Our Foster Agency

 

Background

Family Fostercare was established in 2008 in Worcestershire by Martin Rae, Director a qualified senior social worker with extensive experience in the Looked-After Children sector.

Since then we have expanded our operation, launching regional offices in many parts of England, and we have a growing presence nationwide.

Despite our growth, we stay true to the aims that Martin had at the outset of the company - to be a first class fostercare agency with a family-feel.

 

What We Do

Family Fostercare’s main business is to provide local authorities with a range of fostering households that can meet individual children’s needs in their own community.

We do this by recruiting, approving, training and supporting foster carers.

Family Fostercare foster carers offer placements that are:

• short or long term
• task centred
• for siblings
• boys or girls
• from birth to 18 years
• in an emergency or planned
• for asylum seekers or children in trouble with the police and courts
• short breaks
• for troubled children with some risks that need a solo placement.

 

Our Objectivies

• Keep the family feel
• Provide safe fostering households for looked after children
• Continue to improve outcomes for children
• Provide a first class service

 

Our Approach

We pride ourselves on being the fostering agency with a family feel. That means we take the time and make the effort to listen to and support the needs of every individual,  in the way that works best for them - this includes not just fostered children but foster carers and foster carers' own family too. We work hard to build lasting, supportive relationships between our team and the foster families we work with because we know this ultimately leads to happier, more stable foster placements.

• Family-feel fostering
• Child centred approach
• Small local offices - 25 foster families maximum
• 2 weeks' respite
• Birthday and holiday allowance
• Accessible management style
• Friendly, open and inclusive ethos

Investors In People

Recognition of our commitment to everyone in the Family Fostercare family

In June 2015 Family Fostercare was successfully inspected by Investors In People and awarded the prestigious Investors In People accreditation.

 

The inspection looked at Family Fostercare as a whole, across all our regional offices, and considered how we work together, communicate, plan and support each other as a team working towards a common goal of delivering a first class fostering service with a family feel.

What is 'Investors In People'?

Investors in People makes people management excellence count. They exist to help businesses realise the potential of their people, improve standards and gain the accreditation to prove it. Through the respected Standard, business insight and the IIP bank of tools and resources, organisations of all shapes and sizes can put their people first – and discover a brighter business future. Over the last 20 years, IIP has helped more than 100,000 businesses around the world improve, using their Accreditation Framework to boost working culture, increase employee engagement and encourage game-changing leadership.

Highlights from our Investors In People Report

"The family feel and team ethic was reflected strongly..."

"The friendly, positive, supportive, integrated work ethic and team culture is reflected in the styles, skills and behaviours in supporting and motivating people."

"People feel valued and appreciated for their efforts most importantly through thanks and praise for their work and doing the extra when needed, which has a big impact."

"The caring and supportive, flexible approach is helping people when they need it with regard to their health and personal and family circumstances, and work-life balance. The culture is non-hierarchical."

"There is a 'can do' approach and culture apparent, which managers encourage."

"Management actively encourage people to use their initiative and take responsibility, and build on people's strengths."

"Management have some excellent leadership and people skills."

"Managers are good communicators and engage with people and ask their ideas and opinions if things will work better."

"People have a sense of pride and ownership and commitment in doing the best they can, and described how they do this, which reflects the Statement of Purpose."

"There is a team-managed approach and being caring and supportive with each other."

"People work well together and know each other's strengths and work to them."

"Induction for new people is really supportive, which reflects the culture well, with everyone being friendly and helpful in a relaxed atmosphere."

"There are good examples of gradually coaching and developing less experienced people and helping them out as much as possible."

"The working relationships with the Fostering Panels, foster carers and children is very good."

"There is good connectivity with foster carers with very good induction and training."

Excerpts taken from Investors in People assessment report, Jeff Law (Assessor), 25th June 2015

 

If you are interesting in furthering your career with a Family Fostercare, please take a look at our jobs section. If you would like to start or continue your fostering journey as a foster carer you can apply for more information here.

 

 

Testimonials

 

On the new of our Ofsted Inspection

‘Well done to you and your team. As an ex-teacher I know how difficult it is to get an outstanding rating.’

Foster Carer 2023

‘Wow, just Wow - you have worked so hard this year with all the staffing issues - you do have fab carers to help you mind. lol. Massive congratulations!’

Foster Carer 2023

This is absolutely wonderful to hear, not that this was in any doubt. This agency us the best experience I have had during my foster care career. Congratulations to you all for your hard work.’

Foster Carer 2023

‘Brilliant!!! So well deserved!! You must be rightly very pleased and proud of all involved.’

Foster Carer 2023

‘Wonderful news and absolutely well deserved. I'm not surprised. Well done to you and all the team.’

Foster Carer 2023

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Some of the wonderful things people have to say about Family Fostercare

‘We have been with FFC for over 10 years and have always felt well supported. We like the monthly supervision with our supervising social worker using this time to offload and discuss any issues. We like meeting up with other carers at carer forums. It makes us feel we're not alone!’

Foster Carer 2023

‘I am a single carer with 2 children in placement and also a birth son. The family support worker has been amazing support for us she has built up a wonderful relationship with all the children and when asking my son who he would go to if he was worried about fostering bar family, he says the family support worker……She always plans great meet ups in the holidays for all the children and the days out for the birth children are great and he really enjoys these.’

Foster Carer 2023

“I would just like to share, it is brilliant to be working with great staff who wish to achieve best outcomes for looked after children, whilst supporting the agency’s foster carers and birth children providing a ‘family feel’ approach! I really look forward to continuing working with the agency and supporting foster carers with their fostering journey and achieving best outcomes for children. It is particularly lovely to see the agency including the foster carer’s birth children in events and recognising the brilliant work they are also doing as foster carers too!”

Foster Carer 2023

‘Moving to Family Fostercare has been amazing, we are recommending it to others’

Foster Carer 2022

‘We love the therapeutic reflection groups’

Foster Carer 2022

‘The interest in our own Son and Daughter has been very good!’

Foster Carer 2022

‘It doesn’t matter who we call, we get the same level of support’

Foster Carer 2022

"I am really enjoying the work with Family Fostercare. I have only chaired four reviews to date but I am very impressed with the level of organisation and thoroughness. I think what stands out for me is the support offered to carers. Supervising Social Workers seem to be very proactive and have great working relationships with the carers and the additional support offered by the Therapist and Family Support Worker’s really makes a big difference. Of course, these high standards then filter down to the children. The Carers I have met have all been offering a high standard of care and demonstrate obvious commitment to the children they care for. Overall, the child centred focus of Family Fostercare is very clear."

Independent Fostering Reviewing Officer, March 2022

“Never have I been made to feel like anything is too much trouble or I am asking the wrong questions which is so lovely. I think the whole Family Fostercare team are super supportive and I know that I definitely made the right decision moving across."

Foster Carer May 2020

'I have enjoyed fostering and enjoyed working with you and your team at family foster care.  It is a great agency that is really supportive and I would not hesitate to recommend the agency'

Foster Carer April 2020

'I just wanted to drop you a message to say how much I enjoyed the support group today, I had been nervous about coming.  It was great to have a workshop and be able to hear other people ideas and experiences. I’m looking forward to March already. Thank you.'

Foster Carer February 2020

‘I have a really good working relationship with my supervising social worker. We are both very good at communicating with each other and keeping each other updated with information.’

Foster Carer 2020

‘We are happy with all the training received from Family Fostercare and during times with no placement the agency is very supportive to us.’

Foster Carer 2020

‘Our supervising social worker is in weekly contact with us re referrals and supervision visits. I believe we have open communication with her in terms of our fostering role and how things are progressing. Family Foster Care offer great training and support.’

Foster Carer 2020

‘We have good communication with our supervising social worker. She ensures that if she is not available then we have details of who is providing cover. We communicate by phone, text or email. Our social worker is available whenever we need her and gets back asap if she is busy.’

Foster Carer 2020

‘We have a good working relationship with our supervising social worker, we always keep her up to date with any concerns regarding the children, and communicate via the phone along with support meeting we attend.’

Foster Carer 2020

‘We have great support from everyone at FFC’

Foster Carer 2020

Our supervising social worker is knowledgeable with regard to the Agency's policies and was supportive throughout the review.

Foster Carer 2020

The supervising social worker is always pleasant and friendly and makes you feel at ease whenever I have met her at events or training.

Foster Carer 2020

The support and training We receive as a fostering family is absolutely outstanding. There is such a friendly atmosphere, we are always welcome.
Foster Carer comment from Facebook 2018 

After my children left home I felt I still had something to give, so went into fostering and found that with love and training I can make a difference to a child/YP's lives.
Foster Carer from Foster Care Fortnight 2018

Listening to a child is sometimes all they need to make a difference in their lives.
Foster Carer from Foster Care Fortnight 2018

I am proud that my young people have blossomed into wonderful young adults.
Foster Carer from Foster Care Fortnight 2018

I am proud that my young people have blossomed into wonderful young adults.
Foster Carer from Foster Care Fortnight 2018

I am proud to be a foster carer because I love working with children and teenagers giving them a childhood that they have never experienced, with a family feel and also life skills. This is the best feeling in the world and it is very rewarding.
Foster Carer from Foster Care Fortnight 2018

I am always amazed at how resilient children are. Making a difference on a daily basis is so rewarding.
Foster Carer from Foster Care Fortnight 2018

I am proud to be a foster carer because although it is hard when things go right the feeling of self achievement at the end is overwhelming.
Foster Carer from Foster Care Fortnight 2018

I feel safe here and my carer helps me not to worry about things.
Fostered Child

I am very happy living with my carers and am staying here until I am 22. I want to go to University and become a secondary school teacher.
Fostered Child

It's really good living here. We do lots of things together and my carer did a surprise birthday party for me and invited my family.
Fostered Child

This agency is very responsive to our particular needs. We have many children placed with their carers and they are all making good progress. The feedback from my social workers in overwhelmingly positive. This service provides good quality care and value for money.
A Local Authority Director of Children's Services

This service is really on the ball for making sure we get all the paperwork and for pushing meetings with the placing authority.
Foster Carer

This agency respects our skills as experienced carers. We are treated as professionals and valued within the company.
Foster Carer

Our relationship with our social worker is excellent. She is professional, approachable and supportive.
Foster Carer

The fostering team are second to none. We get good communication, regular supervision, excellent training and friendly local support groups.
Foster Carer about the FFC Cumbria team

I've been a foster carer for almost 25 years now. It hasn't always been easy, but it has been the best thing I've ever done.
Foster Carer about fostering

I have just completed my training... Family Fostercare have been great - can't wait to get started!
Applicant Foster Carer

Fostering has really changed the way our family looks at life. We really appreciate and respect our family now.
Foster Carer about fostering

Family Fostercare have always made me feel like an important part of the team. It's good to know that you are valued.
Foster Carer

 

If you'd like to start or continue your fostering journey with a fostering agency like this then please get in touch today - we'd love to hear from you.

 

 

Document Library

Statement of Purpose, OFSTED reports and other important documents to download or read online

Statement of Purpose

Our Statement of Purpose tells you about the legal status of Family Fostercare and about the work we do, how we do it and how we are going to do it better in the future.

It gives information about foster carers and the people who work for the company and their qualifications. In line with regulations, each of our registered offices has its own Statement of Purpose, which is updated annually and approved by our board of directors.

The document has been written for anyone with a specific or general interest in fostering. Every prospective and approved foster carer, staff member, and parents of a child placed receives a copy and placing authorities are also offered a copy.

Please contact us if you require any of the documents in our library printed in different formats, or for the visually impaired, or for those people whose first language is not English.

Download our Statement of Purpose

Family Fostercare North Statement of Purpose

Children's Guide to Fostering

Children receive their own version of our Statement of Purpose when they are placed with our foster carers, and their booklet is called the 'Children's Guide to Fostering'. Family Fostercare has produced two versions of the Children's Guide, one for younger children and one for the more grown up child.

Download our Children's Guide to Fostering

Family Fostercare's Younger Children's Guide to Fostering

Family Fostercare's Older Children's Guide to Fostering

OFSTED Report

OFSTED is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. They report directly to Parliament and are independent and impartial. OFSTED inspect and regulate services which care for children and young people including fostering agencies.

OFSTED inspects all fostering agencies in England, the aim being to help to promote constant improvement in standards of care and safeguarding so that children and young people, parents and carers benefit. After an inspection an inspection report is produced and published.

You can find out more about OFSTED's work and read or download our latest OFSTED reports by visiting the OFSTED website and searching for Family Fostercare, or you can download copies from our website using the links below.

Download our OFSTED report

Family Fostercare latest OFSTED report

OFSTED inspection report, September 2023