So, you have made the decision to become a foster carer, or you are thinking of moving fostering agency/service. The next step is to decide which organisation to foster through.
There are many aspects to consider when choosing a fostering agency, including fees, allowances and support packages. It is important to find a balance between carer benefits and placement support and guidance.
Why choose us?
The main objective we share at CFS Foster Care is to deliver a high-quality service with safeguarding at its core. Our commitment to improving standards shines through in our unique approach and strong relationships with families, young people, local authorities and communities.
Transparency is key to our vision. Carers should have a voice in decisions around children in their care, whilst young people should be able to express how they feel and contribute to the conversations that concern them. With CFS Foster Care, they do. We do this by listening to young people and ensure that our service is tailored to reflect their needs.
It is our mission to support all children including those with the highest levels of need and to achieve this we know that people are our greatest asset. Our vision is to create a new generation of foster carers with the ability to change perceptions of fostering and bring stability to the lives of vulnerable young people.
Innovation is what drives us. Our team is determined to strengthen the foster community by empowering carers to take on any challenge with confidence. In doing so we aim to bring stability and happiness to the lives of all children and young people in care.
In order to equip carers with the ability to achieve positive changes in fostering, our focus is devoted to the following three factors:
Support
We are proud of the support we give to carers and their families and this makes CFS different from a lot of agencies. To ensure that everyone in our network can provide safe care, we offer guidance throughout the application process, from the moment you enquire to acceptance – and beyond. We want to work with you as a member of our fostering team. The social workers in our team have extensive experience in fostering and children’s social work.
CFS Foster Care also have therapists who can support our children and foster carers. This means that if a child placed in your care requires additional support, they do not have to be placed on a waiting list, CFS can immediately refer to a therapist and get the support in to ensure the sustainability of the placements.
At CFS Fostering, we can also place you with a fostering support worker who can work with you to ensure the longevity of your foster child’s placement. This support can be provided up to 10 hours per week and this will be reviewed with your participation in line with the children’s needs.
Meanwhile, our peer-to-peer network can link carers to other families within the Manchester Foster Carers Association for an additional layer of support.
Development
Training is paramount to CFS Foster Care. Unlike other agencies, we train carers prior to approval, ensuring they feel qualified to take on even the most challenging placements. These children, once settled, often give the greatest reward to foster families.
CFS Foster Care provides unrivalled training and support for those in our network, offering ongoing encouragement to nurture exemplary carers. Our comprehensive training packages prepare foster carers for the children that they will be caring for ahead of each placement, laying the foundations for success.
Our extensive training covers attachment theory, positive relationships with young people and other critical areas of development. All of this is delivered by our therapists to any carer who applies to join our team during the assessment process and beyond. Our carers also have access to a wide range of e-learning courses they can complete through The Learning Hub, and these can be tailored to your individual and placement needs.
Sustainability
We value our carers and aim to make their careers future-proof. Our team are on-hand to offer 24/7 advice and guidance, while supported breaks (respite care) ensures carers have the flexibility to make fostering sustainable. A member of our team is always available on call to ensure that if you have an urgent query you will be responded to quickly.
A smooth transition is also crucial to the long-term success of foster placements.
This is why our introductory handover for more complex young people, for example, those stepping down from residential care or from specialist placements can be extended where required (in line with the child’s needs) to ensure both the foster carers and the child are able to get to know each other and build up a relationship prior to their placement.
CFS has a small team who are committed to providing support to our foster carers and children and building up a team of committed and experienced carers to provide a high standard of care to those children most in need.
Discover how we’re different >
Want to help revolutionise fostering? Call us on 01204 704777 today to learn more about CFS Foster Care or alternatively send you can send us an email at fostering@cfscare.co.uk.
