Tag: foster care

Consultation: The future of foster care

Consultation opens during Care Experience Week

People are being encouraged to share their views on plans for the future of foster care in Scotland.

The consultation, which will help ensure foster care is fit for the future, sets out proposals including more peer support opportunities, and using foster carers to facilitate family time with parents and siblings of children in foster care. The new approach could potentially offer an increased role for foster carers supporting families on the edge of care.

A national push to recruit more foster carers will also launch in 2025, with the aim of ensuring there are enough foster carers to support children in care.

Meeting foster carers earlier this week, First Minister John Swinney heard about the important role they play in supporting children and young people. Mr Swinney encouraged foster carers and children with care experience in particular to take part in the consultation.

Marking Care Experience Week, both the announcement of a new recruitment campaign next year and the consultation are key steps towards Keeping The Promise by delivering for care experienced children and young people.

Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise, Natalie Don-Innes, said: “We want Scotland to be the best place in the world to grow up. To do this we need to ensure that children and young people with care experience are given the support, love and nurture that they need.

“Foster carers have a key role to play in Keeping The Promise. The consultation is shaped by the honest and open reflections that have been shared by foster carers and children and young people with experience of foster care.

“I recognise some of the challenges facing foster care and that’s why along with the consultation, we will be launching a recruitment campaign for foster carers ensuring we can provide family-based care for those in need.”

Anne Currie, Assistant Director Scotland at the Fostering Network, said: “The Fostering Network is pleased the Scottish Government is launching a national consultation on fostering and is seeking the views of those most affected, foster carers and care experienced young people.

“We know urgent changes are needed to improve fostering and to Keep The Promise so all children and young people can grow up in stable, loving homes. It’s crucial that foster carers’ voices are heard, which is why we’re working with the government to host online and in-person engagement sessions to provide an opportunity to ensure their views are heard.

“Last year the number of fostering households in Scotland fell by 8%, so retention and recruitment of foster carers are more important than ever. We welcome plans to launch a national recruitment campaign and want to ensure current and former foster carers are involved in this as much as possible.”

The consultation will run until 6 February 2025.

Foster with Edinburgh information event this Thursday

Drop-In at WAVERLEY COURT, East Market Street from 5 – 7pm

Retired but looking for a new challenge? We need patient and kind individuals with the skills to train as foster carers for children and teenagers who need safe, loving homes.

Excellent support package.

More information at: https://edinburghfostering.org.uk

Fostering Relations reflects on first decade

By working with local authorities across Scotland, Fostering Relations aim to provide the best care plans for children and young people and to ensure safe and supported placements until plans have been achieved.

Lyndsay Johnston, Carer Recruitment Officer, said: “We believe that every child has the right to feel safe, healthy and happy and so are committed to provide this for children and young people who have experienced abuse, disruption and trauma in their lives”.

Since opening their doors in 2007, Fostering Relations have supported over 270 children and young people by giving them quality, supported and stable family placements. There are currently 45 carer households and 49 children within Fostering Relations’ care.

Having recently been inspected by The Care Inspectorate, Fostering Relations received Very Good for both their Care & Support and Management and Leadership. Testament to this is, fifty percent of care leavers so far in 2017 have gone onto undertake degree courses.

Bryan Ritchie, Registered Manager, said: “Our carers often say that they humbled by the strength and courage of the children and young people within our care. Many of the carers tell us that what attracted them to fostering Relations was the close relations and ‘family feel’ makes them feel like they’re part of something special.

“We’ve had an amazing first ten years and are excited to see what the future holds for us. We aim to continue our journey looking after Scotland’s most vulnerable children. ”

For more information on Fostering Relations and what opportunities are available to you, visit www.fosteringrelations.org.uk or call a member of our team on 01383 661630.

Time to Foster, Time to Care

Foster Care Fortnight starts tomorrow

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The City of Edinburgh Council exceeded its foster carer recruitment target last year for the very first time. The positive figures were revealed ahead of the council’s Foster Care Fortnight which has a theme this year of ‘Time to Foster, Time to Care’. Continue reading Time to Foster, Time to Care

Facebook drive for foster carers

City council to use social media to reach potential foster carers 

edinburgh (8)The City of Edinburgh Council will conduct a Question and Answer session on Facebook tonight in a drive to recruit more foster carers. This will be the first time the Council has used the social media tool in a bid to attract more people to become carers.

The session will take place tonight (Monday 1 June) between 6pm and 7pm as the city council marks the start of Foster Care fortnight. The Council currently has 350 carers but is always trying to recruit more.

Councillor Cathy Fullerton, Children, Education and Families Vice Convener, said: “Using social media is a great way of interacting with the public so why not use it to try and recruit potential foster carers?

“We have a real shortage of foster carers across Edinburgh and by using Facebook we’re hoping to encourage more people to consider becoming carers for children and young people. I’m sure the event will prove to be a real success.

“Fostering is a hugely rewarding and really important job as it benefits some of the most vulnerable children in our society, helping them build a bright and confident future.”

Elaine McGill has been a foster carer with the City of Edinburgh Council for seven years. She will be taking part in the Facebook event along with other experts and carers in the field, including one carer who has recently transferred to the Council from another agency.

She said: “I’m really excited about tonight’s Q and A as it will give people a chance to ask us what fostering is really like and how it has changed our lives.”

If you are interested in taking part in the Facebook Question and Answer event please visit the Foster Edinburgh Facebook page between 6pm and 7pm tonight.

The Council is also holding a double drop in session for anyone interested in being a foster carer on Thursday (4 June) at Waverley Court between 12pm and 2pm and then at 5pm to 7pm.

For more details about becoming a foster carer go to the Foster Edinburgh website or call 0800 174 833 or 0131 529 2773.