The Fostering Network
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About us

Want to learn more about Fosterline? 

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  • What we stand for
  • Contact us
  • FAQs about Fosterline
  • Job vacancies

Thinking of fostering?

If you are thinking of fostering, we have a range of information for you to explore. 

Learn more
  • What is fostering?
  • Why foster?
  • Who can foster?
  • How do I become a foster carer?
  • Fostering quiz
  • Preparing to foster guide
  • Find a Fostering Service
  • Events

Already fostering?

We have a range of information to support you throughout your fostering journey. 

Discover more
  • Preparing to welcome a child into your home
  • Safeguarding
    • Significant harm
    • Signs of significant harm
    • Signs of distress or trauma
    • Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
    • Terrorism and radicalisation
  • Facing an allegation
  • Celebrating and supporting diversity
  • Caring for a child with a disability
  • Caring for an autistic child
  • Attachment and fostering
  • Fostering legislation
  • Fostering and education
  • Fostering and finances
  • Special Guardianship Order (SGO)
  • Training for foster carers
  • Advocacy for children and young people
  • Contact (family time)
  • Facing challenges
  • Complaints to fostering services
  • Transferring fostering services
  • Terms, reviews, and resignation
  • Fostering with pets
  • Fostering and insurance
  • Leaving care

Resources

We have a range of further resources for both current and prospective foster carers. 

See more
  • FAQs
  • Blog
  • Preparing to foster guide
  • Counselling
  • Other useful organisations

Fostering Services

Learn more about how we can support fostering services.

Learn more
  • Supporting foster carers
  • Recruitment and retention of foster carers

Our locations

  • England
  • Wales
  • Scotland
  • Northern Ireland

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Useful pages

Find a fostering service Types of fostering Fostering and finances Contact us
Holding Hands Group

Safeguarding

  • Preparing to welcome a child into your home
  • Safeguarding
  • Facing an allegation
  • Celebrating and supporting diversity
  • Caring for a child with a disability
  • Caring for an autistic child
  • Attachment and fostering
  • Fostering legislation
  • Fostering and education
  • Fostering and finances
  • Special Guardianship Order (SGO)
  • Training for foster carers
  • Advocacy for children and young people
  • Contact (family time)
  • Facing challenges
  • Complaints to fostering services
  • Transferring fostering services
  • Terms, reviews, and resignation
  • Fostering with pets
  • Fostering and insurance
  • Leaving care

If you have any safeguarding concerns for a child in your care, these should be reported to the child's supervising social worker and in accordance with their fostering services child protection policy. 

If you have an urgent concern that a child is at immediate risk of significant harm, you should contact the child's social worker/duty worker or out of hours service or the police without delay and inform the fostering service. Check the safeguarding policy for more information and clarify expectations with your supervising social worker so that you are clear how to respond.

 

Woman On Phone Near Computer

All foster carers should ask their fostering service for safeguarding training, and take care to follow safer caring practices. We have a created a range of resources on safeguarding topics including identifying possible signs of radicalisation, distress, abuse, and FGM. 

What is significant harm? Signs of significant harm Signs of distress or trauma Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Terrorism and radicalisation
Couple On Phone And Laptop

If you are worried about a child

If you're worried about a child, you can speak to the NSPCC about your concerns. Whether you want to report child abuse or neglect, or aren’t sure what to do, the NSPCC can listen, offer advice and support and take the next steps if a child is in danger.

Call 0808 800 5000 (8am-10am Monday to Friday, and 9am to 6pm at the weekend) 

Email [email protected]

Report your concerns online (24 hours a day, 365 days a year)

If a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 999 straight away. 

Counselling service

For some foster carers, safeguarding issues may raise emotions or situations from their own past which can be difficult or upsetting. Fosterline offer a free, professional counseling service for foster carers with a BACP accredited Psychotherapist & Counsellor, who is also a qualified senior Social Worker and Family Mediator. To find out more about the service, click here.

Counselling
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All foster carers should be provided ongoing training throughout their time as a foster carer, which should include Safeguarding training as well as training on Safer Caring. Find out more about the training current foster carers should receive. 

Training for foster carers
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