South Central latest Ofsted report
South Central was rated as Good for their latest Ofsted report. By Ofsted's definition,...
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Sometimes the best solution for a child is a care plan that promises ongoing stability and the chance to settle within a family and local community, allowing them to develop strong personal relationships with those around them. In these situations, long term foster care can be the best option.
Long term foster care placements mean that the child or young person will remain with the foster family for a long period of time, usually several years, or until they have aged out of the care system and have become a care leaver. Even into adulthood, young people sometimes keep up a relationship with their foster family.
In all cases, social workers and care professionals will work with the birth parents to try to remedy issues and safely reunite the family. However, this is not always possible. If birth parents continue to face issues that mean they cannot adequately care for their children, then more permanent solutions will need to be found for the care of the child. This is where long term fostering plays an important role in providing children with a permanent home where they can benefit from consistency and a greater sense of belonging.
Though adoption often provides a good path to offer a child the opportunity to enjoy a loving family life, it is not feasible for everyone for varying reasons. In these situations, long term foster care provides the same level of 1-2-1 support and dependency as a typical family home.
Although the two can seem very similar, there are a few key differences between long term foster placements and adoption. Adoption is a permanent, legally binding arrangement in which the adoptive parents receive full parental responsibility for the child. For foster children, the legal responsibility will still remain with the parent and where a care order has been put in place by the placing local authority, Local Authorities would have 51% parental consent to make decisions about the child’s wellbeing as well as the child’s parent.
Furthermore, when you foster, you receive an allowance from the fostering agency for the care of the child. This payment covers the cost of looking after a child as well as offering a reward for the time and commitment of the carers. Adoptive parents do not receive any payment for their care.
Finally, foster placements may still maintain some form of contact with their birth family. This is up to the discretion of the supervising social workers who monitor the child and will only be feasible if it is in the child’s best interests.
As discussed above, all efforts are made to keep the family together, where possible. For this reason, long term placements often develop from other types of placement such as emergency and short term.
A child may have lived with several foster families before the decision is made for them to be fostered on a more permanent basis. This decision will have been made as social workers will have decided that returning to live with their birth family is not possible and therefore the child would benefit from feeling truly settled and at ease in a more permanent home.
There are many benefits to this type of care for both the child and the foster parents. It allows the child to integrate with your family and become a full member of your home and lifestyle. This is great for foster parents who want to welcome a child into their lives and develop a strong emotional connection with them. This bond is also beneficial for the young person who can finally feel safe, secure, and grounded in one place.
Become a long term carer with Fusion Fostering and benefit from a generous allowance package, unrivalled support from our team of highly trained professionals, expert training to prepare you for your role, and amazing foster children who will bring plenty of joy and happiness to your life!
To speak to our team about fostering, becoming a carer, and whether you are eligible, give us a call on 03301 239355 or email info@fusionfostering.com.
Generous Payment Package
Competitive fostering allowance and professional fee paid directly to carer.
Round the Clock Support
Access to a senior member of the Fusion team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Thoughtful Matching
Effective matching of children with your family to ensure positive outcomes.
Training Provided
No previous experience necessary as specialist training and development are provided to all carers.
Initial Enquiry
Call us, complete an online enquiry, use our live chat service or send an email to get in contact and begin your journey!
Home Visit
A social worker from Fusion will visit your home to get to know you and provide further information.
Assessment
The assessment process will review your suitability to foster. Information is gathered into a Form F report.
Skills to Foster Training
You will receive specialist training on a 3 day 'skills to foster' training course.
Panel
Your assessment is presented to the Fostering Panel who will make a recommendation on your application.
Approval
Once approved, you are a registered foster carer and you will await your first foster child.
One Child
£400 / week
Fusion Fostering pay generous foster care allowances and offer amazing 24/7 support alongside comprehensive training to our carers.
As a Fusion carer, you will be paid an allowance of £400 per week for one child in your care. This is paid for each foster child in your care.
The fostering allowance can sometimes be higher if the child has additional care needs and requires further support.
Solo Placement
£500 / week
Fusion Fostering offers a generous fostering allowance and professional fee alongside 14 days paid annual leave and a whole host of other benefits!
A Fusion carer, who has a solo child placement (a child who cannot be placed with another young person) you will be paid £500 per week.
Parent and Child
£600-800 / week
Specialist training is required to undertake parent and child foster care, sometimes called mother and baby fostering. Fusion Fostering provide full training, support, and guidance to carers who wish to specialise in this type of care.
As a registered Fusion carer, you will be paid between £600-£800 a week to care for and provide professional support to a parent and their child in your home.
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