Contact Centre Office Hours:

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2 Large Print or other format/medim are available on reqest please telephone or Minicom or Contact Centre Office Hors: Monday Thrsday: 8.45 a.m p.m. Friday: 8.45 a.m p.m. Yo can find information abot services provided by Ceredigion Conty Concil on or website at: Printed Janary 2007

3 Fostering with Ceredigion Spporting Yo in Caring for Local Children What is Fostering? Fostering is looking after other people s children in yor own home on behalf of the Local Athority. The Family Placement Service in Ceredigion Social Services is looking for Foster Carers to look after children and yong people. Why is Fostering Reqired? Raising children is a very important and at times difficlt task. Ideally, all children shold grow p in the safety and secrity of their own family home where their physical, emotional and social needs are met. Many families need help from time to time to help look after their children. This spport cold come from extended family or friends and the Local Athority has a responsibility to assist and spport this whenever possible. However, some children and yong people cannot remain with family or friends for a nmber of reasons, for example, families nder extreme pressres and in need of a break and the chance to recharge their batteries. In other sitations the child may have been a victim of abse and needs to live elsewhere for his/her protection. A child s parent may be nwell or they may be caring for a disabled child and need a break on a reglar planned basis, called the Short Breaks Service. Spporting Yo in Caring for Local Children 1

4 Children may be placed in foster care and accommodated on an agreed basis with the parent or person who holds parental responsibility. Other reasons may be when the Local Athority has reasonable case to believe that the child/yong person is at risk or likely to be at risk of significant harm and a Cort Order has been obtained to remove the child from their home. The giding principle that the Local Athority works to is to nite the child home with his/her family whenever possible. Partnerships are established early on in the decision making process abot the child/yong person. This incldes the parents and/or any significant family members, the Foster Carers and the Local Athority. Parents remain involved, maintaining contact with the child/yong person. What Types of Fostering are there? This can inclde the following placements: Respite care Short term care Long term care Permanency Pre- adoptive placements Mother and Baby placements 2 Spporting Yo in Caring for Local Children

5 How Are the Children s Needs Met? Each child is niqe and as sch has special individal needs. We are looking to recrit Foster Carers from a diverse range of backgronds in order to make the right matches to the children and provide family based placements that best meets each child s needs. We also have a shortage of Welsh speaking Foster Carers. We have a dty to make placements that can, for example, offer similar religios, langage and cltral placements and also enable children to remain in their own commnities. The Family Placement Service in Ceredigion is looking to recrit Foster Carers for children of all age grops, gender, from babies to teenagers, and placements are also needed for brothers and sisters to remain together. What is the Process in Becoming a Foster Carer? Applicants are sbject to rigoros checks and assessment before they can be approved as carers. Checks will inclde taking p health, personal references, backgrond and Criminal Records Brea checks. An initial home visit is made followed by an invitation to training for prospective carers that is over a period of approximately for days. This is followed by an in-depth assessment where all members of the family are seen over a period of time. This assessment is based on a competencybased framework. The process is open and shared throghot with the applicants and they have an opportnity to discss and demonstrate their skills in looking after Spporting Yo in Caring for Local Children 3

6 children/yong people. The completed application is presented at the Ceredigion Foster Panel. Freqently asked Qestions abot Fostering Can I be considered if: I have a health problem? This will not atomatically preclde yo, bt we will need to get medical gidance and references and we will assess how this may or may not impact on yor ability to foster. I am single? Enqirers are welcomed whether they are single, married or living with a partner. Is there an age limit? Enqiries are welcomed from all persons over the age of 21 years. A person s matrity, experiences and skills will be the important factors that will be taken into accont. There is no pper age limit. Do I have to be at home fll time? This does not preclde yo, bt we will look at how yo will be able to give the time and commitment and combine 4 Spporting Yo in Caring for Local Children

7 the responsibilities of looking after the foster child and the demands of yor job. We welcome enqiries from people whether they are working, fll or part time or at home fll time. Do I have to have a spare room for the foster child? A foster child will need to have a bedroom of their own. The only occasion we wold consider a room being shared is if siblings were placed together. Do I have to attend training? This is a pre-reqisite. Initial prospective carer training as well as post approval training is a reqirement. Spport We recognise that fostering is challenging and demanding and will mean looking after children and yong people with very complex needs. To help carers, the Family Placement Service allocates to each foster family a spervising Fostering Officer who provides reglar spport and spervision. The Fostering Officers are qalified Social Workers. In addition the child/yong person placed has their own Social Worker who will visit them reglarly. We also have specialist Health Workers and the Looked After Children Edcation Worker based in the Department and access to the local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. Spporting Yo in Caring for Local Children 5

8 Training after approval is identified and offered in discssion with the spervising Fostering Officer and the Family Placement Service. Foster Carers are encoraged to develop skills, expand their knowledge base and ndertake NVQ qalifications. In addition, peer grop spport is provided by Foster Carer Mentors. There are carers spport grops, and social events for all the family. Foster Carers are provided with free membership to the Fostering Network the national Foster Carers association that provides information on training events, practice isses and a legal advice service. Foster Carers are paid allowances that flly cover the costs of looking after the foster child/yong person. Specific eqipment can be provided to spport the placement as necessary. Ceredigion Family Placement Service is a friendly and dedicated team consisting of Team Manager, Senior Practitioner, Fostering Officers, Team Spport Project Workers and Administrative Staff. We recognise that applying to foster is a major decision in a family s life. We are looking for Foster Carers who can be flexible in their approach and work in partnership with the Department. If yo think yo can rise to the challenge and wold like frther information please contact: The Contact Centre on: Spporting Yo in Caring for Local Children

9 The Contact Officers will take yor basic information details. This information will then be passed on to or Ceredigion Family Placement Service who will make contact with yo to have a fller discssion. Ceredigion Conty Concil wholeheartedly spports the principle of eqality and recognises the importance of fair access and actively promotes eqality of opportnity for all service sers and carers. Advocacy Service There is an Advocacy Service available for Children s Services. Where possible, we will arrange for someone to help yo pt yor point across in yor dealings with s if yo are not able to do this yorself and don t have family or friends to help yo. In relation to Children s Services the NSPCC offers an Advocacy Service for: Looked After Children; Care Leavers; Disabled Children and Children in Need who wish to make a complaint. The NSPCC Freephone telephone nmber is: Spporting Yo in Caring for Local Children 7

10 Information Sharing and Confidentiality Any information that yo give s will be kept safe and confidential. We will not disclose yor information to anyone not involved in yor care withot yor consent (nless we are obliged to do so by law or there are exceptional circmstances, sch as yor safety and/or the safety of others). Representations/Complaints/Comments If yo are nhappy abot any of or services, or abot the way yo have been treated, yo shold initially discss this with the Team Manager of the Team yo have had contact with. We hope that the problem can be resolved at this stage. If however yo are still nhappy, yo can take the matter frther by making a formal complaint. Ceredigion Social Services Department have a complaints procedre. If yo think we have done something well, yo can also tell s. For Social Services Department ask for Are we getting it right? Do yo have any Comments, Complaints or Compliments? leaflet. 8 Spporting Yo in Caring for Local Children

11 Emergencies If yo need rgent help otside the opening times of the Contact Centre (as stated on the inside cover of this leaflet), please contact or Ot of Hors Emergency Team on: Other leaflets detailing the different services offered by Ceredigion Social Services are available on reqest from the Contact Centre. For frther information please telephone: Spporting Yo in Caring for Local Children 9

12 We wold welcome any comments yo have with regard to the content and layot of this leaflet and/or the service yo have received. Yor views are important so that we can monitor and improve the qality as reqired. Please cold yo take time to complete the following: Name: Address: Tel. No: Date:.... Leaflet received from: My compliment or complaint: (Please contine on a separate page if yo need to) Send this page to: Social Services Department HQ, Minaeron, Vicarage Hill, Aberaeron, SA46 0DY. Thank yo for yor comments 10 Spporting Yo in Caring for Local Children $