Children’s Guide to Fostering



Contents

  1. What is Foster Care?
  2. Why Can’t I Stay at Home?
  3. Who’s Who?
  4. What will my Foster Carer do?
  5. Can I See my Family?
  6. When Can I Go Home?
  7. Who Can I Talk To?
  8. Education Matters
  9. Who Can I Go To with Questions at School?
  10. What is a Key Adult?
  11. How Do I Have a Say in my Education?
  12. What is a Personal Education Plan (PEP)?
  13. How Do I Plan my Future?
  14. How Do I Improve my Learning?
  15. Does taking Part in After School Activities help with Education?
  16. What is the Haringey Virtual School of Children in Care?
  17. I’m Unhappy and Want to Complain
  18. Important Details


1. What is Foster Care?

Sometimes things happen that make it difficult for you to live at home with your own family. When this happens you need somewhere else to stay until things can change for the better. It’s very likely that this will mean that you are with another family (a foster family) and depending on what’s happening at home it could be for a few days or much longer.

Being cared for by another family is called foster care.

The people looking after you are called foster carers. While you are staying, this will be your home and your foster family.

Most children return home but some stay with foster families until they are old enough to live on their own.


2. Why Can’t I Stay at Home?

Deciding that it would be better for you to stay with a foster family rather than stay at home, is a hard decision. There are lots of different reasons that children will stay with a foster carer and each child is different.

Your Social Worker and your foster carer will explain to you why you can’t stay at home and answer any questions you have.


3. Who’s Who?

When a decision is made that you will go into foster care, there are different people involved, who you need to know and understand what they do.

Foster Carers

Foster carers are people who care for children who can’t stay at home with their own family. Foster carers are carefully chosen and will have lots of training about how to look after children. You will stay at your foster carer’s house where your foster carer will keep you safe and help to look after you.

Your Social Worker 

Your social worker is the person that will help you and explain what’s going on. They will come and visit you at your home and in your foster home to make sure everything is ok. They are there for you to talk to. They will tell you as much as they can about what is happening to you and about any plans being made. You can ask them any questions you might have or talk about anything you are worried or unsure about.

Social Worker for your Foster Carers

Your foster carer will have a Social Worker too. They are called supervising social workers; they will visit your foster carer and make sure everything is ok. They will support and guide your foster carer as well as answer any questions they may have. 

The Supervising social worker will also talk to you to make sure that everything is ok for you and that you are being looked after.

The Fostering Service

The Fostering Service looking after you is called the:

Haringey Fostering Service,
Children and Young People's Service
Haringey Council
1st Floor, River Park House (South)
London N22 8HQ

Haringey Fostering Service are a group of social workers and  all the people involved in finding foster homes for children and young people with foster carers.

The fostering service needs to make sure that we have enough foster carers for all of the children who need them. It’s important that they are able to look after lots of children of different ages and backgrounds.

All of these people want to make the best decision for you. They want to make sure that you are safe, well looked after and as happy as you can be.


4. What will my Foster Carer do?

Your foster carer will welcome you into their home and family.

You will be treated with respect, keep you safe and supported with school and social activities.

Your foster carer will also help you to stay healthy and help you to plan what you would like to do when you grow up.

You will be listened to and if your foster carer is concerned they will share any worries with their supervising social worker.

In return you will respect your foster carer, their home and any other children or young people that may live there too. Remember, they may have different rules to those at your family home or where you were staying previously.

It is important that you talk to your foster carer and social worker to agree what should happen if you disagree with anything.

You will have your own bedroom which you may share with a brother or sister from your own family. You will also have space for your personal things and clothes.

Your social worker will tell you as much as they can about your foster carer and their home before you arrive.


5. Can I See my Family?

It’s important that you are able to see your family and friends. If this part of your Care Plan, this will be arranged by your foster carer and your social worker.


6. When Can I Go Home?

Your social worker will talk to your family and will decide what is best for you. Your social worker will keep telling you what’s happening and asking you what you want. If what you want isn’t possible, your social work will explain why.


7. Who Can I Talk To?

Being in foster care can be difficult. It’s ok to feel upset, scared and even angry. Your foster carers, social worker and the Haringey Fostering Service are all here to help and support you. It is important that you tell them how you are feeling. We will listen to you and where possible provide you with what you want. When we can’t, we will explain why not.

If you would like to talk to someone else there are young people who have lived with foster carers and are now grown up and live on their own or with families you can contact:

Aspire 

“Giving Haringey young people in care a voice; Aspire is a youth-led group for young people in care and leaving care in Haringey"

Tel: 020 8489 2228
Click here to view website

Coram Voice

Helpline: 0808 800 5792
Click here to view website


8. Education Matters

Education matters to everyone. Haringey Children’s Service has high aspirations for all children in care to help them maximise their access to education and have the chance to achieve their full potential.

This is a guide to help you in regards to doing well in school and with your education.


9. Who Can I Go To with Questions at School?

Your school will have a Designated Teacher for children in care. They are there to make sure that you are doing well at school, and supporting you if there’s anything you need. You may also have a Key Adult.


10. What is a Key Adult?

You may already have somebody at school you feel comfortable talking to. This could be a teacher, form tutor, learning mentor, teaching assistant or somebody else who works at the school. They are known as your ‘Key Adult’. It’s a really good idea to have a Key Adult at school; you can let your teachers know that you feel comfortable talking to your Key Adult, and they can come to school meetings with you.


11. How Do I Have a Say in my Education?

This is YOUR education, and it is important that you have a say in what happens now and in the future. If you don’t say what you would like to happen, somebody else might decide for you. Telling a trusted adult about a problem means they may be able to help you. Your Personal Educational Plan meeting is a good time to make plans with adults who know you well and can help you achieve your goals.


12. What is a Personal Education Plan (PEP)?

Every six months, you will have a Personal Education Plan, or ‘PEP’ meeting. This is YOUR meeting; usually, the Designated Teacher at your school, your Social Worker and your Carer will attend. Other people who are involved with you may also come to PEP meetings. The PEP meeting is a chance for you to tell the people around you how you are doing at school, and to look at ways in which other people might be able to support you to achieve your goals. It is also a time to celebrate how well you’ve done, and to set targets for you and other people to try and achieve before the next meeting. To help you prepare for the meeting, you will be given a form where you can record your views about your education.


13. How Do I Plan my Future?

When it comes to thinking about your future, you may already know what you want to do once you leave school and college, or you may be unsure. There are lots of people who can help you to decide what you would like to be, and who can show you what you need to do to get there. At school, you may have a careers advisor, or there may be a teacher who you can talk to about what you want to do next. Your Key Adult will also be able to help and advise you.

There are many educational opportunities available to help you decide what you want to do. You may visit colleges and universities, or research an apprenticeship. Work experience is a great way to better understand the world of work, and can help you decide what you would like to do in the future.

There are lots of other ways you can find out more information. Some of them are listed here:

To find out if University is for you, you can ask your Designated Teacher or Key Adult about University taster courses and visits. These are a great way to see what goes on in universities, and to get an exciting taste of the kind of studying you could do.


14. How Do I Improve my Learning?

You can help make sure that you achieve what you are capable of by having a good routine; complete your homework, get enough sleep and get to school on time.

Knowing what you’re good at is an essential part of reaching your potential. Think about what your skills are, and how you would like to improve them. You may really like something and want to get better at it, so try and think of what you might need to help you. We learn best when we enjoy what we’re doing!


15. Does taking Part in After School Activities help with Education?

Yes. Research has shown that engaging in activities, clubs, playing an instrument or sports improves your success in education. It is important to get involved with cultural and leisure activities- learning doesn’t just happen at school! Going to art galleries, museums, carnivals, sports and music events are just some of the ways you can improve your learning opportunities.


16. What is the Haringey Virtual School of Children in Care?

The Virtual School is responsible for supporting children and young people in care to achieve success in education.

Tel: 020 8489 3767
Web: www.haringey.gov.uk/hvs
Email: hvs@haringey.gov.uk


17. I’m Unhappy and Want to Complain

If you have spoken to your foster family and social worker but are still unhappy you can speak to the children’s complaint officer.

Contact:
Feedback and information Governance Team,
7th Floor,
River Park House,
225 High Road,
London
N22 8HQ
Tel: 0202 8489 2550
E-mail: feedback@haringey.gov.uk
Web form: www.haringey.gov.uk/complaints

All fostering services are inspected by Ofsted. The officers at Ofsted make sure that we are doing a good job.

You can call them on: 0300 123 1231
Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
Write to:
3rd Floor Royal Exchange Building
St Ann’s Square
Manchester, M2 7LA


18. Important Details

  • My foster carer is:
  • My foster home telephone number:
  • My social worker is:
  • My social workers telephone number/email:
  • If my social worker is not there, I can speak to:
Copyright © tri.x    |    Site Map