Training and support

Right from the start of your journey, we work as team across council services to support you from enquiry through to approval. It does stop once you're approved. We continue to work with you to promote your personal growth and professional development as a foster carer.

Pre-approval

• The initial visit, explores the:
• role of fostering
• process to become approved
• The Skills to Foster Course training, looks at the fostering ‘environment’ and begins the groundwork for your assessment and role as a foster carer
• Support with references and checks are undertaken
• An assessing social worker will guide you through your assessment that demonstrates your suitability as a family to foster

Post-approval

The Support and Development team will be with you every step of the way. As a team you work together to provide the best care and support for the child or young person placed with you.

• You'll have access to your own supervising social worker to
• help you in managing children placed with you
• look at training to support you in your professional development
• 12 month core programme to develop your experience, technique and understanding
• A range of support groups that allow you to meet, get to know and share experiences with other foster carers and professionals
• Membership of The Fostering Network, a national organisation that provides additional access to external resources, including support training and 24 hour advice line. Find out more about foster carer membership.
• Luton Foster Carers Association (LFCA) , run by our foster carers as resource to support, promote and enable the best outcome for foster carers and the children in their care
• Access to the virtual school and educational psychologist, supporting you to ensure that the best educational attainments for each child in care
• You'll receive an annual review that looks back over the last 12 months of fostering, which is an opportunity for you to reflect and feedback both positive and negative outcomes over the year

Contact us

If you have a query about fostering and would like to learn more, please contact us between:

• 9am and 5.30pm, Monday to Thursday
• 9am to 4.30pm Friday

Fostering team
E: [email protected]
T: 01582 547633

• Express an interest and start your fostering journey