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.
The Affinity Partnerships programme is designed to build ties with organisations, groups and charities who share similar aims to us in the hope that we can improve local communities for all. The programme aims to look at ways in which we can work together in a mutually beneficial way and each relationship we develop will be crafted to ensure that our offer will be bespoke to our partners. Everything we offer as a bespoke package to our Affinity Partners is free of charge.
The National Fostering Group are committed to improving the lives of vulnerable young people. Part of our Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Social Governance strategy is to improve the communities that our children and young people live in, and as a result we have launched a scheme called ‘Affinity Partnerships’.
Affinity Partnerships at a national level will be managed by our National Business Development Executive. At a regional and local level, our Affinity Partnerships will be managed by our Carer Recruitment Officers, overseen by our National Business Development Executive to ensure our offer remains consistent.
We have designed and delivered toolkits to employers. This includes delivering guidance and training workshops to leaders and managers within companies on how to implement a fostering friendly policy along with fostering information sessions for employees to help dispel myths and provide facts about fostering in the UK. We do this in a bespoke way – tailored to each company.
We start by understanding the needs of the business and what support might be needed to complement existing internal policies. We can assist employers across all regions of the UK with their approach to becoming more fostering friendly.
Ultimately there’s lots we can do to help. Our corporate social governance plan is partly about ensuring we help other employers where their employees or employee’s partners want to foster a child, so that more children ultimately have safe and caring foster homes and employers have more information about how to be fostering friendly.
We are delivering our What is Fostering? – Workshop into organisations, groups and charities. Each 45-60-minute workshop will be delivered by one of our Carer Recruitment Officers (CRO), a Supervising Social Worker (SSW) and a Foster Carer and will include the following:
Gain a deeper understanding of the topic and a true reflection of what it involves.
A factual and up-to-date overview of the fostering sector today.
An open reflection of the fostering experience told by a Foster Carer.
A perspective and understanding of some of the processes and support in place.
Using the information shared today, what are the different ways you could help? Learn the power of a conversation in this context, How a simple act could make a difference.
Whilst our Affinity Partnership packages are free and bespoke, we have listed a few of the benefits that you might consider including as part of your package.
Family Friendly
We know that national, regional and local organisations are interested in enhancing the benefits packages they currently offer their employees over and above the statutory requirements set out by government, and particularly when considering employee wellbeing.
National Fostering Group have partnered with our Director of Human Resources to provide advice and guidance about becoming more family friendly as part of your CSR/ESG strategy and to complement your current internal policies, strategies and plans.
Training Opportunities
We can also offer training about becoming family friendly as part of your Continued Professional Development (CPD) strategy to your HR Department, managers and employees.
This diverse and inclusive training enables employees to deepen their knowledge, encourages the sharing of knowledge and understanding within their team and promotes confidence in their approaches. It also supports the community by sharing knowledge and understanding of why children are in care and what people can do to help.
Marketing Opportunities
As a national organisation we have the ability to promote your service within our internal company networks and also via our social media and website. We are also able to collaborate on joint marketing, PR activity and work in partnership with local community projects.
We have identified many more ways in which we would be able to work in partnership with organisations and are open to any suggestions you might have as the experts in your field.
