Community Foster Care
What is Community Foster Care?
The focus of community foster care is to support parents and families in Gateshead so that children can remain living within their home environment and reduce their risk of becoming accommodated in local authority care.
Community Foster Carers can offer support, safeguarding and oversight of a family or children and support parents to access council and community services which will help them to develop stability so that families can stay together.
Additionally, they can support other foster carer placements to avoid placement break down or movement in a state of emergency.
Our Community Foster Carers will work alongside family support workers and other professionals providing additional support to families.
Community Foster Carers may have foster children living with them and carry out this additional work for example when their children/foster children are at school. Or it can be a stand-alone role where you do not have foster children living in your home as well.
You will need to commit to a minimum of two days per week, but the days and times can be flexible so you can work around your other commitments.
Who Community Foster Care is for?
Community Foster Carers are there to support:
- Gateshead families - parents and children (with the aim of reducing the need for children to come into local authority care).
- Kinship families - supporting children and relatives (other than parents) who the child(ren) live with to ensure stability.
Foster Carers - to support current foster carers to avoid placement breakdowns.
Who can provide Community Foster Care?
Community Foster carers must be a fully approved foster carer. You may already be approved and looking for a change from your current role, or can start your fostering journey with us, receiving full training and assessment to become an approved foster carer. In your role you may provide:
- support and advice to access useful services within the council and other agencies
- support to parents/carers to access training which can support them
- support for children/young people to attend school/education
- support for children/young people to access social activities
- support with transport for children/young people
- respite days/activities with the children to support families and other care
- supporting family time sessions
- care for children/young people so parents/carers can attend essential appointments (for example a hospital appointment)
As a Community Foster Carer you will:
- be able to relate to families (parents and children) and talk openly with them
- be supportive, show interest and concern for their welfare
- be committed to treating families with respect, care and sensitivity
- be patient, compassionate, understanding
What we offer you:
- payment for your contractual hours
- access to a wide range of professional training and development.
- support and supervision from a supervising social worker
- the satisfaction of having helped Gateshead families access support and remain living together
To find out more contact our Fostering Team, email fostering@gateshead.gov.uk or call 0191 433 8333.