Welcome to your new home
Young Persons’ Guide to Fostering
A guide to fostering, for young people looked after by Five Rivers and Partner Fostering Service
Aged 11 – 18 years
it t a Wh what nd is a means it you o t
This guide is for young people so that you know what to expect when you are placed within a Foster Family. You can read this booklet to yourself or your social worker or foster carer can read it with you. It will tell you all about living with a foster family. If you do not understand any part of this guide ask your social worker or foster carer to explain it to you. It will help you understand what fostering means for you.
What is a social worker? Your social worker works for the Local Authority and tries to help young people and their families when they are facing difficulties or challenges. They will be keen to know what you think about being looked after and what you want to happen to you. They will be available to speak on your behalf, as well as discuss any plans for you with your foster carers and your family.
What being fostered means
Get to ting kno the w fac ts
Fostering means going to live with a foster family when you cannot live with your own family. Sometimes this is called being “looked after”. There can be many reasons why young people are fostered and whatever the reason, your social worker will try to explain and help you understand. It is important that you grow up in a family who will take care of you and look after you as you are growing up. Your foster family will treat you as it you are part of their family involving you in everything they do, if you want this.
Short term fostering: Sometimes foster families might look after a young person for a few weeks or a few months. This is called a “short term foster placement”. This will give your family a chance to sort things out and it may mean you can return home.
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Short breaks: Sometimes young people who need a lot of special care may need a short break from home. Your social worker will then help find a foster family who can look after you, maybe for a weekend or a week or during a school holiday.
Long term or permanent fostering: Sometimes social workers may move young people into a foster family for a longer time. This means that a young person will stay with a foster family until they are grown up because being fostered “long term” may be best for the young person. Your social worker will talk to you and your family about how long you will stay in foster care. They will want to know all your wishes and feelings, and then decide what is going to be best for you and your family.
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A young person may ask for help because he or she is having a bad time at home. Some may get in touch with social workers directly to ask for help. Sometimes a young person’s parents might contact the social workers themselves to ask for help. This may be because they’re ill and can’t cope and need to sort things out. Sometimes people who care about young people and want to make sure they are safe may report the fact that a young person is not happy at home or is not being looked after properly to the social workers.
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How d child o come ren t fost o be ered ?
Whichever way you came to be “looked after”, having to move away from home and friends and live with another family whom you don’t know can be really worrying and upsetting. There are lots of people around you who will help you during this time: your social worker, your foster carer, other people in the foster family, members of your family, teachers at school and your friends.
Participation within Fostering
We are passionate about participation. Participation is about keeping children and young people at the centre of everything we do.
What is participation? We involve children and young people in decisions that affect them; in how the fostering service is being run, how we are working with children and young people to help share their experiences and change the way people think about fostering. Participation is fun and brings changes children and young people want to see.
P Participation within y your Foster Family
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Y will be offered several ways to get You involved in the way your home is run, how your care plan is created and your h progress reviewed; what hobbies you p want to follow, groups you want to join w and friends you want to spend time with. a You may not always get what you would Y prefer but we will listen to you and take what you tell us into account before making decisions.
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3DUWLFLSDWLRQ ZLWKLQ WKH ZLGHU )RVWHULQJ 6HUYLFHV You will also be offered lots of opportunities to get involved in bigger decisions by helping us to train and recruit staff, make films and DVD’s, sit on a youth council and work with the board of directors to help steer the future of the service. You can create new projects to help express yourself. We want you to have your say and we will take your views seriously to improve things for you, now and for those who follow you.
Participation outside your home and the organisation It is a child’s right to be involved in decisions under the ‘UN Convention on the Rights of the Child’. We will also encourage you to take part in participation opportunities outside Five Rivers helping you to have your say along with other children and young people in the country. Ask your foster carer for more information. Look out for Neo, our young person’s mascot. Every time you see him, you will know it is your chance to be heard.
live o t g n Goi a new h t i w r foste y famil
Your social worker will bring you to your foster carer’s home, where you can meet everybody who lives there. Wherever possible, your social worker will make sure that you bring your personal items, and will help you pack a small bag to take with you. You can take your favourite books, as well as photographs and anything else that you feel is important to you. When you move in, your foster carer will show you around the house, show you where you will sleep and introduce you to everyone who lives here. The foster home may feel a bit strange and different at first but everyone will help you to settle in. Every family has rules about what you can and cannot do. Your foster family will also have rules about a number of things: • watching TV; • staying up late; • doing homework; • what time dinner is and many other things. They will tell you what these rules are and you will learn them as you live there and become part of the foster family. Your foster carers will help you settle in. They will look after you and make sure you have food to eat, and that you are safe and warm. They will make sure there is someone there to meet you from school, and when you are at home they will be there to talk to you, watch television with you and spend time supporting your leisure activities with you.
t is t a h W en m e c a pla eting? me
How w ill they find the fost right er f for m amily e? Social Workers know a lot of information about our foster carers. They will decide which foster family might be best for you. They will do their best to place you in a family where they think you will fit in and settle down well. This will be very important if you need to stay with a foster family for a longer time. Our social worker will try and make sure your foster family has a similar background to you. If you are not happy with the foster family that you will be living with or are living with, talk to your social worker about this. It is very important that you tell them how you feel so that they can do something about it. So, after you move into foster care, something called a “placement meeting” will be held at your foster carer’s home.
A placement meeting is one where you, your foster carer, your social worker and your parents meet to decide how you will be looked after day to day. At the placement meeting, many things about you will be shared – the food you like, any medicines you have to take, who you will see from your family and when (this is called “contact” with family members), your school, and so on. Your social worker will write all this down as your Placement Plan so that the foster carers looking after you know about you. If you are old enough your social worker will give you a copy. At this meeting you should say what you like and what you don’t like.
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What you tell your social worker will help to make the best plans for you. Once your foster family has been found, they will need to know about you, just like you will need to get to know them. Remember that YOU are very important You can ask your social worker how they are making sure that what you think is being properly listened to before they decide things.
This may be a difficult time. Everything that has happened to you and all the changes around you might make it confusing to understand what’s really going on. You may feel upset and even angry. Many young people feel this. Please make sure you tell someone you trust how you feel and what you think about what is happening to you. They will help you to understand what is going on. If there are things that have happened to you in your family that you want to talk to someone about, remember there are people there to listen. If you say that someone has harmed you or hurt you, your foster carer or social worker will want to make sure that the person who has hurt you will not do it again to you, or to any other young person. At the end of this guide, there is a list of telephone numbers that you can ring to talk to somebody who will listen to you and give you help over the telephone.
What happe you a ns if re n ot happy with the fost er fami ly? If, after having lived with the new family for a while, you feel that you are not happy to go on living with them, you should tell your social worker. This is a time when you can feel quite muddled in your head about leaving your family, about moving to a new place with new people, and perhaps going to a new school. Talk to your social worker. They will be there to help you sort out how you feel. Your social worker will visit you regularly to make sure that everything is going well for you, and that you are settling in properly. You don’t have to meet your social worker at your foster carer’s home, especially if you find it difficult to say what you think and how you feel. Your social worker should make sure that your wishes and worries are always properly heard when plans are being made for you. From time to time, you will also be invited to go to a review meeting. These are held regularly to ensure that whilst living with your foster carers, the plans made for you continue to be followed and that everyone involved in looking after you is happy with the progress being made.
What is a review meetin g
A Review is a meeting to which you, your parents, foster carers and social worker will be invited. Sometimes your teacher or health visitor may be asked to come too. It is a chance to talk about you and the plans that are being made for you while you are being looked after by your foster carers and to see how you are getting on. The person who chairs the meeting is called the Independent Reviewing Officer. They will make sure that everybody, especially you, has a chance to say what they think and feel and that everyone listens to you. The people at the meeting – and remember, that includes YOU – will make plans for you. They will see how you are getting on with your foster family. They will also decide how long you are going to be looked after and whether or not you will see family members and how often this will be. They will also look at how you are getting on in school and whether you need any extra help. The Independent Reviewing Officer will write down everything that is decided and this will be your “Care Plan”. You can ask your social worker for a copy of this. It is important to attend the Review Meetings because, after all, they are all about YOU. You need to be there to tell the adults who are making plans and decisions for you, how you feel and what you think. Review meetings can be quite long and you may not have to stay for all of it.
e Will I se ily my fam again?
You may be wondering whether you will see some or all of your family again. Living with a foster family may not mean that you will not see your family, in fact, if your social worker thinks it might be possible for you to go and live with your parents again, it is very likely that you will see members of your family. If you have a sister or brother and they also have to move from your parents, your social worker will try to place you together in the same foster family. If this is not possible, your social worker will make sure you keep in touch with each other. If there are other important people that you want to see or telephone from time to time, you can talk to your foster carer or social worker about this. During this time, your social worker will be working with your family, helping them to look at what needs to happen if you are going to return home. If everyone feels that your family are ready to look after you again you will go home and not be “looked after” anymore. Your social worker will check up to see that everything is going well. If it is not, you may have to move into foster care again.
g in n i p e e K touch
The word that social workers use when fostered young people keep in touch with their families is “contact”. For most young people, it is good to have contact with some members of their family. For a few it may not be possible or it may be upsetting and may not even be what the young person wants. Your social worker will help you sort out your feelings about seeing your family and who it is good for you to see. Your social worker will tell your foster family about this, and they will help you to keep in “contact” with your family if everyone agrees.
Sometimes, not always, your social worker might need to go to court about the plans that are being made for you. A court is a place where a Judge can make a decision about where you live and whether or not you should be “looked after”. In most cases, you will not have to go to court, as your social worker or a young person’s guardian will go for you. Your social worker will explain to you what happened in court, so that you know.
is a t a Wh on’s s r e P Young rdian? Gua
What happe ns court in ?
A young person’s guardian is someone who finds out what you think and feel and makes sure that your feelings and wishes are told to the court.
What about scho ol?
You may be worried that you may have to leave your school when you become fostered. If it is possible, your social worker will try and make sure that you can stay at the same school. If it isn’t, they will find another school for you with the help of your foster carers. School is important for everyone. It is important that you go to school every day. If you are finding that something is difficult, talk to your social worker or foster carer about it, as they are there to help you. At school you will have something called a “Personal Education Plan”. This plan will say what you need to help you get the best out of school. You should say what you want from school and if there is any help you need. If you have been used to going to an activity group or club, remember to tell your social worker about it as you might be able to go on attending.
can u t Wha if yo do d e u l l o a y c get es or nam ied? bull If at school, or your after school club, you find you are being called names because you are looked after, or for any other reason, tell your foster carer and social worker about it. If you are being bullied, which means that someone else at school is picking on you, getting into fights with you, getting you into trouble, or stealing your things, tell your teacher, foster carer or social worker. Don’t be worried as it is better to tell and get something done about it than to stay quiet. Remember that there are people around you who care for you and want to look after you properly. They will make sure that any bullying stops.
Stayi n Healt g hy
When you move in with your foster carers, a visit to a doctor will be arranged. This is known as a medical, although social workers sometimes call this a health assessment. It is so that the doctor knows you are keeping well and healthy which is very important. There are many things you can do for yourself to make sure that you are healthy; like eating healthy food, playing and taking part in sports and exercise. If you have to take any medicines regularly, or have any special injections, your foster carer will make sure that this happens. If you are unwell, talk to your foster carer or social worker, as they will be able to do something to help.
Going home
If your social worker thinks it is OK for you to return home to your family, they will plan this with you. You will go for visits and then, if things are going well, stay overnight. Your social worker will want to know that your family are able to look after you and that you are safe. Once it is decided that you will move home, your social worker will take your belongings from your foster home back to your family home, so that you have everything you had whilst with your foster carers . You might feel confused and anxious all over again. Will it work out back home? Will you have to change schools again? Will everything be alright or will you have to move again? Talk to your foster carer or social worker as they will help you sort this out. You may be very happy to go back home or it may take some time for you to feel settled again. You must remember that if things go wrong again, you can always ask for help. Your social worker will be visiting you at home to see that everything is alright and you can tell them if it isn’t.
All Fostering Agencies must have a complaints service. All looked after children and young people have a right to make a complaint. If you are unhappy and you feel it is not being sorted out in the way you want it to be, you can make a complaint by writing to:
complaints@five-rivers.org Director of Fostering Five Rivers Child Care Ltd 47 Bedwin St, Salisbury SP1 3UT
Makin comp g laints
Or by telephoning: 0800 3898708 We will be happy to help you with any worries you have. Five Rivers and Partners treats all young people’s complaints with respect and will not ignore you if you complain.
Other useful information
Child Line This is the free 24-hour helpline for children and young people in the UK. You can call the helpline on
Tel: 0800 1111 Child Line’s counsellors are there to help you find ways to sort things out about any problem, at any time-day or night. Child Line is confidential which means they won’t tell anyone about your call unless you want them to talk to somebody for you, or you are in danger.
Website: www.childline.org.uk
NSPCC National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children If you need help or advice, or are concerned that you or another child may be at risk.
Tel: 0808 800 5000 This helpline is open 24 hours a day.
Ofsted An organisation which checks the work of fostering agencies in England and Wales.
Ofsted Piccadilly Gate, Store Street Manchester M1 2WP Tel: 0300 123 1231 E-mail: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
Office of the Children’s Commissioner Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith St, London SW1P 3BT Tel: 02077 838330 E-mail: advice.team@childrenscommissioner.gsi.gov.uk
We hope you found this booklet helpful. If there is anything that you did not understand or you want to find out more about, then talk to your foster carer or social worker.
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