| For busy Local Authority social workers, suddenly | | | | from school - this is something that needs to be |
| finding a child they work with placed in an Independent | | | | discussed with the social worker in the first instance. |
| Fostering Agency can be a bit different from the norm. | | | | The role of the supervising social worker is to protect |
| Firstly the agency start requesting all the necessary | | | | the foster carer from any unnecessary stress and |
| paperwork for a looked after child and additional | | | | thus allow them to concentrate on the important task |
| information on top of that - risk assessments, | | | | of caring for children. He or she needs to be included in |
| placement agreement forms etc. It can be a bit | | | | the lines of communication in order to make this |
| daunting when all the social worker wants to do is | | | | happen smoothly. |
| settle a needy child in a safe place and move on to | | | | Additional services provided by the agency include |
| the next dilemma! | | | | family support workers, life story work with children, |
| The aforementioned paperwork can't be avoided and | | | | contact supervision, support when a child is out of |
| having it on file is a requirement of OFSTED for all | | | | school and many others. These services can be |
| fostering agencies, which, like Local Authority fostering | | | | negotiated with the social worker at the time of the |
| teams are rigorously inspected. However once this | | | | placement or at a later stage if the need arises. |
| process is completed, the fostering agency is there to | | | | Most social workers who have used independent |
| help you. Each foster carer has a supervising social | | | | fostering agencies have found the quality of work to |
| worker with a relatively protected caseload so which | | | | be as good if not better than that of their Local |
| means they have more time than many busy social | | | | Authority counterparts. This is largely because of the |
| workers to support the carer in delivering a good | | | | lower caseloads held by the agency social worker, |
| service both to you and the children in placement. To | | | | which enables them to provide excellent support to the |
| make the most of the placement it is vital that the | | | | foster carer. In addition, the extra services that can be |
| supervising social worker is your first port of call. She | | | | offered by the agency can often really make the |
| or he can negotiate finer details and requests from | | | | difference. Agencies are willing and able to help in any |
| you with the foster carer so that your wishes can be | | | | way they can and to make life easier for busy social |
| fulfilled. For example you may need additional support | | | | workers. |
| for contact with birth family or getting the chid to and | | | | |