What support will I receive?
“No foster carer, no matter how experienced or committed, can do everything on their own.”
An extract from Fostering Voices – material produced by the Department for Education and Skills. Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.
At FCA we promote a “team parenting” approach. Everyone is responsible for the child – and for the carer. We believe that we can learn continuously from each other and, that by keeping teams small, we can develop strong relationships and find imaginative and creative responses to the needs of the children in our care.
Through training, support and shared expertise, we can ensure that both child and carer are given every opportunity to fulfil their potential and give every placement their best efforts.
With a team parenting approach, all FCA staff involved can support both child and carer – reinforcing the role of the carer and encouraging other professionals to work together in the child’s best interest. This level of trust established with a small group of individuals also enables the young person to feel a far greater sense of security.
For the carer, we recognise that fostering can often be isolating. The demands of looking after children with many and varied needs inevitably takes its toll, and without consistent support from close friends and staff they can trust, many carers would struggle to keep going. Nurturing around the clock is exhausting and carers themselves need to be nurtured and supported, taking regular respite breaks to help recharge the batteries.
And whether support is required day or night – help is only ever a phone call away. With a 24-hour phone line, communication with carers is rapid and accessible at any point of crisis.
View a summary of the support you will receive as a carer with FCA.
