St David's Fostering Information Pack

FOSTERING INFORMATION PACK

WELCOMETO STDAVID’S

Thank you for your enquiry! We hope you find the following information useful as you take your first step along the road to becoming a foster carer

This booklet is designed to give you an overview of the fostering process from the very start when you first make an enquiry through to having a child move into your home and the ongoing support you will receive

LETTERFROM CATE

Thank you for your interest in fostering with St David’s Fostering Service. We are delighted that you have taken this step with us. St David’s is a not for profit charity and we pride ourselves on offering support from the moment you make that decision to become a foster parent to becoming a family and beyond. We are there for you every step of the way, recognising support as the norm whether you are a new foster parent or have been a foster parent for many years

We positively welcome applications from all sectors of the population and we base our work on the belief that there are lots of people who can become foster carers and can give children the nurture they need to meet their potential. Fostering can be challenging but also hugely rewarding. We hope that in reviewing this information pack it will give you a full overview of the fostering process with St David’s and information that will help you decide whether you wish to progress.

Please remember we are here to answer any questions you may have and whether it is myself or one of my team who you initially speak with, we look forward to hearing from you. Catherine Gates Fostering Team Manager

Cate Gates CATE, FOSTERING TEAM MANAGER

FOSTERING INFORMATION PACK

STAGE ONE 3

ABOUT STDAVID’S

St David’s Fostering Service is a part of the wider St David’s Children’s Service which also includes:

St David’s Adoption Service who are Wales’ longest serving adoption agency

AFKA Cymru which is the Association of Fostering Adoption and Kinship Care Cymru who offer training and advice to the permanency sector in Wales St David’s Children Society St David’s Adoption Service AFKA Cymru.

The entire St David’s family is dedicated to supporting and promoting family life in whatever shape or form that is for people in Wales. We are a charity and therefore not for profit.

WHATIS FOSTERING?

There are lots of reasons why children and young people need a foster family and there are many different types of fostering that are all reflective of the needs of the children who enter the care system and their families.

This need may only be for a few days as a one-off, or as regular support. Or it could be for several months whilst decisions are made in relation to children’s long term needs, such as supported to return home with family, longer term fostering or adoption.

Foster parents work as part of the team around the child They are child care experts working as part of a team of professionals providing children with love, nurture and warmth to help them meet their potential and have the positive experience of family life Ideally and usually this will occur geographically close to their own home Being a foster carer comes with it’s challenges but also the huge rewards of making a difference in the lives of children.

APPLYING TOFOSTER

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Are at least spare bedr Are living in Have not b certain crim offences th many do no convictions Do not own any dogs that are defined in the ‘banned dogs’ category as categorised by Defra.

Our FAQ section of our website goes into much more detail about individual circumstances which we recommend reading. But we understand that like every child is different, every family is different and there may be something that you wish to discuss with us that isn’t mentioned Rather than ruling yourself out, contact us to talk about it

STAGE ONE

Stage One should take no more than two months and is primarily all about training, checks and references detailed below. There will also be some preparation tasks for you to complete.

Checks and references at this stage:

UK DBS check – you will be sent an email to complete an online DBS. St David’s will cover the cost of the DBS in the UK only.

Overseas checks if you have lived abroad for an extended period since the age of 18 Any costs involved would be payable by yourselves

Health/Medical assessment with your GP – the agency must obtain a written report about a prospective adopter’s health It is essential a medical check takes place as soon as possible within the two-month period in order for it to be considered by the agency’s medical advisor

Local Authority check from the previous 10 years.

CiW (Children in Wales) or OFSTED checks in respect of the applicants themselves.

Employment checks from a current employer, or from an accountant if self-employed. We will require checks from previous employers if you have worked with children or vulnerable people.

Other household member checks, e.g. other family members or adults living within your home.

Personal and family references. These should include at least two referees who are not related to you and, if applying as a couple, it is helpful to have a longstanding reference from each prospective carer. Ex-partner references. Should a prospective carer have parented or cared for children where there has been a significant relationship, a reference would be sought. We understand that this can be uncomfortable but it is necessary to ensure children will be safe. If for any reason there would be a significant risk from a previous partner, then external evidence of that relationship would be sought from referees or other sources.

School or nursery checks If you currently have a child living with you, we would ask for a school or nursery reference to be obtained

SSAFA checks If you have ever been employed by the military/RAF/ British Forces, a SSAFA check is required

Other Fostering and Adoption Agencies. If you are currently a foster carer for another agency, or have previously applied to be a foster carer or an adoptive parent we would seek a reference from those agencies.

For some of the checks it will be necessary to have sight of highly personal information in order to verify the identity of the applicant e.g. bank account, pay slip etc. There may be other checks and references relevant to your application, and these would be discussed with you on a case by case basis. At all points in the assessment process, the assessing Social Worker will aim to be as supportive as possible.

STAGE ONE

Preparation to Foster In Stage One

You will be invited to attend a three-day to Foster course which will provide an un of the types of children who need foster how their experiences of abuse or negle impact on their behaviour and/or develo how therapeutic parenting may help Th takes place over three consecutive days must attend all three days. There is a ble approach to the delivery of the course, i online and when in person it is held in Ca

Completion of Stage One At the end o

Your social worker submits a report to a and a decision will be made as to wheth can proceed to Stage Two. A review me take place with a manager. If for any rea unable to proceed, the reasons for this w shared with you This decision will be fol writing

STAGE TWO

After Stage One is successfully completed, we welcome you into Stage Two of the fostering assessment Your social worker will arrange weekly visits in Stage Two and complete an in-depth assessment of you Your social worker is likely to set tasks that you will need to complete

We recommend that you have the time and space to complete these tasks and not have significant life events at this time, e.g. moving home, house extensions, extended holidays. We aim to complete Stage Two within four months and you and your social worker will have a panel date that you will be working towards.

During Stage Two we will gather:

Information about you and, if applying as a couple, discuss your relationship

Information on your wider family and support network

Information about your home and its suitability for a child

Your childcare experience and parenting capacity

Your learning needs and understanding the long-term implications of foster care

Your ability to support children from potentially different backgrounds to your own. i.e. racial origins, religions, cultural, linguistic and sexual orientation.

A social media check which will be completed with you.

We recognise that the assessment process can be daunting but we are there to support you through the process. We aim to be open and honest with you throughout the entire process. Should we have any concerns, we will discuss these with you at the earliest opportunity. We also want you to be open and honest with us and, should you have any reservations, to share them with us.

At the end of the assessment, your social worker will write up their report in what is known as a ‘Form F’. This will be presented to the St David’s fostering panel with your social worker’s recommendation about your suitability to foster. If for any reason they cannot make a positive recommendation, this will be discussed with you.

5

STAGE TWO

The Form F will be shared with you so you can read and add your views. References are confidential, as are checks provided by third parties, and these cannot be shared with you You will be invited to attend the panel held in our Cardiff office, this is a great opportunity for panel members to meet you in person The panel will make a recommendation

You will be informed by telephone of this recommendation within 24 hours of the panel taking place. This recommendation, along with the minutes, are then sent to the ADM who has a maximum of 10 working days to make the decision about whether you are suitable to foster. You will be informed of this by letter. If your application is approved, you will then be approved foster parents and so can be considered for the children who are available, more about this will be explained in the next section.

Your Social Worker will support you in this. If St David’s is unable to approve you as suitable to foster, you can either accept this and withdraw, or request either St David’s reviews the decision, or apply to the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM) for a review You have 20 days to request this in Wales

FINDING PLACEMENTS

Throughout your assessment, you and your social worker will discuss the ages, needs and backgrounds of the children that you would consider fostering. This is done by using case studies, buddying you up with current foster carers, and also through conversations about your own strengths and skills and discussions on your fostering provision preferences This will help determine what you can offer and what your approval status will look like Once the ADM decision has been made, your social worker will refer you to the 4C’s (The Children’s Commissioning Consortium Cymru) where you will show as being available to child care social workers who are looking for the right placement for a child or children and can refer profiles for your consideration.

If your social worker thinks that there is a good match, they will discuss with you the child’s needs, the stregths and the potential support needs that the placement might bring. They will decide with you whether to offer you as a placement. If all parties agree that it is the right match then preparations will begin to transition the child into your home. As ever, your social worker will be there to support you in these preparations, the early days of placement and beyond, visiting regularly and being in communication with yourself, the child’s social worker and any other professionals involved

As a foster parent, you will be required once a child is placed to keep daily records These will be shared and used to inform decisions made on behalf of the child in your care and to support safe caring practices and can play a crucial role in children looked after understanding their time with you and their journey into later years.

TRAININGAND SUPPORT

Being a foster parent requires many different skills, experiences and suppport. At St David’s we acknowledge that foster parents need to be supported to be the best carers that they can be so we offer a wide variety of training for our families.

We offer a mandatory suite of training courses as well as bespoke training opportunities because every placement is different and will require a different set of skills. We regularly review our training package to ensure that we offer a high quality and relevant training. We benefit from the close relationship with AFKA Cymru and our partnership with The Family Place and offer training and advice from industry leading experts

Our carers will receive the dedicated support from not only their social worker, but all of the St David’s team and wider family

PAYMENTSAND BENEFITS

At St David’s Fostering Service, we respect and celebrate the critical role of our foster carers While money will not be the main motivation for you becoming a foster carer, we understand that it is very important. Once you are approved and you welcome a child/ren into your life you will receive a weekly payment for each child. This payment is made up of a fostering fee that is effectively your salary and a child’s allowance that covers costs associated with caring for the child, including engagement in hobbies and interests, clothing, food, and household expenses. For most foster parents, this will be tax free and will unlikely affect any benefits you are receiving.

For our current payment structures please see the ‘Payments and Benefits’ section of our website.

STEPS

We hope that this information pack has been useful in you finding out more about fostering and St David’s.

If you are interested in finding out more please do contact us for a chat with one of our friendly, experienced and knowledgeable staff members.

02920 667007

info@stdavidscs.org www.stdavidsfosterservice.org

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As a registered Charity you may like to consider supporting the work of St David’s. Your contribution will help ensure that every child with an adoption plan in Wales is placed with a loving family and supported to reach their full potential. HERE

Registered Office: 28 Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3BA

St David’s Children Society is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Registration No: 509163) and a company limited by Guarantee (Registered Cardiff 1546688) St David’s Fostering Service is the brand name of the St David’s Children Society’s foster service.

Mae Cymdeithas Plant Dewi Sant wedi ei chofrestru fel elusen gyda Chomisiwn Elusennau Cymru a Lloegr (Rhif Cofrestru: 509163) a chwmni cyfyngedig drwy Warant (Cofrestredig Caerdydd 1546688) Gwasanaeth Maethu Dewi Sant yw enw brand gwasanaeth maethu Cymdeithas Plant Dewi Sant

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