We welcome new proposals launched by the Government today which strengthen the recognition, authority and support available to foster carers.
The Department for Education has published new Draft Standards for Foster Care, statutory guidance for fostering services and foster carer development standards, which set out a much-needed shift towards a more relational approach to foster care. Foster carers play a vital role in helping children recover from trauma - the new guidance aims to recognise and support children to heal from the trauma that many have suffered whilst effectively safeguarding and placing more trust in foster carers.
Replacing the existing standards and guidance, the draft reflects the changing role of foster carers and sets out a stronger framework to ensure they are recognised, supported and valued for their vital role in the lives of children and young people. We hope this will help retain the large numbers of foster carers leaving each year.
Members of The Fostering Network contributed to the Government's draft guidance which is now open for consultation until 16 September, helping to shape many of the positive changes set out in the draft standards and guidance.
For the first time, the document explicitly states that foster carers must be recognised as equal partners in the team around the child, have greater delegated authority to make everyday decisions as the person that knows the child best so children can enjoy and benefit from ordinary family life.
We particularly welcome the much-needed changes to the allegations process, which can be one of the most challenging issues foster carers face. The draft standards set out a more balanced and proportionate approach, making clear that concerns about foster carers should be assessed fairly, impartially and without assumptions. While the standards say payments should continue during this process, they also allow services to keep this under review. We believe foster carers should receive fees for 52 weeks a year, providing the financial stability they need to continue caring for children. We would also like to see strengthened guidance on the police’s role in allegations and how this contributes to delays.
Building on the Government’s recent strategy on Enduring Relationships, we welcome the stronger expectations for supporting foster carers to maintain children’s relationships with parents, siblings and wider family members. These trusted relationships can play an important role in children’s wellbeing, identity and stability. Too often, children and foster carers are prevented from nurturing lifelong family connections, even where doing so would be safe, appropriate and beneficial.
We are also pleased to see the importance of Staying Put arrangements recognised, enabling young people to remain with their former foster carers during a key transition in their lives. However, this must be backed by much stronger investment so that every young person who wants to can benefit from that trusted and consistent relationship.
Foster carers will have greater access to robust support throughout their fostering journey. The documents state that fostering services should provide regular monthly supervision, evidence-based peer support, access to multidisciplinary expertise offering preventative, crisis and emotional support, and planned breaks to help carers sustain their role. These were key issues raised in our State of the Nations survey as reasons why foster carers were leaving the role.
The standards also recognise the importance of the wider network around the child, encouraging services to consider how family members, friends and other trusted adults can provide stability, support and continuity of relationships. However, we believe this should go further: every foster carer should be approved alongside a trusted adult who can offer practical support, including overnight care when needed.
The consultation on the new guidance is open until September 16. We will continue to work closely with members to share their views on the proposals.
James Copeland, Director of England at The Fostering Network, said:
"These draft standards and guidance are a major step forward and show that foster carers are finally being listened to. For too long, carers have felt undervalued, lacked authority to make everyday decisions and faced disproportionate allegations processes.
"With more foster carers leaving than joining over the past five years, these standards could help reverse that trend by providing the recognition, trust, support and authority carers need to continue offering stable, loving homes for children.
"Thank you to the foster carers who shared their views and helped shape these important changes. We look forward to working with them through the next stage of the consultation."
