What role do foster carers have with Childrens Services?

Question

What role do foster carers have with Childrens Services?

Answer 1

A very, very important role indeed!

I don't know if you're considering becoming a foster carer, and your local authority's Fostering Development Team (or a team with a similar name) will be able to provide you very detailed information.

However, all foster carers have roles including:

1) providing care for vulnerable children. Depending on your resources and experience, you can specify what age of child you'd be willing to take on, and what kind of special considerations (eg disability, drug addiction, children who have suffered sexual abuse, etc.) you think you could manage. Some foster carers only take on babies, some (usually much more experienced) provide very specialist care for troubled teenagers.

This can be a very demanding role especially with more damaged children, and a lot of patience and compassion is required. Don't worry though - you'll be well supported by your own social worker (a separate professional from the child's own social worker) and there's a whole professional network devoted to ensuring the placement works out well for everyone concerned.

2) working with the local authority to meet particular appointments/sessions. Every looked after child gets (or, if old enough, is offered) a formal medical so that any medical needs are met, and has formal education plan meetings if they're old enough for proper education.

In most cases, when a child is fostered, the local authority is still trying to work out whether their birth parents are able to have them back. This means you might have to bring the child to supervised contact sessions. However you won't be expected to handle any issues relating to the child's parents - social services will also have a duty to ensure you're not put at risk yourself.

3) Since the foster carer is the person who sees the child most, you can offer an invaluable insight into the child's development and needs. Often social workers will (and should) seek your views on how the child is doing. Your fostering social worker will help you put a written report together if the case is going to court. Often when I've been working with a family the foster carer's observations have been vital - for example you might notice strange behaviour by the child, or they might say or do things that give an insight into their life with their birth parents.

This doesn't require much expert knowledge (although you'll no doubt pick up a lot during your experience as a carer), just a good eye for things that seem out of the ordinary. What's important is not your expertise but your high level of contact with the child.

4) If a child is staying permanently in local authority care, and everyone agrees it is in the child's best interests, under some circumstances you may be offered the chance to adopt a child in your care. This doesn't happen often but can often be a very happy outcome for all concerned, especially if you have formed a very good relationship with the child. However, where this is not the case it is important to remember that your relationship with a child might end very soon or unexpectedly - this is something to be ready for as it can be distressing. You're in a strange situation where you're providing a warm, stable home environment and yet not a permanent one.

However, every foster carer I speak to says that whatever the challenges, it's extremely worthwhile. The role is paid but although the rates are very reasonable indeed, people don't do it for the money, and knowing you're making a difference in a child's life is the best reward going.

Good luck if you are thinking of it, and I'm sure you'll find it worthwhile