What skills do carers think you need to foster?

When we ask our fostering teams to think about what qualities and skills you need to be a great carer, they always say you need to be patient, compassionate and supportive.

However we wanted to know what characteristics our carers think are essential for fostering – after all, they’re the ones doing the job. Here are some suggestions from our carers in the West Midlands:

Someone you would feel comfortable leaving your own children with
Fostering is when you look after someone’s child in your own home, which is a big responsibility. It’s really important that you can be natural and authentic when you interact with a young person so that you can build up a strong, positive relationship.

Someone willing to get their own family involved
Having the support of your relatives, friends and neighbours can make a huge difference when you’re fostering. Everyone in your life should treat your foster child exactly like your own child so that they feel a sense of belonging and have the chance to experience a normal childhood.

Someone with a big heart, who can show genuine love
Children in care have sometimes lacked stability in their life and can be wary of becoming too settled with one family. If you can show them that you truly care about their life and their decisions, it will make a huge difference to their self-esteem.

Someone who has coped with challenges in their own life
Going through difficult periods and coming out on the other side gives you greater empathy and understanding. You can use these experiences in fostering by reflecting on what helped you during these times and offering the same support to a vulnerable young person.

Someone with self-awareness and the ability to reflect
Fostering is a really challenging job and sometimes everyone needs a bit of a break. It’s OK to take a step back and ask for help, whether it’s from your social worker, family or friends.

Someone who is willing to break out of their comfort zone
St Christopher’s offers regular training sessions to make sure you’re the best foster carer you can be because we think this gives better results for children and young people. Our carers all agree that they come away having learnt something new each time.

Someone willing to work with lots of other people as part of a team
As a foster carer you’re part of a team looking after a child or young person. You will have to be open to everyone’s ideas and suggestions, keeping the young person at the forefront of your mind.

Someone who is confident enough to advocate for the child in a professional way
Sometimes young people can find it challenging to express their opinions, particularly if it goes against the decisions that adults want to make. A carer should be able to speak up on the child’s behalf and make sure their voice is heard.

Someone open-minded and able to think outside of the box
Looked After Children often have different experiences to the majority of young people. Even if you can’t relate to these experiences personally you should be open-minded, non-judgemental and empathetic.

Someone fun with a sense of humour
Above all, you need to know how to have fun!

Do you know anyone with some or all of these skills who you think would make a good carer? Ask them to speak with Kerryann O’Brien, Carer Recruitment Officer, via email or on 0800 234 6282 today.

What’s it like to go to panel with St Christopher’s?

The final stage of becoming a carer is attending a fostering panel meeting, where it will be decided whether you should be recommended for approval.

We know that the idea of sitting in front of a panel can be nerve-wracking, so we want you to be as prepared as possible for this last step. Fostering Panel Administrator Debbie Stone explains what you can expect at your meeting.

Who makes up the panel?

The panel is a group of people who decide whether to recommend you as a foster carer. My role is to take the minutes of everything discussed.

Everyone involved has an interest in fostering, whether they are social workers, carers or children who have been in care. Other panel members may have specialist skills in medicine or education. Their combined experience means they are best placed to recommend people to be foster carers.

There are usually at least six people on the panel and it will be headed by a chairperson who has significant experience of working with children and families.

What can I expect to happen on the day?

Your social worker will go in first to present your assessment and answer questions from the panel. You will then be invited into the meeting room and asked questions about your assessment so that the panel can get to know you personally.

It’s a great opportunity for you to feel involved in the decision-making process and to ask the panel any questions you may have, but don’t feel obliged to!

How do I know if I have been approved?

After the meeting the panel will discuss your assessment and make a recommendation about whether you should start fostering. It is unusual for a carer not to be approved at this point.

The final decision lies with the Agency Decision Maker, Ron Giddens, who is also Director of Operations at St Christopher’s. He will agree or disagree with the recommendation and will write to you in seven days to let you know.

You’ll be able to start fostering as soon as you receive your approval letter. Congratulations!

If you think you would be a great foster carer, get in touch with us today.

Introducing the London fostering team

Are you interested in fostering? Want to find out more about the team who could be supporting you?

Gabriella Kulesza, London Fostering Team Manager, and Lucy Carroll, Supervising Social Worker, work with our carers across London. They provide support, organise training sessions and undertake assessments to ensure that all of our carers and children are happy and safe. Here they tell us about their roles and what they think makes a good foster carer.

Lucy, top left, and Gabriella, bottom right, look after our foster carers in London

What does your job involve?
Gabriella: I’m the Team Manager for fostering in London. I support all of our London carers, whether they are currently looking after a child or not. I make sure they provide a safe, loving environment where a child can feel at home. I also help to recruit new carers by attending events like community fairs, where I talk to people about what’s involved in fostering.

Lucy: As a Supervising Social Worker I visualise an entire care plan for a child and make informed recommendations on issues that affect their life. I’m available at all hours of the day so that carers can ask for my help or guidance, and help with training sessions for new and existing carers. I’m also welcoming a Social Work student to our team soon, so I will be helping them gain the experience they need to qualify.

In your opinion what’s the most important thing about your role?
Gabriella: The best way we can get things right for the child are by getting things right for the carer as soon as they enquire about fostering with us. My aim is to get the best possible outcomes for all children so that they can go on to have a bright, fulfilling future. It’s challenging, but the rewards are so great that it’s always worthwhile.

Lucy: My priority is minimising disruptions for a child by finding carers they can live with for long-term placements. If for some reason a disruption can’t be avoided, then I try to make the transition as smooth as possible to keep some stability in the child’s life. I also enjoy organising the annual awards events, where we celebrate all the children that our carers look after. It’s great to see how much they achieve in one short year!

What do you think makes a good foster carer?
Gabriella: A carer should be open, warm and caring, with the time and patience to look after a child. It is going to be a challenge so you need to have some self-belief and confidence that will allow you to care for the child and promote the best outcomes for them. You should be able to relate to children, even if you don't have your own.

Lucy: The best carers go the extra mile to ensure the child feels like part of the family and is treated like a birth child, which is really important. Things like cooking a child’s favourite meal and taking them for days out can make such a huge difference to their development.

Gabriella: We work in partnership with our carers to get the best results and ensure that the child comes first. Even if you think you might not meet every single requirement to foster, we can help you become an amazing carer with our excellent training and support.

Lucy: We get the best outcomes when we have a good match between a child and their carer. For example, we look after one young person who said it was important for a carer to understand her sarcastic sense of humour. We worked hard to find the right carer for her, and the two of them have developed a really strong bond.

Do any particular carers stand out in your mind for being great?
Gabriella: There is a couple we work with who have looked after a boy with severe learning and physical disabilities since he was a baby. He is now 12 years old and their commitment to him is amazing – they are even planning to adopt him! They have been amazing carers and have advocated for his needs every step of the way.

Lucy: A carer that stands out for me is a single woman who has looked after a young person for about five years. She is now 16 years old and goes to all family events, like a birthday party for the carer’s granddaughter. They’ve developed such a strong relationship because the carer will go above and beyond to make the young person feel included and valued.

Gabriella: Another one of our single carers recently completed a Masters in Autism. She looks after a child with this condition and uses the knowledge she gained from her degree to enhance the care she provides. Her success is down to her great communication skills and her warm and compassionate nature. She really goes the extra mile and you can hear the passion in her voice when she talks about fostering and the young person she cares for.

Why do you think it’s important to recruit new carers?
Gabriella: The more carers we have, the more young people we can help. To look after someone else’s child in your own home is one of the most amazing things you can do. Our carers are so selfless and tenacious, and always do their very best for the young person. It’s an enriching experience not only for the child, but for the carer as well.

If you think you could be a great foster carer, we want to hear from you. We’re recruiting carers across the London boroughs, but particularly in Ealing, Hillingdon and Hounslow. Get in touch with our friendly enquiries team today via email or on 0800 234 6282.

Find out more about fostering on our website.