Specialist fostering (Foster Plus)
Fostering Plus is an intensive support specialist fostering scheme to support children who have specialist needs.
While this role may feel more challenging, we provide all our foster carers with the training that means they could support a child in a specialist placement. Many carers who initially feel that they can’t offer this kind of foster go on to be skilled specialist foster carers.
How are the qualifying criteria different for this role?
You could be considered the role of a fostering plus carer if you:
- can be available for the child on a full-time basis
- have significant personal or professional experience of managing children with complex needs.
Ideally, the child will be the only child in the household. However, we will consider foster carers with other children in the household if these children are settled, secure and assessed as likely to cope with a child with complex needs.
We are looking for foster carers who thrive developing connections and who are driven to make a big impact in a child’s life.
- Have a high level of resilience which can be complemented by the support on offer by the local authority.
- Calm in your approach.
- Hold good communication and interpersonal skills.
- Hold a good understanding of attachment and the effects of trauma and neglect can have on children.
- Experience of managing the complex behaviours of children.
- To embrace change and uncertainty.
- Highly motivated.
- To have the ability to self-reflect on interventions and strategies, be open to constructive feedback and to alternative ways of working.
- To be able to work within a team towards the long term goals and plans for the child. This includes at times taking direction from others.
- To be able to assess children's needs and provide written reports, attend and contribute to meetings as required.
- To be confident to adapt your parenting approach to support the individual child's emotional and developmental needs.
- To be committed to your personal development as a foster carer and undertake training in line with the requirements and to support your understanding of the needs of the child in your care.
- To be an integral part of the foster care team and engage in regular meetings with members of the team.
- tbBe committed to the child's individualised daily programme set out and agreed with the child’s plan.
- Be committed to attending and completing mandatory and identified training.
- Be committed to the child for the duration of the programme and or until permanency plans have concluded.
- Be available toattend meetings where individual plans will be reviewed.
- To monitor the child's behaviour and progress and convey information regarding behaviours verbally via their dedicated fostering social worker.
- To keep written recordings of the child’s presenting behaviour, the effectiveness of strategies and any other observations required and make them available to the fostering social worker and the child’s social worker. The frequency of the recording is agreed within the foster carer’s supervision agreement.
- The foster carer will support the child to attend any therapy or identified sessions to support their needs.
- The foster carer will work with the child's social worker and the team to support a child who may be excluded from school.
- Foster carers only offering respite care for the placement should attend meetings prior to the relief care period. All parties to ensure handover is provided appropriately to ensure consistency.
- The foster carer will assist in the training and support of new carers.
- For couples, a commitment from both carers to attend training to develop skills and knowledge and maintain consistency is expected.
Fill out the enquiry form or by calling on 01952 378378 to support a specialist foster placement.