Thursday 26th April @ Kingfisher Shopping Centre, Redditch
Friday 27th April @ Telford Shopping Centre,
Tuesday 8th May @Plaza Mills Shopping Centre, Dudley
Thursday 10th May @ Swan Shopping Centre, Kidderminster

Regional Manager for the West Midlands – we are pleased to announce that Jessamy Albrechtsen has now joined our regional management team bringing with her 22 years of experience in asocial care setting.

Jess worked with both individuals and groups involving crisis intervention with families to prevent relationship breakdown and children coming into care, working with young people at risk of sexual exploitation and later the assessment of risk and delivery of treatment programmes in relation to young people displaying sexually inappropriate behaviour.

More recently Jess was responsible for the overall day to day management of a family placement team covering mainstream fostering, private fostering, kinship care and shared care. This post involved supervising a large team of Social Workers and support staff and her responsibilities included the implementation of regulatory standards and agreed local policies and procedures, chairing of team meetings and team development meetings, including strategic development and was panel advisor responsible for quality assurance of assessments

Fostering

There are 7 steps to becoming a foster carer

1. Initial Enquiry
and Making Contact:

The most common way of making contact is by using the “Enquiry” tab on
this website and filling in your details. However, we do offer an alternative
which is to use the 0800 number provided, where you are able to chat to one of
our team. This option is mainly used where you have a more immediate need for
information. Prior to your initial enquiry you may wish to take a look at the
“FAQ” (Frequently Asked Questions). The “Home” tab also gives a good background
into our agency and some detail on fostering.

2. Initial Contact:

Once we have your contact details one of our
qualified team members will make contact with you to discuss your own personal
circumstances and answer some of your specific questions.

3. Home Visit by a social worker:

If you decide you want to carry on with the process after the initial
contact, our social worker will arrange an appointment to visit you (and your
partner if relevant) at your home. A detailed discussion will take place during
this visit with the opportunity again for you to ask any further questions
applicable to your individual circumstances. If you are confident fostering is
for you and the social worker is of a similar view they will ask you to sign a
“Consent to Vetting” form which will enable our agency to go ahead with some
statutory checks. An Information Pack and an Application Form will be left with
you. Once the application Form is returned to our agency the assessment process
can be started on your behalf.

4. Contact with an Assessor

After our agency has received your Application Form following the home
visit you will be assigned a qualified social worker who will complete your
assessment to become a qualified foster carer over a period of approximately 4 -
6 months.

5. Invitation to “Skills to Foster” course

During your assessment you will be invited to attend Skills to Foster,
which is a mandatory stage in your assessment. The course is led by members of
our team and will cover keys aspects of becoming a foster carer.

This course will also provide an opportunity to meet other prospective
foster carers and experienced foster carers to discuss their own experiences
and how they have developed as a foster carer with the appropriate placements
and training.

6. Assessment

A fostering social worker will visit you and talk with you about your
family background, motivation and expectations of fostering. You will be asked
to provide information about your education, employment history, leisure
interests, past relationships and experience of caring for children. We will
also ask you to have a health assessment via your GP.

The assessment process to be considered as a foster carer will be very
thorough because fostering is a life-changing decision. We have to be sure that
it is right for you, and we have to be confident in your ability to foster a
child. During the process we will be honest with you and you will know what the
likely outcome of your application will be by the time the assessing social
worker has finished all their visits. Equally, if you feel that fostering is
not for you there is no obligation for you to continue.

7. Fostering Panel and approval process

The Fostering Panel is a group of professionals, including social
workers, a foster carer and other independent members with particular interest
or expertise in fostering.

Following the full assessment process your social worker will write a
detailed report, which you will have a chance to read and comment on. The
Fostering Panel will consider the report and you will be invited to attend the
Panel meeting along with your social worker. The Panel will decide whether to
recommend you as suitable to foster. An appointed agency representative will
then decide whether or not to accept the Fostering Panel’s recommendation,
based on all of the reports and minutes of the panel meeting.

If the decision is not to approve you, there are two options for you to
express unhappiness with the decision if you wish. You can make representation
to the agency Regional Manager, who will reconsider your application, or you
can contact the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM) for a completely independent
review of your application.

In summary, the above assessment process is structured
to ensure that all members of your family and your foster placement are safe
and that the techniques and skills you have learnt during assessment and
training can be used to enhance a child’s quality of life.

Regional Foster Placements are becoming increasingly involved in parent and child placements. Local Authorities are now asking fostering providers for foster carers who have good assessment skills that can provide valuable and accurate information regarding the parenting skills of a parent and child placement. Often observations will be used by solicitors in assessing whether a parent (usually mother) and child remain together in a family environment. Parent and child placements are becoming increasingly common and whilst usually of a short term nature, once a foster carer has demonstrated good assessment skills, could be of a recurring nature. 

Our agency will, with selected carers, provide training  for parent and child assessment and then for further work to improve parent child development. A distinct benefit of foster carers providing assessment of parenting  is that often the parent themselves is very young and they require some safety, guidance and help on a day to day basis to improve their parenting skills. Clear boundaries are set before the placement begins and that all parties, are aware of the importance of the assessment work to be completed such as key child care responsibilities, specifically when does the foster carer intervene when the parent is deficient in any way. 

Parent and child foster care is a relatively new addition to fostering providers and at Regional Foster Placements we take pride in our training to ensure quality assessment of parenting.

If you feel you could provide short term placements on a regular basis please complete our enquiry form specifying your interest in this rewarding aspect of foster care.

Part of being a foster carer is being mindful that Local Authorities will work towards any looked after child or young person returning home safely to their family. This is the reason why foster care has differing lengths of placement as the needs and wellbeing of each looked after child or young person is assessed differently.

Foster carers should also be aware that family circumstances change, not always for the best so placements although intended to be short term can result in being longer term. The reverse may also be the case where families have made major strides in securing the return of a foster child or young person and it is felt appropriate for their return home.

At Regional Foster Placements we are constantly aware that there are issues of attachment resulting in mixed emotions when any move is imminent. From an early stage in a fostering career we provide guidance and support to ensure that any return home is supported and that the return home is successful for all concerned.

Regional Foster Placements know from experience that foster carers often wish to keep in contact with their placements but this sometimes may be difficult. It is therefore very important that foster carers discuss their feelings with our social workers when a child or young person returns home and that support is given as part of the fostering role.

OPEN DAYS IN KINGS LYNN 21st to 23rd SEPTEMBER AT THE VANCOUVER CENTRE

Regional Foster Placements are again in the Vancouver Centre in Kings Lynn to offer persaonal advice to prospective foster carers.

Our stand is attended by senior staff who are available to answer many of your own personal questions and to advise you on how best to start a professional fostering career.

There is also a range of literature for you to take away to read at your leisure to assist you further in becoming a foster carer.

On our website www.regionalfosterplacements.co.uk there is a section “About Fostering” where you will find detailed information regarding fostering, the qualities required of a foster carer, the assessment process, support and training.

There is also a booklet available to download called “Becoming a Foster Carer” which will appear once you have made an enquiry. 

You can listen to testimonials from some of our foster carers on the video “Watch Our Video” on this web page, alternatively you can call us today on 08000 19 11 65 for a more personal chat with one of our seniour team members.

BBC Radio Devon have contacted Regional Foster Placement’s Managing Director, to join them “On Air” today to provide information to their listeners about Fostering and how it differs from Adoption.

Questions ranged from keeping children and young people safe, support, training and fostering financial allowances.

At the end of the interview the Managing Director provided the listening audience with the most common method of finding more information about fostering, by using information contained on fostering websites.

We understand from BBC Radio Devon that there will be more opportunities to discuss fostering “On Air” in the future.

In the “About Fostering” section of this website you will find detailed information regarding fostering, the qualities required of a foster carer, the assessment process, support and training.

There is also a booklet available to download called “Becoming a Foster Carer” which will appear once you have made an enquiry. 

You can listen to testimonials from some of our foster carers on the video “Watch Our Video” on this web page, alternatively you can call us today on 08000 19 11 65 for a more personal chat with one of our seniour team members.

This year we repeated the very successful Summer Event of 2010 at the Wells-Springs Leisure Centre.

The Wells-Springs venue offers both indoor and outdoor facilities for activities so there is something for all.

This year the Bouncy Castle was much larger where the youngers could quite easily hide in various compartments of the castle. Also inside was a trampotine with instructors available to offer support for those who wanted to try out their back flips.

Also inside there was a miniature remote control helicopter which captured the imagination of the adults as well as the children and young people who seemed to master control of the helicopter far easier than the adults.. I wonder why!

Our staff organised outdoor activities with cricket which proved to be quite competitive as players become used to the bowling which rarely found its way to the stumps.

Foster carers brought a vast amount of food which was very welcome after dashing around the leisure centre, many thanks.

Fostering Allowance and Tax

As foster carers you are self-employed and  it is important to understand the tax implications of your role as a professional foster carer.

There are many aspects relating to being a foster carer that you will need to be aware of, particularly how HM Revenue and Customs “foster care relief” applies to you.

Who does the relief apply to?

This relief will apply to foster carers with a foster placement which would usually be treated as income as you would be self-employed.

When does the relief apply from?

The relief was introduced in 2003 and still applies to current tax years.

How does the relief work?

At this point it is best we guide you to the legislation, which can be found on the HMRC website at the following address:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/individuals/foster-carers.htm

On this site you will find examples of foster care relief with differing numbers of foster placements that you may have. There is also information relating to National Insurance payments, Parent and Baby Schemes, Leaving Care Act arrangements and qualifying receipts.

There is also information regarding whether you can claim Child Tax Credit for your own children, but not for your foster children and the rules relating to Working Tax Credits.

The website is a must read site for all foster carers.