Southwark fostering service statement of purpose 2024 to 25

To achieve its aims the fostering service has the following key objectives. 

Recruitment and assessment of foster carers 

To have a recruitment strategy in place that supports the recruitment of a sufficient range and quantity of local foster carers. 

To respond in a friendly, prompt, professional and respectful manner to anyone enquiring about becoming a Southwark foster carer. 

To recruit, train and supervise an appropriate number of experienced independent social workers, who will be able to deliver high quality assessments of prospective foster carers. 

To carry out thorough assessments and preparation of prospective foster carers. 

To treat prospective foster carers as a valued resource. In the event of a prospective carer not being found suitable, to explain sensitively, honestly, and in plain language the reasons for the decision, and to notify the applicant of their rights to appeal. 

To support an effective fostering panel, by maintaining a membership of suitably qualified, experienced and knowledgeable panel members, chaired by an experienced independent person.

Supporting and valuing our foster carers 

To work within the framework of a professional supervision agreement, to maintain open communication, mutual respect and good working relationships with all our foster carers, keeping the needs of children and young people as the central concern.

To provide information about the child at the start of every placement, and ensure that a placement agreement meeting takes place within five working days.

To support foster carers in contributing to care planning and to constructively challenge decisions and proposed care plans for children when they feel the need to do so. 

To ensure that foster carers are aware of Southwark’s complaints procedures and are supported in using the complaints procedures when necessary. 

To ensure that foster carers have access to the wide range of multi-disciplinary support services available in Southwark. 

To provide a range of training courses and learning opportunities for foster carers, and to develop individual learning and development plans which recognise differing learning needs and styles.

To ensure that the annual review of approval is carried out within a year for every foster carer, including carers who have not fostered in the preceding year, meeting the needs of children and young people.

To promote the concept of the ‘’team around the looked after child’’ so that all the important adults and professionals involved with the child work constructively together.

To ensure that the ethnic origin, cultural background, religious faith and language of every child is recognised, valued and promoted when placement decisions are being made.

To consider carefully what services may be needed at the start of a new placement to support the carer and ensure placement stability.

To enable looked after children and young people to maintain and develop positive relationships with their birth families and other significant people.

To place siblings together insofar as this is practically possible and consistent with their needs.

Further develop and promote the use of the Staying Put scheme. Enable young people to stay in their foster families beyond their eighteenth birthday where this is in their interests and agreed by their foster carers.

To actively seek the views of young people regarding their placements and ensure they know where to obtain information and advice. 

To ensure that young people participate fully in decisions about their care plan and day to day care. Take steps to enable children and young people to access advocacy and independent visitors.

To support children and young people and their families to constructively challenge decisions and proposed plans in regard to their care. Ensure they are aware of Southwark’s complaints procedures and are supported in using the complaints procedures when necessary.

To work together with foster carers, CYP social workers and education professionals to promote the educational achievements of looked after children. 

To support foster carers in promoting the emotional and physical health of young people.

To fully meet the requirements of the fostering regulations, national minimum standards, corporate policy and accepted best practice standards.