What support is available between foster carer reviews in Stoke-on-Trent?

Support between foster carer reviews is the regular supervision, practical advice and professional guidance that helps you manage your fostering responsibilities as circumstances change. A review is an important formal assessment, but it is not the only point at which your progress, concerns or development should be discussed.

The support available will depend on your experience, the needs of the child or young person in your care and the type of placement. It may cover:

• Placement advice: guidance on establishing routines, responding to behaviour, maintaining boundaries and helping a child settle into your household.
• Contact arrangements: support with planning and managing family time, recording what happens and raising concerns when contact is proving difficult for the child.
• Working with other professionals: help to understand your role in meetings with social workers, schools, health professionals and other members of the child’s network.
• Safeguarding: advice about recording concerns, responding to disclosures, managing risks and following the correct procedure if an incident occurs.
• Everyday decisions: clarification about delegated authority, permissions, practical arrangements and when a decision needs to be referred to the child’s social worker or another professional.
• Foster carer wellbeing: an opportunity to discuss the impact of fostering on you and your household, identify pressure points and consider what practical adjustments may help.

Your supervising social worker is usually the main person helping you between reviews. Supervision should provide a structured opportunity to look at how a placement is progressing, consider the child’s needs and check that you understand any changes to plans or expectations. It is also a chance to discuss incidents or uncertainties before they become more difficult to manage.

Good support is specific to the placement rather than limited to general fostering advice. For example, you may need guidance about helping a child manage transitions, supporting school attendance, dealing with difficult conversations or maintaining appropriate relationships with birth family members. The fostering team can help you consider the child’s history and care plan while keeping day-to-day decisions proportionate and focused on their welfare.

Foster carers are also expected to keep appropriate records, share relevant information and contribute to the child’s care planning. Advice between reviews can help you understand what needs to be recorded, how information should be passed on and how to distinguish between an ordinary difficulty and a matter requiring prompt professional attention.

If an allegation or serious concern is raised, the fostering service should explain the procedure, the people involved and the support available to you. You should report concerns honestly and follow the safeguarding guidance provided. Do not investigate an allegation yourself or make promises about what will happen; instead, seek direction from the relevant social work professionals.

Between reviews, it is useful to keep a note of questions, incidents, achievements and changes in the child’s needs. This gives supervision meetings a clear focus and helps ensure that important matters are not overlooked. You can also discuss whether additional development or a change to the support plan would be useful, rather than waiting for the next formal review.

When you need advice, contact your supervising social worker or the relevant fostering team and explain the situation clearly, including what has happened, what action you have already taken and what you are unsure about. If there is an immediate safeguarding concern, follow the procedures given to you during your fostering preparation and placement training.