My social work career began twenty years agowhen I worked in a small residential care home,living with and caring for a group of looked afterchildren, who needed extra help to be able to livewith a foster family.

Living with and caring for that group of children was one of themost challenging and rewarding experiences of my life.

In the intervening years, I’ve lost count of the number of fostercarers who have told me similar stories of how fostering hasproved to be a life-changing experience.

Whether as a social worker or ‘more recently’ as chair of the Foster Panel, I have continued to admirethe work of foster carers, from all walks of life, who have helped transform the lives of so many lookedafter children.

Here in Foster Swansea, we recognise that in order for foster carers to meet the challenge of providingthe highest standards of care for looked after children, they must receive a comprehensive package oftraining and high levels of ongoing support.

With our team of highly trained social workers and skilled foster carers, we are continuing to improveoutcomes for the children and young people in our care and importantly giving many of those childrenthe chance to remain living in Swansea and in a family setting.

I am convinced that after reading the information in this booklet, many more individuals and coupleswill realise that they too have the enthusiasm and life skills to go on to become successful foster carersand enjoy all the rewards that doing so will bring.

Dave HowesHead of the Child and Family Division of Social Services

Foreword

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Make a world of difference!

Who are we? ..............................................................................................................................4

Why Foster with Foster Swansea? ............................................................................................5

A day in the life of a Foster Swansea carer .............................................................................6

How to become a Foster Swansea carer ................................................................................7

Support for foster carers ............................................................................................................8

Transferring to Foster Swansea.................................................................................................9

What next?.................................................................................................................................10

0300 555 0111 3

Foster Swansea has a large network of carers

in the area and isactively recruiting

more!

Did youknow?

Contents

Foster Swansea is the Local Authority’s Fostering Service.With over 40 years experience, we pride ourselves onproviding high quality family placements for children andyoung people whose families are unable to care for them.

As a Local Authority our policy is that children and young peopleshould remain with their parents where this is safe, and weproactively support this. Where this isn’t possible we aim to provideplacements that can provide a child with stability and a sense ofsecurity.

At Foster Swansea our values and principlesunderpin all our work with children and theirfamilies and we work using a child/familycentred approach. Foster Swansea believethat children and young people who arefostered deserve the highest standards ofcare and to receive a high quality service.

Who are we?

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We work in partnership with all those involved in thechild’s life including health professionals, educationrepresentatives and social workers, to ensure the bestinterests of the child are met.

At Foster Swansea we greatly value each and everyone of our carers. We have a large network of fostercarers in the area who foster for Foster Swansea. The skills, knowledge, experience and support theycollectively bring to the service enables us to providethe best outcomes for children.

At Foster Swansea we work with our carers to supportand develop the unique task they do, so fosteringbecomes a way of life that’s rewarding, enjoyable andchallenging!

Did youknow?

Many children move on from foster care - back

to their families, to another placement, to be adopted

or to live independently

Benefits of fostering with the Local AuthorityAll children in care are “looked after” by their own Local Authority. It is therefore theresponsibility of Foster Swansea to find suitable homes for looked after children andyoung people in Swansea. We believe that by increasing our pool of Foster Swanseacarers we can provide better outcomes for children and also better outcomes for ourcarers. If we cannot place children with our own Foster Swansea carers then we buy in the services of Independent Fostering Agencies (IFA’s), many of whom are profit making.

Better for looked after childrenn By placing children with our own approved carers, we have a good relationship with them and

know that they are well trained and supported, ensuring best outcomes for the child

n Foster Swansea carers have access to the whole team involved in the child’s life, ensuring a consistent approach is taken by all

n Children and young people placed with Foster Swanseaare more likely to remain in their local communities,minimising disruption and distress as they can stay at their school and maintain contact withfriends and family

Better for foster carersn We naturally approach our own approved

carers first. As an approved carer withFoster Swansea you are therefore likely to be fully utilised

n Foster Swansea foster carers benefit from excellent channels ofcommunication as all relevant peoplein the child’s life are part of the same authority

n Foster Swansea foster carers live in the same locality as thechildren in their care, so maintaining contact with friends,family and school is easier

n Foster Swansea carers are part of a large network of foster carers who offer support to one another. There are currently over 170 families fostering in the area forFoster Swansea so you will almost certainly be living close to someone else going through thesame experiences as you

n Financial support offered by Foster Swansea is very competitive and as a Foster Swansea careryou will be paid whether you have a child in placement or not, as long as you are available tofoster

n Foster Swansea carers, have access to excellent professional training programmes and have the opportunity to complete the QCF in childcare

n Foster Swansea promote the welfare of Foster Swansea carers own children, ensuring appropriatesupport is in place for them through access to regular children only support groups

Why choose us?

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The Foster Swansea assessment is likely to take

between 4 to 6 months months. The on-going process includespolice checks, medical checks,

reference checks and a series of home visits

Did youknow?

Nicky’s diary…6.00am - An early start but it’s not difficult to getup in the morning when you know you are goingto be greeted by little smiling faces. My daybegins about an hour before the first of thechildren gets up. It’s quiet and I find I can preparefor the day.

7.30am - The boys are up and the girls follow. We eat breakfast all together as a family and theboys love spending this time with the girls.

8.00am - The girls are leaving for school and Iget ready for a visit from one of the children’ssocial workers. Visits are made on regularintervals for all looked after children. We spend anhour with the social worker, and the boys do theirshare of the talking. During the visit the boys godown for their nap, happily waving to her as theyclimb the stairs.

10.30am - When the social worker leaves I try toquickly tidy up, put the hoover over, make thebeds and pack a lunch ready for playgroup. Theboys are up, I get them dressed and we are off toplaygroup. It’s great to watch the boys mix withthe other children.

1.30pm – Back home so my mum can take overcare of the boys (she is also an approved fostercarer) so I can go to a LAC – looked after children– meeting for one of the children. I leave my mumwith the instructions needed as one of the boyswill be picked up by a contact worker to go tocontact with his birth family.

2.00pm - The meeting isn’t too long but it doesprovide opportunity to share informationconcerning the care of the child.

3.00pm - Back home to play with the boys for anhour. While they play I take a call from anotherfoster carer who has become a good friend. Weare both going to the carer support grouptomorrow. Foster Swansea arrange these groupsevery other month so we can meet to chat toother carers and staff. We say goodbye and lookforward to a proper chin wag tomorrow.

4.00pm – My supervising social worker arrives.She’s great, a real support and always on hand tochat and offer advice. She visits me regularly andwe talk through any issues or problems. When thegirls arrive home they chat with her too.

5.00pm - With tea time here I put on thecasserole I prepared last night as this time of daycan be hectic. With tea finished, the girls get readyfor dance class, I put the boys in the car and wedrop the girls off.

7.00pm - Back home and it’s bath and bedtime forthe boys, they jump into bed and cwtch downwaiting for their story, this is one of my favouriteparts of the day. I love to watch their little faces asthey relax down – Goodnight, God bless my littlemen. I have about an hour to clean up. My mumis still here so I can pick up the girls later. I preparefood for the next day –and it’s off to pick up the girls.

9.00pm – With the girls now in bed and mumgone, I wonder do I have time to ring one of myfriends? Yes of course I do. Gossip sorted andworld put to rights I now have some paperwork todo. This sometimes feels like a mountain butreally a few minutes and it’s done. Just check mydiary for up-and-coming appointments and I thinkit’s time for my bath and bed.

10.30pm - By the time I lie down I am really tiredbut there was something very satisfying about myday – THE CHILDREN.

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Aday in the life of a...Foster Swansea CarerNicky has cared for local children with Foster Swansea for 14 years.Nicky currently cares for two boys both aged 2 and also two teenagegirls, who have been with her for over 8 years.

Nicky fosters children on a long-term basis and often cares for babies who willultimately be moved on for adoption. Nicky has given a secure start to over 20 children.

0300 555 0111 7

Becoming a foster CarerENQUIRY:

Your first contact with us will be via telephone, internet, or at an open event.

Whichever way you contact Foster Swansea, a Recruitment Officer will be available to answer yourenquiry straight away or to get back to you on the same day. We will need to ask you some questions

at this first contact to ensure that fostering is right for you.

HOME VISIT:

A Recruitment Officer will make an appointment with you to come and visit you at home and meet anyone else that you live with. This is a good opportunity for you to ask any questions or discuss any issues that you may have. If you are happy to proceed we will

complete an application form with you and also invite you to our next open event.

(A great opportunity to meet other Foster Swansea carers and ask them what life is really like!!)

TRAINING:

All of our prospective foster carers are asked to complete an important initial trainingcourse called the “Preparation to Foster Training”. At this point you will also begin to meet

other new carers going through the same process as you.

ASSESSMENT:

A Recruitment Officer will be allocated to you to complete an assessment of your ability tobecome a foster carer. Everyone in your home is included in this assessment – even yourpets!! It’s important to be prepared for your new role as a foster carer and during the

assessment process you will be asked to think about any ways you and your family may haveto change or adapt to make sure you are ready for the rewarding job ahead of you.

PANEL:

When your assessment has been completed it will be presented to the Fostering Panel. The Fostering Panel is a group of representatives from Social Services, Health, Education andIndependent members such as an experienced foster carer and a previously looked after child. They will read your assessment prior to meeting you when you come to Panel. Your Recruitment

Officer will be with you on Panel day and introduce you to the Fostering Panel.

This is an important day, when all your hard work and the new skills you have learnt can finally be put into practice as you are approved as a Foster Swansea Carer.

Supported to FosterLife as a foster carer is highly rewarding. This is especially true for Foster Swanseacarers who are part of a large team that will support you every step of the way.

In addition to your own support network, throughfamily and close friends, you can rely on support fromthe Foster Swansea team. We recognise that fosteringcan be difficult and demanding. We view our carersas professionals who possess an ever-increasing levelof skills and responsibility. Our package of trainingassists our carers to develop to their full potential.

Support available:n 24 hour support every day of the year

n A designated supervising social worker assignedto every carer to support and advise you

n Support from a large network of fellow FosterSwansea carers in the area

n Regular support groups for Foster Swanseacarers to share best practice, advice andexperiences

n All Foster Swansea carers receive extensive pre-approval training relevant to the type of foster care you are planning to provide

n As an approved foster carer, additional on-going training is available and encouraged, covering a wide range of areas

n Foster Swansea pay our foster carers every week of the year whether children are placed or not,as long as you are available to foster

n All Foster Swansea carers receive a carers handbook which can be used as a reference andincludes helpful guidelines and information

n Foster Swansea carers also receive regular newsletters from the team

n Foster Swansea approved carers will receive log-in details to access a section of the Foster Swansea website dedicated to current carers

n Foster carers have access to a weekly Foster Swansea toddler group run specifically for foster carers to attend with children in placement

n Foster Swansea run separate support groups for your own children as well as groupsfor men who foster, so we can support the different needs of the whole foster family

The family who fosters... Foster Swansea aims to promote the welfare of the whole family that fosters. In particularwe acknowledge the vital role that the sons and daughters of our foster carers play infostering. Foster Swansea aim to ensure that these children have sufficient supportnetworks in place. Dependent upon the age of your children, they may access training inrelation to fostering and be provided with relevant materials to help them. Foster Swanseahas developed individual and group support for sons and daughters of foster carers.

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Independent SupportFoster Swansea also pay for individualmembership to Fostering Network for all ourfoster carers. The Fostering Network is theUK's leading charity for everyone with apersonal or professional involvement infostering. They support foster carers, andimprove the lives of children in care.

As a member ofthe FosteringNetwork you willget access toexpert advice, the latest information aboutfostering and the right support when it’sneeded. Members also get access to exclusivecontent on the Fostering Network website

Calling all experienced foster carers…TIME FOR A CHANGE? All foster carers are free to choose who they work with and therefore you have the right to change to another Fostering Service.

At Foster Swansea we have adopted the Fostering Networks Transfer of Carers Protocol.

Transferring to Foster Swansea is easier than you think…If you do not have a child or young person placed with you the protocol states that you just need to give 28days’ notice in writing to your existing Fostering Service. You do not need to give this straight away, you canmaintain your registration with your agency whilst transferring to ensure you are available to foster at alltimes. Foster Swansea will request a reference from your existing Fostering Service.

If you do have a child or young person in placement Foster Swansea will always strive to achieve thebest for the child. You are still required to give 28 days notice to your existing Fostering Servicehowever; Foster Swansea will also call a meeting with the looked after child’s placing Local Authority. If the child/young person was placed by Swansea Local Authority then we are able to take forward thisprocess promptly, thus returning the child/young person to their own LocalAuthority and providing the best possible outcome for all involved.

Why Foster Carers transfer to Foster Swansea?n Lack of children placed with current agency

n Poor matching in previous placements

n No pay when children were not placed

n Understand the importance of keeping children in local area

n Wish to support a non-profit-making Local Authority Fostering Service

The time it takes to transfer can vary, as all Fostering Servicesmust complete their own checks and an assessment. Every transfer case is looked at individually and can be completed sooner depending on your situation.

Please don’t delay – call Foster Swansea today.

Transferring toFoster Swansea

0300 555 0111 9

The Transfer of Carer Protocol is based on theassumption that carers have the right to freedomof movement between Fostering Services; and theprinciple that, in all circumstances, the welfare ofany child in placement must be paramount.

Fostering Network 2004

“

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I moved toFoster Swansea from a private agency, I had a

sibling group placed withme, this enabled me to give

up my job and devote my time to caring for the children

Carer who transferredto Foster Swansea

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What next?Checklist Use our handy checklist to tick off each stage of the process. There is also space to write notes for questions to ask the recruitment officer. The assessment process is likely to take between 4-6 months

Chat to Foster Swansea on the phone/face to face about my interest in fostering

Receive an information pack

Receive a visit from a recruitment officer

Booked a place on pre-approval training

Allocated an assessor to begin the assessment

Assessment complete

Assessment taken to Fostering Panel

Approved as a foster carer

Allocated a Supervising Social Worker tosupport me through my fostering career

Notes to ask my recruitment officer/assessor:

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We offer a supportcare service which

recruits foster carerswho work with families

to keep children at home

Did youknow?

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