Support for Foster Carers
Experienced Social Workers
You will be allocated a highly qualified Supervising Social Worker who you will have regular contact and supervision with. Your Social Worker will be based at a local office, allowing strong relationships to develop – we know how important this is.
Our Social Workers are therapeutically trained to understand the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences. This means they can provide compassionate, trauma-informed support to our foster families.
Round the Clock Support
Day or night, we’re here to help you – not something Local Authorities or other agencies always offer. We know this round-the-clock support is absolutely crucial. With our 24 hour helpline, highly qualified staff are always on hand.
Access to Therapists
An important part of our Social Workers’ jobs is advocating for our Foster Carers, ensuring that their voices are heard when times get tough. This involves working closely with our team of in-house Clinicians so that difficulties can be addressed promptly. From there, our Clinicians, Social Workers, and Foster Carers create an agreed plan of support. This personalised therapeutic response, funded by our Social Enterprise reinvestments, is what makes Five Rivers stand out from other fostering agencies.
A Research-Informed Approach to Training
Our research-based training is unique to Five Rivers Child Care and provides our Foster Carers with a strong foundation in therapeutic care.
Working in partnership with University College London and the Anna Freud Centre, we have carried out studies to understand the impacts of childhood adversity. As a result, we have developed the Attachment and Trauma-Informed Care Model™ (ATIC) – a pioneering model of therapeutic care that we embed across our organisation.
Delivered by an in-house team of clinicians, our ATIC training helps Foster Carers to become trauma-informed, enabling them to better support children and minimising the risk of placement breakdown.
Fostering Support Groups and Memberships
Our support groups give you the opportunity to discuss issues or concerns with other experienced carers and child care experts. Networking with other carers in your area can be really helpful, and we strive to support this as best we can.
You will also have instant access to Foster Talk, a support and advice service for Foster Carers, and New Family Social, a charity for LGBT+ Foster Carers and adopters.
Paid Short Breaks When Needed
We know that having time off is crucial, so we provide our carers with up to 14 days paid leave. We have ‘short break’ carers available to ensure that you can take time off when needed.
