Find out if you could be a foster carer
In a few simple questions, you’ll know if you’re suitable to apply to become a foster carer.
Our agency covers the East and West Midlands, with offices in Staffordshire and Nottinghamshire, working with more than 80 foster carers and 110 children. We serve a large and developing geographical area, with local support groups in Birmingham, Stoke, Stafford, Derby and Nottingham.
Address
Priestly Court
Gillette Close
Stafford
ST18 0LQ
Phone number
01785 250300
General email
[email protected]
Opening Hours
The aim is to provide accessible support within a 20-minute drive, which enables foster carers to develop support networks. Foster carers are encouraged to input into support group agendas, with a broad range of topics covering every aspect of children’s and foster carer needs.
Our matching process is rigorous. We look at the experience, knowledge and skills of foster carers, the needs of the child, and a whole range of factors to ensure the best match is achieved.
Where there are any gaps in knowledge/skills, we provide the support and training to enable carers to meet the child’s needs. Helping Hands is also available to carers, this is a peer support service for foster carers.
Sometimes foster carers have niggles or things they don’t necessarily want to share with us and this service allows them to feel confident to open up about smaller worries to people who’ve been there and are happy to share their knowledge and practical advice.
Andrea Treble, Registered Manager
We’re committed to tailoring support to individual foster carers and children. If there are gaps in a foster carer’s knowledge or skills, we identify these as areas for development and individual training and provide support.
A psychologist is available to support the overall well-being of foster carers and children so the needs of children and foster carers are met, helping to facilitate stability and long-lasting placements wherever possible.
Fostering Solutions Midlands is proud of the resilience and flexibility of our foster carers, who work with commitment and determination to provide the best service to children.
Our agency team sees its role as building the confidence, skills and knowledge of foster families and help them achieve best service provision. It is a powerful partnership, bringing together the dedication of foster families with a comprehensive package of support provided by the agency.
A child-centred approach is at the heart of everything Fostering Solutions Midlands does and we welcome all feedback, good and bad, to help build a better service.
Foster children can use technology to communicate their wants and needs and express how they are feeling and we will listen and respond. A Youth Council meets regularly and is involved in helping to improve our service.
We recognise that fostering can be isolating and there are many different challenges. We encourage foster families to engage in different activities both so they can get out and have fun and also so they can meet up with other families and share their experiences and frustrations.
Our foster carers have their own forum, which liaises with senior managers and helps to inform the way the agency operates. Throughout the year there are events for children and foster carers.
Being part of the National Fostering Group has enabled our agency to offer wraparound services for children and foster carers in a way that we couldn’t before. This includes more support services and opportunities for children, such as the Duke of Edinburgh awards, apprenticeship programmes and online Britannica.
