Frequently Asked Questions About Fostering
Q. What is fostering?
Q. What type of child needs to be cared for by Social Service Departments?
Q. What would be expected of me as a foster carer in supporting children?
Q. What makes a good foster carer?
Q. Who can be a foster carer?
Q. How will the children I foster behave?
Q. How do I become a foster carer?
Q. Is there any training provided to help me understand my role as a foster carer?
Q. Do we receive financial support as foster carers?
Q. How do I apply?
Q. What is involved in the assessment of my application?
Q. Within the assessment process do you gather information from other sources?
Q. The Process of the Key Events Within The Application and Assessment Process
Q. What is fostering?
A. Fostering is concerned with looking after someone else’s child because the child is unable to live with his or her own family. Social Service Departments are required by law to provide for the care of a child, who for whatever reason, cannot live with his or her parents. Social Service Departments achieve this requirement of providing care for a child, by recruiting alternative carers, known as “foster carers” and their role is to provide high quality care for the child on behalf of Social Service Departments.
Q. What type of child needs to be cared for by Social Service Departments?
A. Children of all ages from babies to young people, all with varying needs are cared for by Social Service Departments. The involvement of Social Service Departments is usually due to family or relationship breakdown, which can, in some instances, involve the child living in an abusive situation. Social Service Departments are then required by law, to act to safeguard the interests of the child, prevent harm and promote the long-term interests of the child.
Q. What would be expected of me as a foster carer in supporting children?
A. The day to day tasks carried out by each foster carer will vary depending on the needs and abilities of the child. Some children, particularly babies and young infants, need nurturing and a high level of personal care and stimulation. As age increases, the child’s needs change as he or she comes into contact with different situations and in such instances, the child may well need guidance and advice to adapt to the changing life experiences. It is about providing the care and attention that will help children grow and learn.
The important factor for all foster carers is to recognise that their involvement in the caring process, is supplemented by support from a number of other sources, all of whom are available to help solve problems with children or to relieve the periodic stress that can be prevalent in life from time to time.
The challenges of caring for children can be demanding but this applies to all children not just those “looked after” by Merthyr Tydfil Social Service Department.
Q. What makes a good foster carer?
A. There is no one type of person who makes a good foster carer. We need carers from every walk of life to support and care for Merthyr’s young people.
We need a wide range of people with differing skills and abilities to meet the varying needs of children and young people.
A foster carer is not the same as being a parent. However, you will need to make the same commitment in giving a child the best possible start in life as you would if the child was born to you.
Q. Who can be a foster carer?
A. People do not need to be married to become a foster carer; they can also be single; divorced or living together.
There are no upper age limits to becoming a foster carer but in Merthyr Tydfil we expect people to be sufficiently mature to work with children, some of whom can have complex needs. It is also expected that the foster carers are fit enough to provide for the child’s needs.
Our policy within Merthyr Tydfil is that we will not consider anyone who smokes because of the associated health risks for children.
You will need to have:
A real interest in helping local children and their families
Time to devote to the needs of the child
Time throughout the working day to attend to the needs of the child
Energy and an enthusiastic attitude with children
A secure and stable home environment
A spare bedroom for a foster child, who ideally should have a room of their own
Other qualities needed are:
Patience and an understanding of children’s needs as they develop.
An ability to accept the child and their circumstances; past and present,
Good communication skills to help children understand and learn.
Self-confidence and good literacy skills as you will need to be able to keep written records of your foster child's day-to-day life and to help them focus on their educational targets. You will need to take part in meetings from time to time.
Q. How will the children I foster behave?
A. If you expect the unexpected as you often might in caring for your own child, you won’t go far wrong.
It is not uncommon for children to feel withdrawn, insecure, or distressed when they arrive, and depending on circumstances this behaviour may be prolonged. Some children have been rejected or hurt by their parents and may be feeling angry, confused or anxious, so Foster Carers need to be prepared to allow such children to express themselves. This is best achieved in a safe and a secure environment, where the child’s circumstances are considered and where clear boundaries can be set.
Children who have been abused or harmed can display very disturbed behaviour and this can be daunting for anyone thinking of fostering. However, it is important to recognise that these are ordinary children who have suffered extraordinary circumstances and still need nurturing and their basic needs met, as with any other child.
Q. How do I become a foster carer?
A. Naturally it is vital that we give full protection to the children we are looking after - and so we carry out careful assessments of all applicants. This applies particularly where people have criminal convictions.
We do all that we can in Merthyr Tydfil to ensure our foster carers are able to offer high standards of care. We offer guidance and support, so carers can give what is expected of them.
Q. Is there any training provided to help me understand my role as a foster carer?
A. You will be invited to attend preparation sessions where it will be explained to you what fostering entails. In addition there are seven training modules covering;
· What do Foster Carers Do?
· Who are the children and young people?
· Working together
· Safer Caring
· Understanding Behaviour
· Moving On
· Equality, Diversity and Race.
These modules are covered over a three day period.
Ongoing training will be provided to meet your specific needs.
Q. Do we receive financial support as foster carers?
A. All Foster Carers receive a Fostering Maintenance Allowance to cover the costs of food, clothing, personal needs and other necessities for the child in placement. The allowance paid is made at a rate applicable to the child’s age. The allowances are reviewed annually and Foster Carers notified as rates are revised.
Q. How do I apply?
A. If you haven’t already approached the Merthyr fostering team, you can apply to become a foster carer by contacting one of our workers on 01685 725195. The office is based in Post Office Lane, Castle Street, Merthyr Tydfil.
Once we know of your interest we will send you an information pack about fostering and ask you to fill in a form with basic information about yourself and your household.
We will then contact you either by telephone or in person to discuss the information you have supplied and to talk about the assessment process.
Q. What is involved in the assessment of my application?
A. You will meet a social worker frequently over a period of weeks in your own home to gather additional information about your situation and circumstances; why you want to foster and what you believe you can offer to a child to make a difference in their lives.
From the information gathered, a detailed report will be prepared which gives an accurate picture of you and your family’s circumstances and your abilities with children. The report will need to be factual and you will have sight of the report and this will enable you to assess for yourself the accuracy of the content of the report.
From the outset, we acknowledge that every carer will have some limitations to the overall skills needed as a foster carer and it is important that these are identified so that we can establish the type of training that may be of benefit to you. The skills you have and the training it is believed you will require are detailed in the assessment report.
The assessment report once signed as a true record by the foster carer will then be presented by your social worker to a Panel of people with experience and expertise in fostering. You will have the opportunity to meet the Panel and present any additional factors in support of your application. It is this Panel who will make the actual decision whether to approve you as foster carers.
Q. Within the assessment process do you gather information from other sources?
A. Yes we do. We have to complete a check with the Criminal Records Bureau to know if there have been any convictions noted against you. If we are advised of any convictions, we will discuss the nature of these with you. It does not necessarily mean that a conviction will preclude you from becoming a foster carer. We will also ask you to visit your GP for a medical examination to make sure you are fit enough for the demands of caring and the result of this will be assessed by our own independent doctor. The cost of both the check with the Criminal Records Bureau and the medical examination will be met by us. In addition, if you are in employment, we will ask your employer to provide a reference. Should you have children of school age we will ask the school to comment about attitudes to education and the support you provide your children to assist them in their education.
As you can there are a range of administrative tasks undertaken to gather information about you, but gathering this information is only completed with your knowledge and consent.
Another important aspect of the assessment is that you will need to provide the names of 3 referees. These should be people who know you very well and who can give testimony to the attitude you display and the approach you use in caring for children. The referees will be formally interviewed by the social worker and the information gathered will be used as evidence to support the information you have already provided during the assessment.
Q. The Process of the Key Events Within The Application and Assessment Process
Interested person(s) makes contact with Merthyr Tydfil Social Services Department and some basic details are taken from you.
An information pack about fostering, together with an application form is sent to you in the post.
A representative of Merthyr Tydfil Social Services Department contacts you by telephone within 10 working days of the information pack being sent to you to arrange for a member of the fostering team to visit you to further discuss your interest
A visit is made to your home by a representative of Merthyr Tydfil Social Service Department. This visit is made within 10 working days of the telephone discussion referred to above.
Should you decide to progress your interest in fostering, the necessary application form that has earlier been sent to you is completed, together with the form needed to complete a Criminal Records Bureau check and a Medical questionnaire.
Merthyr Tydfil Social Services Department carry out the necessary administration checks outlined above.
Merthyr Tydfil Social Services Department invite you to attend the foster carer “preparation” sessions where you will meet other prospective foster carers for some “learning together” workshops.
A social worker from Merthyr Tydfil Social Service Department makes contact either by telephone or in person with you and agrees a pattern of visits to complete the assessment.
The social worker reviews with you the information collected and determines what additional information is required. The additional information required will include the need to personally interview the 3 referees you have identified in the application; and could include an Employers reference and a reference from the School where any of your children attend.
The total range of information gathered throughout the process is then organised into a folder of evidence in preparation for the Foster Carer Approval Panel. The folder will contain; the assessment report; the disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau; the Medical questionnaire; Employers reference (if applicable); School reference if applicable; a Health & Safety questionnaire; and any other information appertaining to your assessment.
The folder containing the information gathered, together with the assessment report is presented to you. This will allow you to understand the range of information gathered and allow you to comment on the accuracy of the report.
The report will be signed by you and any comments you wish to make will be added to the report.
The report is presented to the Foster Carer Approval Panel and you are invited to attend to clarify any points considered necessary. The Panel’s responsibility is to recommend or not recommend your application.
If the decision of the Panel is to recommend, the decision of the Head Of Children's Services and Partnerships is communicated to you within 10 working days. If you are not recommended, the Panel will advise the social worker of their reasons and these will be fully discussed with you.
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