Why does South Gloucestershire need local foster carers?
All of the children and their families live in South Gloucestershire. Local foster placements enable children to maintain important relationships with their families and friends plus continue to attend the same school. Currently there are not enough foster carers so some children and young people end up placed with private agency foster carers often miles from home, family, friends and school. South Gloucestershire believes that where possible children and young people in care should be placed with local families to help give them stability at an already unsettling time.
What types of fostering are there?
Some children need a secure home environment for a short period. Other children will need a home for longer periods and some will need a permanent foster home. Some carers choose to specialise in one area while others opt to take a mixture of children with different needs.
Short term
For children and young people of all ages whose families are experiencing difficulties in the short term, fostering enables them to receive care whilst plans for their future are established. Sometimes short-term care can be extended to meet the needs of the child or whilst court proceedings are completed. As a short-term foster carer you will need to have a good understanding of children, an ability to contribute to a childcare plan and be able to work closely with parents and as part of a team. You will also need to be flexible to meet the needs of the child placed with you.
Permanency/long term
If a child cannot return to their family, permanent fostering allows them to grow up in a safe and supportive environment whilst keeping in touch with their own family. Permanent foster carers make a long-term commitment to a child and have the resources and energy to see things through.
Support care (respite)
Support care foster carers provide regular, short breaks to children and families experiencing difficulties at home and to other foster carers. This provides positive support to families at a time of need. Support care can give respite to a child or children from the same family on a regular basis to give parents a break and help prevent children coming into short-term foster care. In addition support care can be part of the support package given to full-time foster carers. We need foster carers who will be able to provide regular short breaks particularly at weekends and during school holidays plus longer holiday breaks to other foster carers.
What is expected of foster carers?
Being a foster carer means doing ordinary everyday things for a child or young person that make an extraordinary difference. Foster carers take on many of the everyday tasks that a parent does such as day-to-day care for a child, taking them to school, preparing meals, helping with homework, going out on leisure activities and taking them to appointments. You will not have parental responsibility for the child in your care - this will be held by South Gloucestershire Council or the birth family or both. Therefore, you will have to ask the child's social worker, birth parent or both before making some decisions.
When approved as a foster carer you will need to be able to:
- Provide a safe and comfortable home for the children and young people you look after
- Give children the time and attention they need
- Have the time available for the kind of fostering you choose to do
- Work positively with a child's parents and family
- Work as part of a team with other foster carers and social workers
- Discipline children and young people without using physical or degrading punishment
- Keep information confidential
- Attend training courses to develop skills and knowledge
- Encourage and support children and young people in their education
- Support South Gloucestershire Council's commitment to equal opportunities by working positively with all people, recognising, accepting and respecting difference
What happens next?
If you would like more information about becoming a foster carer you can either:
- Download an information pack by clicking the 'Read more' link on this page
- Phone or e-mail as per the 'Contact information' on this page
All prospective foster carers have to undergo a process of rigorous checks, assessment and preparation training.