Foster Carers' Charter and Agency’s Values
Scope of this chapter
The Foster Carers’ Charter was produced by the Fostering Network with support from a range of organisations including the Department for Education and ADCS.
The Charter represents a commitment on behalf of the placing authority in its role as the corporate parent, the Fostering Agency and the foster carer to work in partnership in the best interests of the children for whom they care.
Related guidance
We recognize that foster carers have skills and expertise that makes the biggest difference to the everyday lives of children in care.
We must:
- Recognise that foster carers are the people who live with children every day and usually know them best;
- Value foster carers' skills and expertise equally to those of other professionals;
- Include foster carers in all meetings that affect you and the children you care for (unless you cannot be included due to safeguarding);
- Ensure that the Fostering Agency will comply with fostering regulations and guidance;
- Treat foster carers without discrimination and respect you as colleagues;
- Respect confidentiality.
We know that information is vital in order for foster carers to provide care that meets the child’s need.
We must:
- Share all information we have about the child in order to care safely for them;
- Provide this information in writing prior to placement, or as soon as possible in the case of emergency placements;
- Provide foster carers with information on all financial matters including tax, allowances and additional entitlements;
- Provide foster carers with full details of all relevant policies and procedures.
We recognise that fostering can be an isolating and challenging task and that appropriate and timely support makes all the difference to the fostering family and to the child in your care.
We must:
- Ensure there is a robust post-approval induction process;
- Respond positively to requests for additional support, including respite/short break support and out of hours support;
- Provide foster carers with regular supervision and phone contact;
- Give foster carers honest and open feedback;
- Provide foster carers with access to 24-hour support from people with fostering expertise;
- Pay foster carers’ allowances, expenses and fees in a timely manner;
- Ensure that there is a local group, recognised by the Fostering Agency, where foster carers and their family can find support and share experiences with other fostering families;
- Support foster carers when facilitating contact with birth families;
- Recognise and champion the contribution foster carers and their families make to fostering.
We believe that foster carers must have learning and development opportunities throughout their fostering career.
This will ensure they have the skills and knowledge they need, and allow them to develop their practice in order that they can help transform the lives of the children they foster.
We must:
- Ensure all foster carers have an annual Personal Development Plan within their annual review document;
- Provide foster carers and their family with appropriate, accessible and relevant training by trainers who understand fostering;
- Support foster carers to develop meaningful relationships with the children in their care and the other members of the team around the child;
- Continue to provide all foster carers with other development opportunities which make the best use of their skills and expertise, such as mentoring or providing training or support.
We recognise that foster carers have a right to be treated fairly, no matter what the circumstances.
We must:
- Consult with foster carers before changing terms and conditions;
- Ensure honesty and openness in all of our discussions and communications with foster carers;
- Ensure that you are treated with respect, kept informed and provided with emotional and practical support should you be subject to an allegation;
- Provide a framework for dealing with allegations, including access to independent support, and adhere to agreed timescales;
- Ensure that you know the arrangements for the payment of fees and allowances in the event that you are not able to foster while the subject of an allegation.
We believe that open and honest dialogue is the key to a good relationship.
We must:
- Ensure that we consult with foster carers in a meaningful way on matters that affect you;
- Give foster carers timely feedback from consultations;
- Provide clear information on how foster carers can give us feedback and report concerns.
Foster carers must demonstrate a high standard of care and conduct.
Foster carers must:
- Demonstrate expertise and make use of skills to the best of carers’ ability;
- Provide children with a positive experience of family life;
- Attend meetings about the children and young people that carers care for;
- Work with the individuals and agencies involved with the child such as the child’s social worker, Fostering Agency, school and health and religious bodies;
- Work with birth parents, wider family and other significant people in a child’s life;
- Meet the standards set out in fostering regulations and guidance and follow policies and procedures;
- Inform the carers’ supervising social worker about factors that impact on fostering including changes in household;
- Inform the carers’ supervising social worker about any difficulties that arise for the foster carers;
- Inform the child’s social worker about any concerns we have related to the child;
- Respect confidentiality;
- Maintain an open dialogue with the Fostering Agency.
Every child and young person should be respected as an individual and be supported in meeting their needs and achieving their aspirations and potential.
Foster carers must:
- Develop a meaningful relationship with the child - understand their needs, support their growth, become an advocate and champion for them, and endeavour to remain in touch with them when they move on;
- Care for the child in a manner that recognises and respects their identity - including their ethnic, religious, linguistic and cultural heritage;
- Afford the same level of protection and care to a child as foster carers would their own child;
- Support the child to make decisions regarding their own lives, as appropriate to their age, understanding and ability;
- Support the child to inform the development of the services which affect their care, as appropriate to their age, understanding and ability.
Foster carers must access learning and development opportunities throughout their fostering career in accordance with the needs of the children they are caring for. This will ensure they have the skills and knowledge they need and allow them to develop their practice in order that they can help transform the lives of the children they foster.
Foster carers must:
- Be willing and able to develop their skills throughout their fostering career;
- Attend relevant training;
- Be willing to attend and contribute to support groups.
Birmingham Children’s Trust Fostering Agency fully endorses the values set out in the Fostering Agencies National Minimum Standards (2011) which explain the important principles underpinning the Standards.
Children and Young People who are in care deserve the best possible experiences in life.
Foster Carers are core members of the team working with a Child or Young Person and should be treated with the recognition, respect, and support they need.
The Fostering Agency’s National Minimum Standards sets out the following values that are central to Children and Young People in foster care:
- The Child’s welfare, safety, and needs are at the centre of their care;
- Children should have an enjoyable childhood, benefiting from excellent parenting and education, enjoying a wide range of opportunities to develop their talents and skills leading to a successful adult life;
- Children are entitled to grow up in a loving environment that can meet their development needs;
- Every Child should have his or her wishes and feelings listened to and taken into account;
- Each Child should be valued as an individual and given personalised support in line with their individual needs and background in order to develop their identity, self-confidence, and self-worth;
- The particular needs of disabled Children and Children with complex needs will be fully recognised and taken into account;
- The significance of contact for Children in Care, and of maintaining relationships with birth parents and the wider family, including siblings, half-siblings, and grandparents, is recognised, as is the Foster Carers role in this;
- Children in foster care deserve to be treated as a good parent would treat their own Children and to have the opportunity for as full an experience of family life and childhood as possible, without unnecessary restrictions;
- The central importance of the Child’s relationship with their Foster Carer should be acknowledged and Foster Carers should be recognised as core members of the team working with the Child;
- Foster Carer’s have a right to full information about the Child;
- It is essential that Foster Carers receive relevant support services and development opportunities in order to provide the best care for Children;
- Genuine partnership between all those involved in fostering Children is essential for the National Minimum Standards to deliver the best outcomes for Children.
Last Updated: August 29, 2024
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