16
Statement of Purpose 2016/2017 Bright Start, Bright Future

12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

  • Upload
    others

  • View
    2

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: 12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

Statement of Purpose 2016/2017

Bright Start, Bright Future

Page 2: 12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

ContentsIntroduction 3

Our Vision 4

Principle Values 4

Anti-discriminatory practice 5

Aims & Objectives 5

Status and Constitution 6

Bright Start Fostering’s Organisational Structure 6

Our Team 6

Core service we provide 8

Support for Foster Carers 10

Supporting Children and Young People 11

Recruiting and Assessing Foster Carers 12

Approval 13

Termination of Approval 13

Training & Development of foster carers 14

Complaints / Children’s Rights 15

2

Page 3: 12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

IntroductionThe Statement of Purpose is not a brochure. It is a manual that is to

be used by all those who have an interest in Bright Start Fostering.

Bright Start Fostering is an Independent Fostering Agency, operating in

England. This document aims to declare to all the people involved in the

service, the purpose of the organisation, its aims and objectivities and the

services and facilities Bright Start Fostering provides. Furthermore, it will

share our success and identify the areas of improvement and gaps in our

service. A full list of our current Policies and Procedures are available

upon request.

This Statement of Purpose has been developed in

accordance with law and regulations, including:

The Care Standards Act (2000)

The Children Act (1989) and the Children and

Young Persons Act (2008)

The Fostering Services Regulations (England

2011)

The National Minimum Standards for Fostering

Services (2011)

A copy of the statement of purpose is made

available and will be shared to the following;

Any person working for the purpose of the

fostering service, such as the placing local

authority, health and educational establishments

Any child placed with the foster parents by

Bright Start Fostering. The parent or guardian of

any such child

Ofsted

Foster carers and prospective foster carers

The agency’s staff

The general public

Furthermore, a copy of our statement of purpose

is available on our website. As Bright Start

Fostering develops over time, this document will be

kept ‘live’ and revisited annually but more frequently

as and when information changes by the senior

management team to ensure that it reflects any

significant developments or changes in the

services and facilities it provides.

Any planned changes will

be reported to

Ofsted at least 28 days prior to any changes taking

effect. Bright Start Fostering promotes the active

participation of everyone who comes into contact

with our services, we actively encourage meaningful

feedback.

This statement of purpose has intended to be

child-friendly. In order to help and ensure that the

children and young people are guided through and

know what they can expect from being in care and

what services Bright Start Fostering offers. Children

and young people will also be provided with age

appropriate children guides, where this document will

be featured to further aid their understanding. This

document has been endorsed by the Directors and

the Responsible Individual.

3

Page 4: 12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

Our Vision“To provide well managed and high

quality foster care placements to

children and young people in a

fostering setting”

Principle ValuesBright Start Fostering inherent the following principle, values which are important to us.

Fun - Coming into care is daunting.

We want to ensure that children and

young people are given opportunities to

have fun.

Safety First -The child’s welfare,

safety and needs are at the centre of

their care.

Passionate - We have a passion to

achieve the best outcomes for children.

Working in Partnership

Every child matter outcomes -

We ensure that all children and young

people placed with the agency meet

the 5 outcomes, being healthy, staying

safe, enjoying and achieving, economic

well-being and making a positive

contribution.

Child centred - in which a young

person’s dignity and individuality is

celebrated and developed.

Inclusion - Involve foster and birth

children in how our services is run.

4

At Bright Start Fostering, we aim to provide fitting foster care placements for children and young people from

different backgrounds who have experienced challenges at the start of their lives. We are driven and passion-

ate about the opportunity to create better outcomes for all of the children in our care to help them flourish

and thrive.

To achieve this, we work alongside local authorities, voluntary agencies and other organisations to ensure

that each child’s needs are met. We also provide each foster carer with a comprehensive training

programme, as well as ongoing support, so that they are well equipped to make a positive change to their

foster child’s life.

We chose the name ‘Bright Start Fostering’ because we want to give children and young people the best

opportunities, increased life chances and a brighter future. Our logo has also been carefully designed (with

three arrows pointing towards a central point) to represent the ‘children and young people as the ‘central

focus’ in everything we do. We also chose Bright and vibrant colours to appeal to children and young people.

Page 5: 12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

Anti-discriminatory practiceBright Start Fostering works in an anti-discriminatory manner and will not tolerate any form of discrimination

on the grounds of race, religion, culture, sexual orientation or ill health, disability or any other differences.

Bright Start Fostering believes that equal opportunities can only be achieved if everyone involved with the

organisation is committed to anti-discriminatory practice. We will ensure that this is achieved through training,

challenging, monitoring and reviewing, also by personal example. This means valuing differences and accepting

that families have different lifestyles respecting the religious, culture and linguistic backgrounds of all individuals.

Working with families, other agencies in a culturally sensitive way.

5

Aims & ObjectivesAt Bright Start, we have highlighted the following primary objectives that we intend to continuously achieve to

ensure the children in our care enjoy the best possible experience and outcomes:

children and young people

that we do

foster children and young people, where

safeguarding is paramount at all times

children and young people in our care

who share our values.

approve prospective foster carers from a

diverse background. We monitor the

placement of a child or young person to

ensure that their needs are being met.

fairness, and respect as a member of the

team and support them in making reason-

able and appropriate decisions around a

child.

carer and their birth children, local

authorities and foster children.

Page 6: 12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

Status and ConstitutionBright Start Fostering is registered and inspected as

a fostering provider under the Care Standards Act

2000 and Fostering Service Regulations 2011. Bright

Start provides foster care placements for children

and young people on behalf of the local authority.

We are registered company in accordance with the

Companies Acts 1985 (company number 9396125).

The Board of Directors is supported by the

management team, which will meet regularly to

monitor, business planning and policy development.

They are responsible for reviewing the following:

Bright Start Fostering’s Organisational Structure / Our Team

THE DIRECTORS

AGENCYDECISIONMAKER

REGISTERED FOSTERING MANAGER

INDEPENDENT CHAIR/PANEL

MEMBERS

AUXILIARYSTAFF

SUPERVISING SOCIAL WORKERS

FOSTERCARERS

Quality Assurance Annual Business Plan Aims and Objectives Legal Compliance Strategic Vision Financial Management and Performance. Policies and Procedure

The management team have considerable

experience in social work, both within the statutory

and independent sectors. All have worked within

the fostering/adoption field for many years in

management, practice or in development roles. They

hold a range of qualifications such MA, BA, and BSc.

6

Page 7: 12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

The Directors

MSW in Social worker, LLB- Law Graduate

Imran is an experienced social worker, who has over 8 years’ experience of working as a fostering social

worker. Imran has always been passionate about children, he himself is a registered and an experienced

foster carer for over three years.

isaylI narmI

M.A.

in

Social

Work,

Teachers

Training

Award

Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social worker and two years as team manager, managing

a team of nine child protection officers for the N.S.P.C.C. He worked with children in need, ‘looked after’

children and those who, for variety of reasons were on the child protection register. Shadab already has

experience of successively running a private fostering agency, is a registered individual with OFSTED for

Horizon Fostering Services and one of the directors in Acorn Fostering Services.

Shadab Ahmad

As we grow and develop, we will ensure that we will take on board the best motivated professionals and

recruit qualified, HCPC registered and very experienced social workers. All new staff will be subject to the

company’s probation policy, this will include the successful completion of Induction training. All staff will also

receive regular supervision. Every year annual appraisals will take place, these will include the views of the

children and young people. The appraisals will further evaluate and goal set for the future personal

development of each staff member. All staff will be provided with signed copies of their supervision and

annual appraisal.

Supervising Social Workers

Responsible Individual

7

Page 8: 12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

Core service we provide

Bright Start Fostering Service aims to offer a range of family placements, working with foster carers, social workers and others to give children and young people the best possible care and go on to lead successful happy adult lives. Bright Start Fostering Services aim to meet the needs of children and young people who are temporarily or permanently separated from their families. The agency aims to provide a high level of care, encouragement, safety and security for children living away from home, by providing appropriate substitute families who are able to meet the needs of the individual child.

We believe that every child matters and that by integrating services through partnership working we can make a real difference to a child or young person’s life. We offer the following placements:

Placement Types

Emergency PlacementsThese carers provide 72-hour placements for children and young people in emergencies. It is the nature of emergencies that they can occur at any time, with limited information on the placement.

Short-term Placements These carers provide temporary care for children and young people, who are unable to live with their families. The placements can last from a few days, to a few weeks, to a few months or longer. The essential feature is that it is temporary and that permanent plans will be made for the child or young person to either, return to their birth family or move on to long term fostering or adoption. Regular contact with the child` or young person’s birth family is an essential part of short-term fostering. It is this contact, which is the reflection of the partnership between parents, carers, and the local authority that will help plans for children and young people be most successfully achieved.

Permanent Placements These carers provide permanent care for children who are not able to return to their birth families and cannot be adopted. These children need the security of belonging to a family where they can remain until adulthood. They may have limited contact with members of their birth family as long as the focus of the attachments to the foster family is secured.

Long-term PlacementsThese carers provide care for young people who come into the care system as adolescents and cannot return to their birth families. These young people have enduring and long-standing connections to their birth families but cannot live with them. During this important stage of their lives these young people need families who are able to provide the stability they need and to help them to move onto independence.

Sibling Placements Sibling placements are placements where siblings are either placed together or separately with us facilitating contact between siblings.

Bridging Placements Bridging placements are a short-term, flexible placement, focussing on ensuring the most sensitive transition for the child into and from placements.Specialist Fostering

Parent & Child PlacementsThis type of placement is for young people who have become parents at a young age who need support and guidance in caring for their own child. This requires Foster Carers with the appropriate training, skills and experience to manage a teenager and also have knowledge of child development.

Remand scheme Placements These carers provide time limited placements to young people who are remanded to the local authority by the courts. This means that these young people can be cared for in a family whilst they wait for decisions to be made by the court process. Sometimes the court places restrictions on the young person while he/she is on remand, like not being allowed to go to certain places or having to be in at a certain time.

Solo Placements Solo placements are provided where, because of the child’s considerable needs, the carer is required to offer constant supervision and support which would preclude the placement of another foster child. The status of a solo placement is routinely reviewed.

Unaccompanied Children Unaccompanied children are placements for unaccompanied asylum seekers. Support packages include immigration; supporting religions, languages and cultural needs; integration within the community and faith groups.

8

Page 9: 12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

At Bright Start Fostering all placements will be carefully match a child’s needs with

our carers abilities. We will never pressurise any of our carers into looking after a

child. We will never put foster carers forward for a particular child without having

discussed this with them first and then us both agreeing that they and their family

can cope with the child’s behaviour. All placements are made and monitored in

accordance with the Fostering Services Regulations (2011) and National Minimum

Standards (2011).

Matching Process

Wherever possible, pre-placement planning is undertaken, including

introductions between foster carers and the child(ren). We help young people

settle into new placements by providing them with information about their

foster carers.

We will make sure foster carers have all the information they need in order to

care safely for the child/young person and keep themselves and members

of the foster family safe. We will provide this information in writing prior to

placement unless where they are emergency placements and it is not feasible

to do so, when we will provide this information within five working days. All

foster children will be provided with their own bedroom, furnished to a good standard with space undertake

homework. Foster children will never be expected to share a bedroom, unless they are siblings and this has

been pre-agreed with the placing local authority.

9

Page 10: 12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

10

Support for Foster Carers

Bright Start Fostering will provide out of hours support

to all of its foster carers. This will be 24/7, 365 days a

year on-call service to foster carers staffed by Bright

Start supervising social worker, who will have access

to a senior manager.

Bright Start Fostering offers a comprehensive fostering support package to ensure successful placement for

both carer and child, this will help minimise the number of placements break downs. Once a foster carer is

approved they will be provided with the following support:

Out of Hours Support

All of our foster carers will have automatic membership

to Foster Talk. This membership provides insurance

benefits for individuals or family members. The limit is

£50,000 for legal expenses should a criminal case be

brought against a member of your family or a foster

carer in the course of their fostering duty.

Foster Talk Membership

Liability & Wilful Damage Insurance - this policy covers

two sections. The first in respect of damage, including

wilful damage to property belonging to the foster carer,

not otherwise insured. The second section covers

liability of, and to, the foster carers arising out of their

position as foster carers.

Insurance

Bright Start Fostering will run foster carer’s support

group on a six weekly basis, which will be facilitated

by a qualified and experienced social worker. This will

offer foster carers an opportunity to share experiences

and learn from each other. They can offer peer

support, friendship, empathy and mutual recognition.

The support group will also provide valuable help in

the development of the agency’s policies and quality

of services. It will also be an opportunity to look at

carer’s support systems, training needs and any other

Foster Carers Support Group

Every Foster carer will have an allocated supervising

social worker to ensure that they are well supported

with looking after children and young people.

They will also support, advice and guide in every

aspect of fostering.

The supervising social worker will keep in regular

contact with you, your family and the children

and young people in placement, through monthly

supervisions (these will be increased if a foster

carer requires additional support) and weekly

telephone calls.

We will keep careful records of the progress of

children placed with our foster carers.

The Supervising Social Workers will also ensure

that they regularly see and speak with both

foster and birth children alone when visiting the

placement to ascertain their wishes and feelings

and to ensure they are safe in placement.

Supervision/Support

Policies & ProceduresAll foster carers have an annual review to ensure that

they continue to be suitable to hold registration and

approval as a Foster Carer.

The review evaluates the foster carer’s performance

over the preceding year. An assessment of any

changes to the household is made and if any training

needs are identified a plan and time scale on how to

meet those needs will be agreed.

Bright Start Fostering will also obtain the views of the

child or young person in placement, their parents or

the person with parental responsibility, and their social

worker. The first review is considered by our Fostering

Panel and subsequent reviews are processed internally.

However if there is a significant change in the foster

carers circumstances or following an allegation, the

review may be referred to Panel for consideration. The

review will also consider any training needs and identify

a plan and time scale on how to meet those needs will

be agreed.

Annual ReviewFoster carers will have access to a comprehensive

Fostering Handbook. The handbook contains

information, advice and procedures on all aspects of

the fostering task. This will be updated regularly to

ensure it remains a relevant reference document. Foster

carers will also be provided with a wide range of Bright

Start policies.

fostering related issues. There is an expectation that all

Bright Start foster carers will attend the support groups

meetings regularly.

10

Page 11: 12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

Supporting Children and Young People We aim to provide the following support for children and young people:

Foster carers are expected to maintain records

of events and information pertaining to the child

or young person in placement. Foster carers also

contribute to a monthly report for the Local Authority

detailing the progress made by the child or young

person in achieving 5 key Every Child Matters

outcomes.

Record Keeping

We recognise that taking care of other people’s

children is a serious business and can be challenging

and at times stressful. We believe that it is important

to come together informally to support our carers

and de-stress. We will organise regular social events

where carers and children can have fun.

Having Fun

A comprehensive training programme for foster

carers will be provided to ensure they are trained in

the skills required to provide high quality care and

meet the needs of placed young people.

Training

When appropriate we will provide a support worker

for one to one support for the child to provide

additional support.

Support Worker

We aim to provide a peer mentor for new carers, we

carers will be in put in contact with another foster

carer within the area for further support.

Peer mentoring

Foster Carer can take regular breaks, where other

carers look after the foster child. This can be for a

weekend or up to a couple of weeks.

Respite

Out of hours duty support in response to crises and emergencies

Excursions, trips and social activities for foster children/young people and

the birth children.

Support groups for foster and birth children, so they can air their views

and experience.

Supporting children to ensure that they pursue interests, activities and

hobbies and holidays.

Access to specialist help such as education and therapeutic professionals

to provide assistance.

One to one sessions with social workers, to ensure that their views are

listened and taken on board.

Mentoring service with support workers.

Support and advice with any health and education issues.

Practical support with any transport to contact

arrangements.

or further suppo

11

Page 12: 12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

Recruiting and Assessing Foster Carers

Statutory ChecksDuring the assessment stage a number of checks will be undertaken which includes:

Your local authority, finance, employment and education; if you have a school age child. We will also complete personal references. You will be expected to undertake a health assessment with your doctor. We will need to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check on you, your partner and any members of your household who are over 18. If the person has been an approved foster carer for another fostering service in the preceding twelve months, request a written reference from that fostering service.

The decision about whether or not the applicant has successfully completed stage 1 will be reached, and the applicant(S) is informed, within 10 working days of all the stage 1 information (regulation 26(1A)) being received.

Stage 2 –Assessment

The form f assessmentIf you and the Skills to Foster trainers agree to proceed and there are no child protection concerns regarding your checks. We will begin to complete a comprehensive assessment. A Minimum of 6 - 8 interviews with applicants and household members are undertaken.You will be allocated an assessing social worker who would have s discussions with you about your: background, life experiences, parenting skills, and the qualities you would bring to fostering you will provide evidence of your ability to care for children or young people; the social worker would talk to your children, any adult children who have left home, and any former significant partners, where applicable. A Health and Safety Check and Pet Ownership questionnaire will also be completed.

Your assessing social worker will put all the information gathered during the assessment in one report. You will have a chance to read, make comments and sign the finished report before it is presented to the independent fostering panel.

Midway ReviewHalfway through your assessment, your assessing social worker and their manager will undertake a midway review, which requires them to meet with you, either in your home or in the office. This is an opportunity to check that the assessment is on track and put in place plans to address any issues which may have arisen during the assessment. Any challenges or concerns you may have about the assessment or the assessor.

To ensure that the whole process is as smooth and efficient as possible, Bright Start Fostering Services may run Stage 1 and Stage 2 in parallel

The Fostering PanelIf it is a successful or unsuccessful assessment your report would be presented to the fostering panel and which you would be invited to attend. The fostering panel is a group of professionals independent of the service. The panel will make a recommendation to the agency decision-maker on your suitability to foster. The agency decision-maker considers the panel recommendations and make the final decision.

Bright Start has high expectations of its foster carers so that a high quality of care for children can be achieved. We expect those who wish to become a foster carer to meet the requirements laid down by the Children Act Guidance and Regulations Volume 4: Fostering Services (2011) and the Fostering Services Regulations 2011.

Applications to become a foster carer are welcome from people regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, marital status, race, religion, disability, ethnicity or culture. Applicants must be at least 21 years old, there is no upper age limit but prospective carers must be healthy and active enough to meet the demands of caring for children. It is essential that the prospective carer has at least one spare bedroom.

Applicants who have been convicted of an offence against a child or a serious offence against an adult will be automatically excluded.

Bright Start Fostering will assess the suitability of individuals and families to perform the task of caring for ‘looked after’ children in their own homes, we aim to complete the process within four to six months.

The Fostering Assessment Process

Initial InquiryMaking an initial enquiry is easy and this can be done by email or by phone. One of our helpful staff will ask them a series of questions aimed at helping us both to decide if fostering is right for the applicant. If we decide to proceed we will take some details and send them an application form and an information pack. Once we have received the completed form we will read it carefully and if appropriate arrange a home visit.

Initial Home VisitA social worker from the fostering team will visit you at home to discuss fostering in more detail and answer any additional questions you have. They will complete a brief assessment with you and your partner (if applicable) in relation to your consideration into fostering. The visit will also give you the chance to share your motivation, understanding, childcare experience and ability to meet the needs of Looked After Children and answer any questions you may have. The social worker will make a recommendation to the fostering team manager and a decision will be made whether we progress to the assessment stage or if there is additional work/learning that needs to take place prior to this.

Stage 1 of the Assessment Process

The Skills-to-Foster Preparation TrainingYou will be invited to attend a training course for prospective foster carers. Attendance at the course forms part of the assessment process, and all applicants are required to attend. Depending on when the training course starts, you may be invited to attend the course before the assessment begins or during the assessment. The purpose of this training is to give information as much as possible for the applicants to be able to make an informed decision as to whether fostering is right for them.Following this we give you a week to reflect and decide whether the applicant would like to proceed.

12

Page 13: 12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

Approval

Once approved foster carers automatically become a member of Fostering Network which is a national organisation that promotes fostering.

They will also be allocated a Supervising Social Worker from Bright Start Fostering, whose role will be to advise, assist and support the foster family as a fostering unit.

It is also important that foster carers and their family think about a safer caring policy. This needs to be kept up to date regularly and will be discussed and reviewed annually.

Foster carers will be provided with a Foster carer’s handbook where they will be able to find more information on support and training.

Foster carers will be asked to sign two Foster Care Agreements. The first is a general agreement that outlines the responsibilities, requirements and expectations between the foster carer and Bright Start Fostering. The second is a financial agreement which is completed each time a placement is made.

Once you are approved as a foster carer by Bright Start Fostering. This follows the recommendation of the Fostering Panel to our ‘Agency Decision Maker’. This is as required by the Fostering Services Regulations 2011 which, together with the National Minimum Standards 2011, provide the basic legal framework for all fostering services in England.

Termination of ApprovalA foster carer may at any point give notice in writing that they wish to resign from the role. The approval will be terminated with effect from 28 calendar days from which the written notice of resignation is received by Bright Start Fostering. Where a foster carer has given written notice of.

If a foster carer is no longer considered no longer suitable for Fostering, either through the review system or because of an incident or complaint which causes concern, the matter will be considered by Fostering Panel. The Panel can recommend the de-registration of Carers. Carers will be invited to this meeting. The decision would be made by the Agency Decision Maker (ADM). As with other decisions relating to the Panel, there is a procedure should you not agree with the decision made and we will advise you of this in writing.

Foster carers who are not happy with the decision can appeal to The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM). IRM is a review process which prospective or existing foster carers can use when they do not agree with the qualifying determination given to them by their fostering service provider. The review process is conducted by a review panel independent of the fostering service provider. A “qualifying determination” is a determination made by a fostering

service provider that it does not propose to approve a person as suitable to foster a child or proposes to terminate or change the terms of the approval of an existing foster carer.

13

Page 14: 12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

Training & Development of foster carers

Bright Start Fostering will maintain a Foster Carers

Personal Development Plan, this will set out how they

will be supported to undertake ongoing training and

development that is appropriate to their development

needs and experience.

Our comprehensive training, assessment and development framework

incorporates the Every Child Matters (The Five Outcomes) and the

Child Workforce Development Council (CWDC) initiatives.

Foster carer’s Personal Development Plans

All prospective carers must attend our ‘Skills to

Foster’ course which is run prior to you being

approved as a carer. The purpose of this course is

twofold; firstly, it gives you the opportunity to find out

if fostering is right for you.

Secondly, it explores why children come into care,

the kinds of behaviour that you may be faced with

as a carer and suggestions as to how deal with

such behaviour. Once approved and prior to placing

any children with you, we will provide you with an

induction morning to ease you into your new role.

Skills to Foster training

All newly approved carers will be supported in

completing their TSD (Training, Support and

Development) Standards (formerly known as CWDC

- Children’s Workforce Development Council). All

carers are expected to continue to attend post

approval training (see below) to enhance their

existing skills and to give them the opportunity

to acquire new skills. Following your approval we

will annually review your progress. This is your

opportunity to have your say on how you feel you

have progressed, what your needs are and it allows

you to reflect on your practice and development.

All foster carers must undertake the following core

trainings as stipulated in the National Minimum

Standards 2011 and Fostering Regulations (2011):

TSD Standards

Positive care and control of children, including

training in de-escalating problems,

Health and hygiene issues

First Aid, with particular emphasis on health

promotion and communicable diseases.

Management and administration of medication

Safeguarding and safer caring practice

Internet safety

Behaviour Management

Working with children who have been sexually

abused

Core training

Training to provide appropriate care if looking

after children with complex health needs or

disabilities

A wide range of additional training modules are

Foster carers will be required to maintain an

ongoing training and development portfolio which

demonstrates how they are meeting the skills

required of them by the fostering service.

Foster carers Development Portfolio

d of them by the fostering service.

14

Page 15: 12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

Complaints / Children’s RightsEveryone has a right to make a complaint including children and

young people. Bright Start Fostering Start aim to promote the rights

of young people who may wish to make complaint by assisting them

in what- ever way the young person wishes. All complaints will be

taken seriously and act appropriately and in line with our complaint

procures. All children and young people placed with Bright Start

Fostering have the right:

Under the Children’s Act 1989, children have been

given specific rights under the law. Children and

young people must be made aware of their rights.

Information material will be provided to children

and young people in the form a welcome pack and

children’s guide explaining their rights and what to

do if they want to make a complaint. Bright Start

Fostering also supports and promotes the use of the

children’s advocacy service to help be heard and

share their views.

Children’s Rights

To be heard and have their views listened.

To be treated with dignity and worth.

To be protected from harm

The right to have information about being in care.

15

Page 16: 12437 Statement of Purpose - amberfostering.co.ukamberfostering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Statement-of-Pur… · Shadab has over 23 years’ experience as a qualified social

Bright Start Fostering,Britannia House, Suite 4H, Leagrave Road,

Luton, LU3 1RJ.

Tel: 01582 343464

Regulatory BodyEngland Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills

(Ofsted), Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231

Web: www.ofsted.gov.uk

Child Line - Tel : 0800 111

Voice for the Child in Care - Tel: 020 7833 5792

Voice for the Child in Care provides an advocacy service for ‘looked after’

children and young people. This is supported by a legal adviser and free

phone for children and young people in care.

If you would like this document in a different language, large print or Braille,

audiotape or in another language, please contact us on 01582 343464.