Foster a Future - Newcastle City Council

Foster a FutureStatement of Purpose• Enable carers to participate in a wide range of training opportunities, and whereappropriate, to undertake NVQ Level 3 Caring for Children and Young People.• Support foster and shared care carers in providing the highest possible care tochildren and young people are the priority of the Fostering and Shared CareService. Every carer will have a social worker allocated to them from the Fosteringand Shared Care Service as their personal supervising social worker.• Additionally support carers by having a 'duty worker' available from the FosteringService during the day also the services of a resource worker. The Emergency DutyTeam will offer support and assistance at the weekend and every evening.• Work in partnership with Fostering Under Newcastle (FUN) the foster carer groupin its support of carers. Also to extend the range of support services and worktogether with the Executive Committee and the finance and education subcommitteesof Fostering Under Newcastle to include the views of carers in theplanning and running of the Fostering Service.• Promote the partnership between the Fostering Service and the children andyoung people in foster placements through a range of activities and groups• Work closely with the Children and Young People's Listening Officer NYAS Serviceand foster carers to include the views of children and young people in all aspectsof their care and the services provided by the Fostering Service• Keep abreast of research developments and implement suggestions for goodpractice and a better quality of service based on local and national researchfindings• Strive to provide a level and quality of service that meets the National MinimumStandards and achieves excellence• Employ highly qualified, well-motivated staff who are dedicated to therecruitment, training, assessment and support of foster carers and be solelyfocused on the needs of children and young people who are cared for in fosterplacementsPrinciples and Standards of CareThe Fostering and Shared Care Service will deliver a service to children, young peopleand their foster carers or shared care scheme foster carers, which complies with theNational Minimum Standards requirements of the Fostering Services Regulations2002 issued by the Secretary of State for Health under sections 23 and 49 of the CareStandards Act 2000. The Fostering Service will strive for excellence and to achieve thehigher standards set by the best practice guidance of the UK National Standards forFoster Care 1999.In addition to the aims and objectives set out in this Statement of Purpose, theFostering Service and the Shared Care Scheme will work closely with colleagues toensure that in accordance with Quality Protects and Business Plan targets:• Care Planning is clear and outcome focussed• There is a reduction in the number of looked after children by means of effectiveReunification Planning• Placement stability is achieved by Permanence Planning• Ensure that at least 80% of looked after children across the entire age range willbe cared for in family placements and placement choice extended and monitored.• Placements with independent fostering agencies are controlled to reduce theoverall costs of foster care in line with performance targets set by the Departmentof Health• Black and ethnic minority children and young people are placed with carers whorespect and promote their cultural, racial, linguistic, and religious identities. TheFostering Service will ensure that there are at least two social workers among thestaff with the skills, experience and background to recruit, train, assess andsupport black ethnic minority and dual race foster carers.• Extend the participation of looked after children/young people and carers inservice planning• Ensure the Fostering/Shared Care Service complies with Best Value requirements• Develop effective partnerships with children's services agencies and independentfostering agencies.4 5