Find out about the rewards of foster care and the support you, your family and children in care receive fostering with Northumberland
As a foster carer you’ll have your own dedicated supervising social worker. They help with child placement, development and training, and general day-to-day support. Any child that is staying with you also has their own social worker, so you’ll have a network of professionals around you.
As well as your social worker, you’ll have a network of professionals, support groups, and foster families to help you. Your family and friends are part of your support network too.
We’ll always be at the end of a telephone line, buddy you up with an experienced foster carer, and give you financial support, and discounts for venues and activities.
Beyond this, you will have free access to:
We usually try to maintain children in their current school, but sometimes they need to move for safety reasons. Our services help fostered children and young people find places at school and give them additional educational support when they need it.
Education is a key part of a foster carer’s supporting role. Our virtual school provides additional support for looked-after children and young people, which includes:
The health of children in care can be a significant issue because of past experiences of abuse, neglect or poverty.
We assist you in making sure fostered children's health needs are looked after and supported by medical professionals.
The Northumberland health team helps foster carers make sure that their health needs are looked after through health assessments, action plans and support from medical professionals.
24-hour support is available for emergencies if a young person is in danger of harm or you’re dealing with an urgent situation out of normal working hours.
The team offers advice, guidance and support on the telephone and, in critical circumstances, can visit you depending on their resources.
All foster carers receive comprehensive training, free of charge, as part of the application process. Once working as a foster carer, your social worker will agree a personal development plan, identifying your specific training needs.
You will find attending the various training courses in the foster carer calendar an invaluable form of support; learning and sharing experiences with foster carers and other professionals. In addition to the full annual programme, you have access to online training and a foster care specific library of resources.
There are various standard training modules that all carers must complete as part of the national standards. These include:
As a full-time foster carer you get a fee each week, 52 weeks a year, regardless of whether you have a child staying with you. When you are caring for a child, you will also receive a fostering allowance on top of your fee.
A lot of agencies only pay a joint fee and allowance when you have a child living with you - so if you do not have a child living with you, then with other agencies you would not receive a fee. With Northumberland, the fee is separated out and paid every week, so you have a regular income.
Click to view how fees and allowances are paid
Mainstream foster carers can choose to take up to four weeks' paid holiday. However, our carers tend to take a fostered child on holiday with them if suitable.
Northumberland foster carers work on a self-employed basis and are usually eligible for any benefits that they would have got if not working. For specific information about the tax and benefits that apply to you and your household, contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau or tax office.
Foster carer group meetings take place regularly across Northumberland. They are a great place for staying up to date on changes to policy and procedures, learning from other families and getting specialist advice from experts on fire, home safety and education.
Unlike most fostering agencies, we offer group meetings that are close to you in a variety of locations across the county. You’ll be invited to a group near you when you’re approved as a foster carer.
In addition to the service support groups, our foster carers meet up on a more casual basis for coffee mornings and family get togethers .
The service organises family trips and get togethers across the year to help children and families get to know each other to places like Whitehouse Farm and Flamingoland.
Northumberland County Council is proud to have attained the 'Foster Friendly Status' award by national charity The Fostering Network.
This means that anyone working for Northumberland County Council will receive additional support in their fostering role.
Our list of additional supporting services that support you and the children in your care is growing all of the time:
Foster family networks: Your family Your extended family and friends Buddy and mentor schemes Regular support and information sessions Foster carer informal get-togethers Facebook private group Local Whats App groups
Professional services:
Your Fostering Social Worker (Supervising Social Worker) Your Child's Social Worker Foster carer training and development programme 24 / 7 support telephone line The Virtual School Foster Talk Membership support
Targetted professional support and programmes: NEWST (Northumberland Emotional Wellbeing Support Team) Placement Support Workers Children in Care Council (Voices Making Choices - VMC) Residential trips Activities and events programme Mockingbird scheme development
Financial package:
Child allowances Skills and resource level fees 4 weeks annual leave Access to Blue Light, Max Card, Foster Talk, Leisure Centre, CSSC discount schemes Foster Talk membership New Family Social membership
Foster carers are people who want to help look after you while you’re unable to stay with your family. They will do all they can to help you feel safe and cared for, and help you stay in touch with your family and friends.
The foster care team within social services prepare, train and supervise our foster carers so they can look after you properly. They and your social worker are part of the council’s children’s services team and will work with you and your family to give you the best care they can. While most young people’s experiences are positive, it’s important to know your rights.
You have the right…
Your foster carer and social worker are key people you can talk to. You may also choose to speak to professional people within your school or with whom you are involved.
Your foster carer’s supervising social worker will visit your foster family home regularly. They are another professional person who you can talk to. They are based within the foster care team, who can you contact to:
Family Placement Service, 3 Esther Court, Wansbeck Business Park, Ashington, NE63 8AP
Telephone: 01670 62 62 62
Click here to see information about advocacy services for looked after children and young people. Advocacy is when someone helps you to have your say or speaks for you, if you are struggling to be heard. Advocates support you to be involved in decisions that affect you.
The Mind Of My Own app, which can be used on standard PCs as well as most smartphones and tablets, is a key tool for you to use as part of your time in care. The award-winning app helps you express your views more clearly, get more involved in meetings, and make better decisions with your social care team.
Please try and talk with your foster carer first. Questions and worries can usually be sorted out easily. If this is not possible, talk to your social worker. You may want to make a complaint about children’s services, education, the health services, or other things. Your foster carer can help you sort out how to go about this, or may be able to act for you.
Further help can be offered by our advocacy services. Click here to see information about advocacy services for looked after children and young people.
Please click here to access information about leaving care: Northumberland Care Leavers page
Northumberland County Council's ‘Staying Put’ scheme is there so you can continue to live with your foster carers until you’re at least 21. This means you can continue in further education and training while being supported in a family setting.
Going to live with strangers can be scary. All families are different, so you will feel strange at first. Foster carers understand this and will do their best to make you feel welcome and comfortable.
Talk to your carers. Tell them how you feel and what you do and don’t like. Ask them questions, e.g. do I get pocket money? Can I choose what to eat? Can I use the phone?
Foster carers will tell you the rules and routines in their house so you know what to expect. Don’t worry if people make mistakes. It will take a little time to get used to each other and work things out together.
Foster carers receive information about you and your family so they know something about you. They will welcome you bringing your favourite and familiar things with you.
We try and choose a foster family that is as close to your family as possible. We want you to have as much contact with your family and friends as you can. It would be good if you could carry on with the same clubs, youth clubs, etc.
You can talk to people around you who know about social care, like your social worker or your foster carers social worker. You can also use the Mind Of My Own app to help you think about things and connect with different people.
We have guides for children who are looked after by our foster carers. One is for children aged under 10 and the other is for children and young people aged 10 and older.
Link to our new looked after children's guide to be added shortly This document gives you information about where you are living, keeping in touch with important people, how you can have your say, meetings, your health and your rights. This guide isn’t a replacement for talking to people like your carers or social workers but it might help with some questions that you have.
Click to view the Northumberland County Council information page for young people.
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