About fostering

Fee-paid short breaks involve looking after children with disabilities either full time (5 nights) or part time (3 nights) per week for 48 weeks a year. 

This usually means you care for a small number of children who have more complex needs. 

Fee-paid short breaks usually suit people who: 

• have experience working with children and young people with a range of disabilities, in education, residential care or health and social care
• have transferable skills from working with adults with disabilities
• want to take a more active role in supporting children with disabilities and their families

The fee is paid from when you're approved. It continues to be paid whether or not you have a child placed with you. 

Part-time short breaks are a type of respite care for children with disabilities.

Children who need short breaks will have learning difficulties, autism or physical disabilities. 

Short breaks foster carers look after a child from as little as a weekend a month, or a few days at a time. This allows their parent or full-time carer to:

• have a break
• do activities with the rest of their family which they're not usually able to do

Part-time short breaks fostering usually suits those who:

• have some personal or professional experience of caring for or working with a child or children with autism, a learning or physical disability 
• have transferable skills from working with adults with disabilities
• would like to continue working and can provide respite foster care at weekends
• enjoy supporting a family by providing ongoing respite care for a child while also building positive nurturing relationships with their parents

Parent and child fostering is when you have a young parent and their child living in your home. 

Social workers may choose this type of joint placement if they are unsure whether the parent can care for their child effectively. 

It can be easier to assess their abilities when they are living within a foster family. 

Parent and child fostering usually suits those who: 

• have fostering experience
• have childcare skills and the ability to work and communicate with young people 
• want to support a young parent and show them how best to care for their child

Some young people who leave foster care at aged 16 to 18 (up to 21) need help to live on their own before they move into independent living. 

All sorts of people can provide supported lodgings. It doesn't matter what age you are, what job you have, or what kind of home you live in. 

What matters is that you have space for a young person and can provide emotional support in a nurturing environment.

If you're interested in becoming a host:

• call our recruitment team on 020 7525 0971 

• or email supportedlodgings@southwark.gov.uk

We'll speak to you about the service, the assessment process and the application form.

All applicants and their household (over 18) will need to have:

• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks
• local authority checks
• medical checks
• 3 references (2 friends and 1 family member)
• Ofsted and NSPCC checks

Your assessment will usually include 3 or 4 home visits and a 2-day training course. 

A panel of experts will then assess your application. They will recommend whether to approve your application as a supported lodgings host.