Support, rewards and training
When you foster with us, we will provide you with all the necessary training, specialist support, and guidance to build your skills and confidence. As every child is different, your training needs may vary depending on the needs of the children you are looking after, so we’ll always look for the most relevant training for your circumstances.
Support and Rewards
- A dedicated fostering social worker and family support worker
- Access to support services are all under one roof, giving quick and smooth access to education support, mental health support, plus a 24hr support service.
- Pre and post-approval training
- Competitive skills and children's allowance payments
- Council tax exemption
- Up to £500 set up fee per child
- Mileage expenses for travel relating to your role
- Local support groups and social events
- Free membership to the UK's leading fostering charities Foster Talk and Fostering Network.
- Free Lifestyles membership for the whole household
- Access to a holiday home at Presthaven Beach Resort
- A referral scheme that rewards existing foster carers when a recommended friend is approved with us.
Professional Support
When you foster with us, you will have a dedicated social worker who will be your main point of contact and always available at the end of the phone. You will also have a family support worker who will be able to help you with any specific issues or areas in which you need extra support.
You will also have access to a 24 hr support line for help and advice as well as free membership and resources from the UK’s leading fostering charities - Fostering Network or Foster Talk.
We also have direct links with other specialist children’s services, that fall under the local authority, where we can refer to you for more specialist support.
Pre-approval training
To begin with, all you need to do is demonstrate an understanding of children and have had contact with them. No previous training or qualifications are required. We begin with the basics as build up from there.
Our skills to foster training course offers a real insight into the demands and rewards of fostering. During these sessions, you’ll be given the chance to meet with foster carers and young people who have been fostered and speak to them about what it’s really like.
Ongoing training
Once you have been approved to foster, your fostering social worker will work with you to identify any skills and training you may need. As every child is different with different needs, we'll also work with you to find further learning opportunities, so we’ll make sure that’s covered too.
We are the first fostering service in the North West to offer a 'Reflective Fostering' course, in partnership with NSPCC. This innovative programme is offered to all our foster carers, who commented that they have seen an instant benefit when applying the new tools they have learned.
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"Training is really important in a foster carers' life, because every child has different needs. Training has given us strategies to use, and being consistent in our approach we’ve seen a definite change in the behaviour of the children we look after. They now have the confidence, self-esteem and self-worth to aspire and fulfil their dreams."
Paula, Foster Carer
Development days and forums
We invite all our foster carers to development days twice a year, and forums on a monthly basis.
These days provide a chance to meet up with fellow foster carers, attend workshops that cover a wider range of topics and meet voluntary agencies and professionals who can support you in your role.
Fostering Events
Come along to one of our online events to find out more and hear from our foster carers too!