Why Choose Us..
If you are thinking about fostering you probably have a lot of questions and it can be difficult to know where to start.
The first step is to call us at First for Fostering on 01325 978040, send us an 'EMAIL', request our free fostering brochure 'BROCHURE' or attend one of our fostering events 'EVENTS'.
Below is a little bit about our Agencies ethos. If it sounds like it might be a good fit for you, please get in touch - we would absolutely love to hear from you!
You can also read our latest Ofsted inspection report by selecting the following 'Ofsted report' button
We are a small, independent fostering agency based in Darlington, within the North East of England. We cover; Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Stockton, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, Newcastle, Northumberland, Tyneside, Sunderland, North Yorkshire and the surrounding villages and towns.
First and foremost, we are a child focused fostering agency and children are at the very heart of all our decision making. We are a small, friendly and dedicated team and between us we have a vast array of experience working within fostering and working with children in care.
Our aim is to provide children and young people with stable and secure foster placements that meet their individual needs. We do this by recruiting highly motivated, resilient foster carers who can nurture and parent our most vulnerable children. We assess our potential foster carers carefully and we offer excellent preparatory training. At First for Fostering we understand choosing to foster is a huge decision and it needs to be right for you and your family.
Being small is our strength, we know our foster carers and their families, we provide personalised and meaningful support, supervision, professional fees and allowances and training opportunities to foster carers to enable them to develop a greater understanding of attachment, trauma and secure base theory. We utilise therapeutic parenting practices and we offer the training and support to ensure these are making a difference to our children.
All our staff and foster carers are aspirational for the children and young people in our care, we want to see them achieve and fulfil their potential. We want to see happy and thriving children in our care. As a small agency we want to know our foster carers as individuals, we want to celebrate their achievements as a fostering family and we will be there to share difficult times along the way.
How We Support & Value Our Foster Carers & Their Family
Your own Supervising Social Worker
Your own Supervising Social Worker
Your own Supervising Social Worker
All our foster carers are allocated a named supervising social worker who is their point of contact, and who will build a supportive relationship with the fostering family.
Your supervising social worker will maintain regular contact by video call, email, telephone, and home visits. The regularity of these will depend upon your needs as a family.
Regular supervision & support
Your own Supervising Social Worker
Your own Supervising Social Worker
As a minimum, all foster carers will receive monthly supervision. Supervision is your opportunity to talk through any issues with your supervising social worker, what is going well and what is proving tricky. It will be meaningful; it will be supportive and challenging as required. Supervision is your chance to ‘off load’ and talk through options, strategies and how you are feeling as a foster carer.
A fostering ‘buddy’
Your own Supervising Social Worker
A fostering ‘buddy’
Support will also be provided by our ‘buddying up’ scheme, whereby new foster carers are introduced to more experienced foster carers. This will provide peer support and enable a new foster carer to feel integrated with other carers. We support a community feel – and want you to feel comfortable and have a sense of belonging in our fostering agency.
Opportunities to develop skills & grow in confidence
Opportunities to develop skills & grow in confidence
Opportunities to develop skills & grow in confidence
Experienced foster carers will have the opportunity to be ‘buddy’s’ for less experienced foster carers. They will also be offered opportunities to support alongside facilitators at other training events.
Support at meetings
Opportunities to develop skills & grow in confidence
Opportunities to develop skills & grow in confidence
Your supervising social worker will attend all meetings with you in relation to the child who is placed with you, until you become familiar with the process and feel confident.
Paid respite
Opportunities to develop skills & grow in confidence
Paid respite
Foster carers will receive up to 16 days paid respite a year. This is important to allow our foster carers a break from caring responsibilities and time to reflect.
Celebratory & family fun events
Celebratory & family fun events
Celebratory & family fun events
We want foster carers and their families to have the opportunity to come together and celebrate successes and feel proud of their fostering career and journey. We will facilitate this at regular events.
As an agency we want to create a fostering community that is supportive, visible, and empowered. We hold regular ‘get togethers’ for foster cares and their families and children.
Support groups
Celebratory & family fun events
Celebratory & family fun events
Regular support groups are key to ensuring foster carers feel included within the Agency and that they become familiar with the other fostering families in their community. Peer support is certainly not a substitute for professional and more formal means of support, but we recognise that making links with other foster carers is reassuring and empowering for carers. Support groups can also provide an opportunity for outside speakers to come in to share information and new services.
Sons & Daughters activities
Celebratory & family fun events
Sons & Daughters activities
Fostering impacts the entire family and it is important that support is offered to the whole family. Your supervising social worker will support Sons and Daughters of foster carers, being available for chats about any worries. Regular activities will be held for sons and daughters, such as age appropriate days out.
Foster carer handbook
Meaningful training opportunities
Online policy & procedure access
All our foster carers are provided with a copy of our carer handbook. This is your ‘at a glance’ and ‘go to’ reference book!
Online policy & procedure access
Meaningful training opportunities
Online policy & procedure access
Once approved with First for Fostering we will provide access to the foster carer section of our website. This gives our carers immediate access to fostering policies & procedures, forms & documents.
Meaningful training opportunities
Meaningful training opportunities
Meaningful training opportunities
Once approved, foster carers will develop a Personal Development Plan alongside their Supervising Social Worker. A range of training opportunities will be provided, along with mandatory training in the first year.
Allowances & fees
Bespoke packages of support
Bespoke packages of support
Our allowances are above the recommended rates and we pay fees which reward and value the professional role of foster carers.
Bespoke packages of support
Bespoke packages of support
Bespoke packages of support
Where we feel our foster carers need bespoke support services, such as psychological support, we can arrange this.
Out of hours support
Bespoke packages of support
Out of hours support
We know problems can arise outside office hours. We provide access to a First for Fostering social worker 24/7, who can help support you.
Holiday & festival allowances
Holiday & festival allowances
Holiday & festival allowances
Holiday & festival allowances are paid annually.
Discounts
Holiday & festival allowances
Holiday & festival allowances
We have sourced discounts from local businesses to assist our foster carers.
Find out if fostering is for you, get in touch with us today
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Are 'YOU' thinking about fostering?
Come and speak to one of the team and learn the benefits of joining First for Fostering!
Already fostering?
If you are currently fostering and not satisfied with the support you are receiving, you can consider transferring to First for Fostering!