Southampton City Council fact sheet
What types of young people can I foster?
Young people in care come from a wide variety of backgrounds. They range from newborn babies to teenagers and are from many different cultures. All of them have different reasons for being in care. Depending on your interests, skills and experience, you could look after someone with a disability or someone from an ethnic background different to your own. As well as 'standard' foster placements, there are also specialist aspects to Fostering such as Supported Placements (aimed at helping young peole who are 16 plus to move toward independent living) and Parent & Child Placements (where a parent and their child will live with you in your home in order to gain parenting skills). Our careful matching service means that we will consult you before we make a placement and we never encourage you to look after a young person if it does not meet your circumstances.
Who can foster?
Whatever your situation it’s possible to become a foster carer. You don’t have to be a parent. You can be married, single, in a relationship, lesbian or gay, working or not working, renting or a homeowner. You simply need to have the space in your home, ideally a spare room, although it is sometimes possible for younger foster children to share a room with your own children. The most important quality that you can bring is your willingness to accept a child for who they are.
What commitment do I have to offer?
Foster placements can last from one night or a few weeks, to months and sometimes years. It all depends on the needs of the young person. You may be giving another foster carer a short break from their regular care, or you may feel able to offer a longer term home. Whatever you can offer, we will work with you to make sure you can offer care around your lifestyle and other commitments. If you apply, there is an assessment process that we ask you to take part in. This is very thorough but it’s also an essential part of protecting the young people who need care. It can take up to nine months and includes an extensive training programme, making sure you have all the skills you need to take on your first placement.
It doesn’t stop there. Once you start with us, there’s ongoing training, covering a wide range of topics, giving you a chance to develop your skills even further.
How much will I get paid?
For every child or young person in your care you’ll receive a weekly allowance. The amount depends on the age of the child. You’ll also receive help with equipment and transport if you need it.
Linked to our training schemes is the opportunity to take part in our payment scheme - these payments are on top of the weekly allowance that is paid. This offers you the chance to gain professional qualifications on courses that are funded by Southampton City Council, enabling you to continue your professional development as well as benefiting from extra income.
For more information about allowances and other payments please see the Fostering Procedures document on the main page or contact us using the details below.
What other support do I get?
We will allocate a Supervising Social Worker to you. Their job is to support you and make sure have everything you need to give the young person a positive experience. We will help you with regular meetings, advice and support with all aspects of fostering. You can access our “Out of Hours” team in case there are any emergencies. You'll be part of a professional team and can access a support network including social workers, doctors, teachers and therapists, as well as sometimes providing the looked after child with contact with their birth family.
You will become a member of our Foster Care Association giving you access to:
• Coffee mornings
• Support groups
• Toddler groups
• Social activities for you and the young person in your care
What do I do now?
Once you have decided that you would like to find out more about fostering with us there are two things you can do. You can apply online by clicking here to complete the “Register your Interest” form, or you can call us free on the number below and we will send you the form. Once we receive the form from you, one of our team will be in touch to arrange an informal chat in your home. This gives you the chance to find out more about what’s involved. If you then decide that you would like to apply to become a foster carer, we will begin the assessment and training soon after.
We look forward to hearing from you.
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Last updated: 15 June 2011