Fostering

What is Fostering?

Information about Fostering in Solihull including private fostering.

What is Fostering?

We work in a number of ways with families who are experiencing difficulties. Our main aim is to work with families to help them to stay together. However, sometimes children need to be placed in temporary foster care to give time and space for difficulties to be resolved or to keep children safe. Parental responsibility usually remains with the parents at this stage.

There are different kinds of foster care to meet the needs of children and families. Types of fostering include:

Temporary Foster Care

• Emergency Foster Care - This involves being able to look after a child or young person in an emergency on a short-term basis, ie: up to two weeks. Carers have to be available for telephone contact in the evenings and during the weekend.
• Short-term Foster Care - This involves looking after a child or young person for a set period of time until the child goes home, moves on to a permanent placement or moves on to independence. Timescales may vary from anything between two weeks to two years.
• Long-term Foster Care - This involves caring for a young person until they are 18 years old when they will move on to independence. The young person may still have regular contact with his/her own family. This tends to be the 12+ age group.
• Respite Care - This involves offering short breaks to a child/young person overnight and usually at weekends. This is often offered to families as a way of supporting keeping a child/children at home and would have a set frequency, ie: once a month. If you are interested in offering respite to a disabled child, please contact us.
• CHESS - Solihull's Foster Care Scheme - jointly funded and staffed by Solihull NHS Primary Care Trust and Solihull Council that has Specialist Carers who provide temporary placements (ie, up to 18 months) for children and young people aged between 11-16.

Permanent Foster Care

If an older child cannot return home, permanent foster care will be considered. A foster family is identified who will make a commitment to the child throughout childhood and into adult life. Applicants interested in permanent fostering need to apply under a different process which we can tell you about.

Foster carers work to a plan alongside social workers, birth families, schools and other professionals involved with a child/young person. The plan details the work which needs to be completed with the child and family and who will be doing it. It will also include any specific pieces of work that the foster carer needs to complete, ie: supervising contact, assisting a young person with homework, or being available to offer support to a child in distress.

A weekly allowance is paid to carers, to cover the day to day expenses of caring for a child. More experienced carers receive a higher allowance. For people claiming Income Support, receiving the basic allowance does not affect your benefits.

Who can apply to foster?

• You can be married, single or in a long term relationship.
• You can be Black or White.
• You may own your home, or be in rented accommodation.
• You may be working or not working.
• You may be disabled or able-bodied.
• You may have had your own children or not.

If you have concerns about your health, it is as well to raise this with us early on in the process but it does not necessarily exclude you from fostering.

Who do we need?

• Carers who reflect a child's cultural, ethnic and religious heritage, so applications from people from different cultural or religious groups are very welcome.
• Carers who can care for brothers and sisters, therefore, enabling a family group to stay together.
• Carers who have the experience to care for children/young people with a physical or learning disability.
• Carers who have an awareness of children's needs, are comfortable working with the Council and birth families.
• Some of the children needing foster care have suffered physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Others may show challenging behaviour, but ALL need foster care because of difficulties at home. An understanding of a child's past and current situation and an appreciation of the possible effect of these on children is important.

What happens next?

Please call 0800 073 0769 for a fostering information pack or email ssplace@solihull.gov.uk

When you have read the information and if you decide that you are still interested, please complete the referral form.

We will then contact you to arrange for a social worker to come and see you in your home. The purpose of the visit is to give you an overview of what is involved in fostering, and ask you some questions based on what we need from our carers. You will be able to ask questions and we can check out with you whether we feel you may be suitable. You can then make a more informed decision as to whether you would like to proceed with an application to foster. The social worker will be able to identify any issues or concerns which may need clarification before you proceed further.

Following this initial visit, the next stage is for you to make a formal application. The form you sign will have the effect of giving permission for us to carry out checks with Health, Probation, Social Care and with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. These checks, together with check with the Police and the Department of Health Consultancy, are required by law. We also need to complete checks on any other adults in the household who are aged 18 or over.

If we are told anything which suggests you may not be suitable to foster, this will be discussed with you as soon as possible.

We will also ask you to give the name of two people from whom we can obtain references. It is preferable for these to be from persons unrelated to you. The questions asked of the referees are confidential to the Council and centre on your ability to care for children and work as part of a team.

Contact Details

Fostering Team
Education and Children's Services
Jubilee House
655 Auckland Drive
Smith's Wood
Solihull, B36 0SN

Telephone: 0800 073 0769

Email: ssplace@solihull.gov.uk