Why Foster With Five Rivers Fostering Agency?

For over 30 years, Five Rivers has provided a sector-leading fostering service that has helped thousands of children. As a Social Enterprise, we measure our success by the positive impact we have on lives, rather than the profit we make for shareholders. We reinvest into our children’s services and the communities we serve, so that we can better support our Foster Carers and the children they look after.

As a Five Rivers Foster Carer, you’ll receive a full package of practical, financial and professional support; from competitive fees and paid respite, to career progression and bespoke training. Due to our Social Enterprise status, the training and support we can offer far surpasses what many other fostering agencies provide.

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Round the Clock Support

Five Rivers offers support from highly qualified, experienced staff 24/7 a day, 365 days a year. We know this round the clock support is absolutely crucial, however it’s not something Local Authorities or other agencies always offer. Our support isn’t just available to you as a Foster Carer – it’s available to your family and those living with you as well.

As well as receiving support from our social workers, you will also benefit from Foster Carer support groups in your area, as well as membership to Foster Talk and New Family Social.

Find out more about our support for Foster Carers and their families.

Training and Development

We provide free, comprehensive training to all our Foster Carers, regardless of whether they’re new to fostering or an experienced carer.

Starting with the Skills to Foster course, our training has been organised in a way that suits you; it is local and accessible. To make your fostering journey as smooth as possible, we offer e-learning and bespoke training for specialist fostering.

Once approved Five Rivers Foster Carer, you will receive ongoing training and access to development opportunities.

Find out more about training and support for Foster Carers.

Local Fostering Offices

Five Rivers Child Care has offices across the country, meaning our carers benefit from local training and a sense of community. Our regional fostering teams support our Foster Carers on a day-to-day basis and are always available to answer any questions you may have. We also run regional activity days, allowing you and the children in your care to meet other local foster families.

Meet your local fostering team.

Pay and Benefits

Many of our Foster Carers choose to make fostering their full time vocation, making it their primary source of income. As an independent agency and a social enterprise, we offer a highly competitive fostering allowance of up to £28,000 a year. In most circumstances, your fostering allowance will be tax free. We also offer a range of other benefits, such as paid short breaks.

Find out more about fostering pay and allowances.

Access to Specialists

The Assessment & Therapy team provides additional education and training for Foster Carers when required. This training is informed by research into the impact of developmental trauma on children and young people, and how this manifests in the behavioural presentation. This specialist training will help you as a Foster Carer to manage challenging behaviour and, in turn, reduces the risk of the placement breaking down.

As an independent provider of children’s services, we also offer clinical and educational services when needed to support the children and young people living with you.

Find out more about specialist training.

Dedicated Social Workers

As a Five Rivers Foster Carer, you will benefit from your own dedicated social worker who will help you in your role. They will work closely with you to develop a relationship, guiding you through the application process, and supporting you with the children and young people you look after.

In addition to this, you’ll benefit from a network of fostering specialists who cover everything from training and development, to support for you and your family.

Find out more about training and support for Foster Carers.

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Foster Carer Support Groups

As a Five Rivers Foster Carer, you will benefit from membership to a local support group. These meetings are a great opportunity to share experiences and develop relationships with other Foster Carers. Alongside this, we also host activity days where foster families can get to know each other and enjoy the company of likeminded people.

In addition to our internal support groups, we also offer our carers free membership to networks such as Foster Talk and New Family Social.

Give us a Call to Find Out More

We understand that making the decision to become a Foster Carer is a big commitment. Register your interest with our carer enquiries team for a no obligation chat to find out whether fostering could be right for you.