What makes a stable Fostering Placement?

There have been many studies into what makes a good and stable Fostering Placement.

Some of key factors which have been outlined from these studies include:

• Providing foster carers with respite and targeted support.
• Providing high quality assessment and planning.
• Better retention of experienced foster carers.
• Better liaison and more provision between education and child or young person and adolescent mental health services.
• Having adequate information about the child’s or young person’s needs and long term plans.
• Knowing how long the child or young person is likely to stay in the placement.

From a child or young person’s perspective:

• Feeling engaged with their foster carers and social workers about decision-making.
• Feeling motivated to stay and wanting to make the placement work.
• Feeling that the foster placement is ‘right’ for them.

As a small and independent Fostering Service, we are very clear about making long-term stable fostering placements which benefit not only the child or young person in our care, but provide the rewards and satisfaction of a successful placement for all our foster carers.

We use a unique Positive Outcomes Framework. This involves completing detailed questionnaires within two months of a foster placement and then every four months thereafter. It includes all five areas from ‘Every Child Matters: health, education, social, personal and family dimensions. It helps us to identify individual needs in each area and work collaboratively to set achievable targets and ensure progress.