FosterWiki Carers Toolkit

Foster Carers Toolkit a Step by Step Guide

Welcome to FosterWiki’s Foster Carers Toolkit a Step by Step guide on becoming a foster carer, on this page, you will find a clear and simple guide to all the basic information you will need to start your journey to fostering. 

The content is designed to ensure you are prepared for the basics and can safely foster.

Each card below will open up a new window with a topic that we recommend you read and although you do not need to read each article in the order we list them,  it would be beneficial to ensure you read all of them. 

Some cards might require you to be a member of FosterWiki, don’t worry joining FosterWiki is free, and do not pass your information on to third parties.

Just click on the cards below and enjoy.

Foster Carers Toolkit
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What to read first?

So you want to be a foster carer

So you want to be a Foster Carer

Being a modern foster carer is so much more than nurturing a child in a family environment, although it is of course centred around this.
Read here
Must Read
Disability living Allowance and Personal Independence allowance

Your Role as a Professional

Foster carers can often fight to be seen as equal professionals in a team around the child.
Open here
Coming Soon
National Minimum Standards (NMS)

National Minimum Standards

General Introduction to the National Minimum Standards (NMS). This forms part of the legal framework we need to comply with.
Read here
Regulations
A Brief Guide to Fostering Babies

A Guide to Fostering Babies

Fostering babies is a fulfilling type of fostering where you get to see and share some of the baby’s first moments.
Read here
A guide to fostering adolescents

Teenagers a Guide to Fostering Adolescents

Foster carers for teenagers are like gold dust, but it doesn’t have to be like that.
Read here
Money Matters A guide to fostering finances

The Business side Self-Employment

Fostering is 24/7, this is often exhausting, so the extra stress of tax returns, understanding them, registering, NI, the law & keeping records can seem daunting at times.
Read here
Coming Soon
What are Allegations

What is an Allegation?

A brief guide to understanding what an allegation or standard of care complaint is, who can make one and where to get help.
Read here
Must Read
Preparing for a placement

Preparing for Your First Foster Child / Young Person

A guide for new and existing foster carers preparing to welcome a foster child / young person into the family home.
Read here
Jargon Buster - A guide to acronyms and abbreviations in foster care

Jargon Buster

Not sure what was said? Lost the conversation thread? Then use the FosterWiki Jargon Buster – A guide to acronyms and abbreviations in foster care.
Read here
Birth Children in the Fostering Setting

Birth Children in the Fostering Setting

The children of foster carers are an integral part of the fostering family, their contribution and impact are immeasurable.
Read here
Trauma informed foundations

Trauma Informed Foundations

Therapeutic foundations - A brief and basic guide to trauma, attachment and adverse childhood experiences.
Read here
Matching in foster care: making good decisions for children in care and care leavers

Matching in Foster Care

Matching in foster care: making good decisions for children in care and care leavers, not what you see in adverts!
Read here
A guide to the main meetings for foster carers

Meetings

A guide to the main meetings for foster carers. Many foster carers have told us they had no idea which meetings were which, particularly when they first started fostering.
Read here
Foster Carer Reviews

Foster Carer Reviews

An introduction to Foster Carer ReviewsReviews are an integral part of the foster carer’s role, they are held for a variety of reasons.
Read here
A carers guide to fostering panels

A Carers Guide to Fostering Panels

Panels are an integral part of the fostering system, they are held for a variety of reasons and foster carers will attend.
Read here
A foster carers introduction to safeguarding the children and young people in their care.

A Foster Carers Introduction to Safeguarding

A foster carers introduction to safeguarding the children and young people in their care.
Read here
NEW

iTOL Accredited NFCQ Foundation Course in Fostering

Enrol in the course today to join the new cohort of Accredited Foster Carers.
Enrol Now!

TOP TIPS for Foster Carers

FosterWiki is designed for easy reading, however, we understand you have very limited time as foster carers so we have produced short and easy-to-read TOP TEN tips to accompany the main articles on FosterWiki.

Just click on the list below to be taken to the top ten tips in a new window.

10 Top Allegation Tips You Need to Know
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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is one of the cornerstones of fostering and it covers a wide range of topics from online safety to abusive behavior. 

As a foster carer, you will be expected to do a basic course and repeat this every 3 years, however, these are just basic courses and can leave you and your family as well as the children and young people you care for at risk. 

At FosterWiki we recommend you continually study and learn so we have put a few links that you might find useful to enhance the basic safeguarding courses you will do.

Mental Health

The Mental Health of Foster Carers is as important as any other member of the team around the child/young person and therefore we recommend you watch our 5 Top Tips for self-care and mental Health.

National Union of Professional Foster Carers (NUPFC)

Providing Valuable Support for Foster Carers

The NUPFC is the first government-approved and certified trade union supporting and protecting foster carers.

Whilst the fostering of a child or children is certainly one of the most rewarding things you can do, it is no doubt without its challenges.

If you are an experienced fosterer, you will know that sometimes things happen that may place you in a situation where you really don’t know where to turn for independent and trustworthy advice.

Join the NUPFC
Join the NUPFC Now!

This week I am still a foster carer because of Robin and the NUPFC, and my young people still have their home, we are all so relieved, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

A Foster Carer

Membership Benefits

  • Protection and security.
    Representation during the allegations process.
  • Representation during standard of care proceedings.
  • Solutions to everyday problems between you and your agency or local authority.
  • Member benefits include discounts at high street shops, holidays, and amazing Merlin Entertainment days out.
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