Who can FOCUS foster

Smiling man talking to friends outdoors in autumn

We are proud to have an existing community of foster carers with expertise across all age ranges and working with a variety of needs. We have a supportive and collaborative fostering community which FOCUS carers will join.

In addition to the high standards and expertise our current foster carers have, we are looking for FOCUS carers who:

  • Will be full-time foster carer(s) and will provide intensive and therapeutically informed individualised care.
  • Be committed to supported stability and continuity for children, even when things are challenging.
  • Understand that they are offering care for one fostered child only, unless otherwise agreed (such as with siblings).
  • Have no other significant commitments (such as employment or caring responsibilities for other children) to enable them to focus upon the intensive fostering task.
  • Commit to completing enhanced level fostering training and any other training that is relevant to their own needs, or the needs of the child placed with them.
  • Work with the Local Authority and the child’s birth family, to have a direct focus on a child’s family time and reunification to birth family if this is in line with the child’s care plan.
  • Accept any matched placement of a child that meets the criteria of their role.
  • Commit to providing intensive foster care to that child for a maximum of 24 months, or in line with their care planning.
  • Have increased support visits by the PSW/ SSW and engage with support from multi-agency colleagues such as health and education.
  • Have a particular focus and high-level skill set to support the child with a range of needs.

All FOCUS foster carers will be subject to additional assessment to ensure that this type of fostering is the right choice for them, their family, and the children they may be caring for.

If you have a spare bedroom, experience of working with and/ or caring for adolescents, a passion to complete and implement enhanced level training and a drive to support adolescent aged children, we would love to hear from you.