes, carers who have a full time placement, for whatever duration to meets the child's needs.

  Respite Carers are carers who provide short placements to give the main carers a break, and also to give the child more positive experience of different types of family life.  This mirrors what would happen in any ordinary family.  Respite carers, therefore, are like 'auntie, uncle, or grandparents'.

  Respite carers will also be used to offer support in emergency situations or in the event of a placement breakdown, when planning time is needed to 'bridge' the child to their next placement.  The duration of such event may be days or weeks.  Occasionally respite carers may take a new placement if the main carer vacancy is not ready.

  Most respite care takes place from a Friday to a Sunday afternoon but will often be extended in school holiday periods.  NEWFOCAS therefore particularly welcomes applications from people who have flexible availability.

  Peripatetic Carers are particularly used were a parent and child assessment is being undertaken when it would be disruptive to move them out the their full time foster come but the main carers need a break.  Peripatetic actually means 'travelling' and NEWFOCAS peripatetic carers may be asked to travel to foster homes all over North East Wales, or onto the Wirral.  Transport is therefore essential.

  Sessional Carers are also an essential component in the 'team around a child' and may undertake a variety of tasks, from transporting to undertaking TAPS (therapeutic action plans).  Sessional carers work on an 'as and when required' basis.  Some work is regular and other work is one offs.  Because we match skills, gender and aptitudes, we require a wide variety of sessional carers.

   

   

   

  
  

• Can a child I foster share a bedroom with one of my own children?

  No.  Any NEWFOCAS foster child must have its own bedroom, which must be equipped well.

  Because of the experiences some of the children placed with us have had, they really do need to feel safe from harm with a space that they can call their won, which is the beginning of the healing process.  we also prioritise keeping birth children safe.

   

  
  

• What type of foster placements are there?

  Referrals for foster placements to NEWFOCAS come from local authorities across the country and for children with a wide variety of needs and for all ages.  As such, these needs can be split into broad categories, but we do match very carefully with every fostering household, to the skills, experience and training that the carers have.

  Single Placements - because of the complex needs of any child referred to NEWFOCAS we are looking for families who would be happy to care for one foster child and to devote time and attention to making a real difference in that child's life.  We find that looking after more than one foster child within a household can frequently clash and magnify the negative behaviours.  Therefore carers who are prepared to offer single placements are very welcome.

  Pre Birth Assessments - for young parents and expectant parents under the age of 16, within or as prevention to their baby entering the care system.  Such placements will also have parenting skills work required and carers who can balance the needs of looking after the child parent as well as supporting them to parent their own baby.  Carers prepare detailed diary records as part of the overall assessment process.

  Post birth assessments - mother or father of any age, for risk assessment purposes, where there may be protection concerns, or care proceeding underway, which necessitate a comprehensive assessment being undertaken to safeguard the baby / child.  As a carer you will provide the detailed diary records as part of the overall assessment process.

  Children of any age in need of assessment - sometimes a local authority need carers to assess a child's needs in an ongoing manner to help plan for that child's future.  As part of the overall assessment process you will prepare detailed records as part of the overall assessment process.

  Sibling Group - it is generally deemed important to keep brothers and sisters together if they come into care.  Foster carers who have the space, energy and availability to look after more than one child.

  Children with insecure / disordered attachments - most of the children and young people referred to NEWFOCAS will have had multiple placements in the past and have suffered sever rejection.  This will probably have commenced at a very early age because their birth family has been dysfunctional, which results in the child having formed 'insecure' or 'disordered' attachments to their care givers.  The more rejections the child receives, the more entrenched and insecure their behaviours become.  It is our carers role to stabilize the child in a comfortable environment; safe from harm with a space that they can call their own, is the beginning of the healing process.  As a crucial part of the overall therapeutic process you will provide daily diary records.

  Teenagers within the youth justice systems / alternative to custodial provisions - similar to the above where a young person may have committed a serious offence which would place them at risk of being sent to 'prison'.  Foster care is seen as a much more healthy option to prison and residential care and is generally much more appropriate place for young people to have their needs met.  Foster carers looking after such a young person who finds themselves at risk of custody or going into residential care need to be able to provide very firm boundaries.  As part of the overall process you will need to provide daily diary records.

   

   

  
  

• Where do the placements come from?

  NEWFOCAS referrals for foster placements come via Local Authority Children's services departments from all over the country.  The authorities that tend to place with us the most frequently are all the North Wales authorities, Flintshire, Denbighshire, Wrexham, Conwy, Anglesey & Gwynedd and the bordering authorities of Wirral, Cheshire, Lancashire including Warrington, Halton and Wigan.

  We have had children placed with us from Local Authorities further afield and even as far as Scotland but this is the exception rather then the norm.

   

  
  

• How much will I receive?

  NEWFOCAS full time carers receive a subsistence amount per child, per week as set by the Fostering Network currently ranging from £125 - £215.

  This allowance alters within age groups and is divided into categories, food, clothing, transport, personal household.  You will receive full details during your assessment process.  You claim this via a weekly invoice.

  In addition, NEWFOCAS full time carers are also given an enhancement of £40 per day per child, which amount to an additional £280 per week, which is to cover a wide range of things - such as:

  • travel costs to and from team meetings / reviews / planning meetings etc.
  • refreshments for visitors regarding the placement
  • the cost of keeping challenging children gainfully occupied which may include the carer purchasing additional sessional support
  • exclusion equipment
  • additional clubs / activities / hobbies.
  • telephone calls of, and pertaining to the placement(s)
  • educations / other literature, books, videos / CD's etc
  • additional laundry expenses / replacing bedding / mattress / replacing furniture / fittings
  • redecorating / wear and tear on household & replacing broken / misused appliance
  • cost of keeping placements pets and won (therapeutic value)
  • Overnights stay (friends and siblings of placement(s)).
  • additional meal costs - convenience meals (too tired, busy or fraught to cook) eating out (social skills)
  • Upkeep of larger / second car
  • domestic help costs

   

  
  

• Will I be taxed on this income?

  Foster Carers work on a 'self employed' basis and obtain excellent tax relief on income generated from fostering.

  For further information on foster carers tax relief please visit http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/

  At the end of every financial year all carer households and sessional carers will receive a printout of all their earning  from NEWFOCAS in the proceeding year to assist you to make you own calculations.  If you maintain regular records it is very simple task to complete your annual returns.

   

   

  
  

• Am I guaranteed a regular income?

  NEWFOCAS cannot guarantee any carer a regular income.  However, currently we have far more referrals than available placements and all our vacancies tend to be filled as soon as they occur.

  However, things such as risk assessment and careful matching do mean that sometimes a vacancy may occur for days or even weeks, especially if a carer has their own birth children still living at home.

  It may be that it becomes too much of a risk for the child to remain in your home and the placement needs to end.  You get paid only whilst the child is in placement.

  Respite carers, sessional carers and peripatetic carers all work on an 'as and when required' basis although, as important components of the 'team around the child' they do tend to be allocated regular work with one or more children.

  
  

• Can I still go out to work and be a foster carer?

  NEWFOCAS excepts at least one carer in a full time caring household, to be at home full time.

  If you wish to become 'respite' foster carer it is possible to do so and also work full or part time.  There may be some circumstances where, for example, you have a home run business, where it May be possible to continue alongside fostering.  However, some fostering such as parent and child assessments, would preclude this.  If you are uncertain, you should ask for further advice on this.  One main carer must always be available to the foster child, night and day.  We will make every effort to be flexible to your circumstances whilst ensuring that the delivery of the highest quality foster care remains our primary concern.

  If you wish to become a 'peripatetic' or respite carer, it is possible for you to work full or part time but you must be available to undertake training and attend supervision.

  Please call us on 01244 550300 and speak to one our our staff for further information.

   

  
  

• If I decide to apply, how long will I have to wait before I begin having placements?

  The assessment produces a document which is a bit like a 'life CV'.  The length of the assessment averages around 6 months although it can take longer or shorter time dependent upon factors such as the complexity of your personal circumstances and the speed with which checks and references are received.

  If you are prepared to undertake a lot of background work under your own steam and respond quickly to the assessing social workers request, this will speed the process up.

  It is an enjoyable process during which time your assessor will get to know you and your family very well and they will guide you through, each step of the way.

  Once your approval/appointment has been recommended by the Fostering Panel and confirmed by the Agency Decision Maker, and you have had your induction, you can begin taking placements.

  For further information on the application and assessment process, please speak to one of our staff on 01244 550300.

   

   

   

   

  
  

• What area does NEWFOCAS cover?

  If you live in any of the following areas and are interested in fostering, we would be delighted to here from you:-

  Flintshire

  Denbighshire

  Wrexham

  North Gwynedd

  Anglesey

  Conwy

  Wirral

  West Cheshire

   

   

   

  
  

• Do I have to own my own home to foster?

  No.  However, we would have to have assurance from your landlord that the tenancy is secure and they have no objection to you fostering in the rented property.