Transfer to Fostering Together
If you are already a foster carer it's probably easier than you think to transfer to Fostering Together. You may be feeling that you are:
- Unhappy with your current registered fostering service.
- Aren't fully supported as a fostering family for children with disabilities.
- Wanting to be part of a team and close community of other families caring for children with disabilities.
- Wanting to be fostering for an agency staffed by experienced, knowledgeable, professional, friendly people.
- Wanting to be part of a fostering agency which is led with integrity.
We value people and their inputs, supporting and developing our staff, carers and our support services staff in order to empower the best outcomes for children.
If you would like to transfer to us from your current fostering service, The Fostering Network has developed an agreed protocol by which we will guide you through.
You’ll still go through a process of assessment, but this will be far more streamlined than a usual Fostering Assessment, and we’ll deal with any complexities!
We make transferring simple.
- Contact us and request an initial visit from a member of our professional team. We’ll talk you through our service and give you the opportunity to discuss the reasons you may want to transfer.
- If you decide to proceed after your initial visit, you’ll have to confirm in writing to your current provider that your intention is to transfer before we can begin your process. If you have any children in placement, you’ll also need to confirm to the placing authority services involved with your foster children.
- We’ll then convene a meeting between Fostering Together and the placing authorities to discuss the potential impact of a transfer on the children (of which there rarely will be!).
- On everyone’s agreement, you’ll begin a new fostering assessment, including a renewal of references and the production of your new Form F document. If you have been able to provide this from your current approval, we can use this as the basis for the new document.
- You’ll meet and be presented to our Fostering Panel who will make a recommendation to our Decision Maker who will formalise your new approval with Fostering Together. Welcome to the team.
Laura & Alex
Disability Foster Carers
You.
Foster carers have the right to freedom of movement between fostering services.
We are aware that there are many reasons that foster carers decide to move agency, these include:
- Not being happy with your existing provider.
- You are not receiving the support and/or training that you need.
- Standards might be slipping. Ofsted Inspections may have identified weaknesses or you feel that you’re receiving a worse service than you used to receive.
- Your fostering allowance is often paid late, or in some cases in incorrect amounts.
- Your fostering provider does not listen adequately to feedback from families and social workers.
- You are concerned about the stability of your fostering agency.
- You hold differing values than that of your current fostering service.
- Your fostering agency is being sold to a larger fostering service.
- You don’t feel that you have a say in this process and that you and your family are being treated as a commodity.
Yes.
Foster Children are matched to foster carers. As part of your transfer we’ll consult with the placing authority children’s services to ensure there will be no disruption for them when you transfer. We believe stability of family life is one of the most valuable outcomes of foster care and we will ensure that transferring families are able to continue existing arrangements surrounding the placement of a young person with them.
Following the Foster Carer Transfer Protocol by The Fostering Network (which is generally backed by Ofsted as best practice), a transfer of foster carers might take between 2-3 months.
This can be depending on your attendance of necessary training and availability of your previous paperwork e.g. your Form F.
No.
If you want to transfer you can move to any fostering provider. Foster carers have the right to freedom of movement between fostering services.
No.
Foster children are matched to foster carers, not to a specific fostering service or agency. If a foster carer wants to move to another provider with their child, as long as safeguarding is assured and with the agreement of the placing authority, it is possible to move as a family unit.
One of the key principles of any decision in a fostering lifestyle is that the welfare of children is paramount. We believe stability of family life is one of the most valuable outcomes of foster care and we will ensure that transferring families are able to continue existing arrangements surrounding the placement of a young person with them.
Yes.
Fostering Together will ensure this as part of any successful transfer. Depending on your circumstances, including your total length of fostering service and the assessed needs of children placed with you, you may find that you may earn more with a new provider. Find out more on our Payments information page.
If you would like to discuss this matter further in confidence feel free to contact us.
Yes.
If you decide to transfer, Fostering Together will at minimum match your existing support package. Depending on your circumstances, including the assessed needs of children placed with you, you may find that you may be eligible to more support with Fostering Together. Find out more about our Training & Support.
Contact Us to be assured that our support packages can match or even exceed your current arrangements.
Yes.
If you decide to transfer, the placing authority involved with your fostering service should support your move to Fostering Together and will be invested in making sure you receive the same or better support than you currently get. We’ll make sure that we stay in touch with placing authorities during the process.
If you would like to discuss this matter further in confidence feel free to contact us.
Yes.
Our experienced team come from a variety of backgrounds, including from other fostering providers which have specialist backgrounds. We're particularly experienced in supporting foster families for children with disabilities.
At Fostering Together, we see children as children first, and we work together in partnership with a range of services to ensure that we can support families to meet the needs and promote the best outcomes for children in care.
