Perpetual Fostering is a Bolton based fostering agency specialising to provide children and young people with high quality foster care in a safe, secure and nurturing environment.
Perpetual Fostering is a Bolton based fostering agency specialising to provide children and young people with high quality foster care in a safe, secure and nurturing environment.
  Did You Know?
 
  1. What is the difference between an independent fostering agency and Local Authority Social Services fostering?

    Local Authorities are ultimately responsible for the well being of all children in public care. They need to find the best way of looking after these children to make sure that they receive the best possible standard of care.

    Where Local Authority Social Services are unable to accommodate/offer accommodation they delegate this responsibility to Independent Fostering Agency’s (IFA). Both Local Authority and IFAs work in partnership to achieve the best possible outcomes for Looked After Children/young people.
  1. What type of children are referred to IFA?

    As an agency, we receive referrals for children from a variety of backgrounds, who require differing levels of support and care.

    All our carers receive a fully comprehensive training program and 24hour support from qualified staff.
  1. Who can apply to be a foster carer?

    Anyone can apply to be a foster carer. It does not matter if you are married or single, gay or lesbian, young or old. There are some basic requirements, for example are you aged 21 yrs or older and are physically and mentally fit and have a positive approach to looking after vulnerable young people, and have a spare room available.

    Experience of parenting, fostering or related professional child care is desirable but not essential.

  2. Would previous convictions prevent someone from fostering?

    A previous criminal conviction would not necessarily disqualify you from fostering; it would depend upon the nature of the conviction and when it occurred. Therefore, it is very important you tell us everything, however significant, as this helps avoid unnecessary disappointment and wasted time and resources for you and the agency. Any information shared with us would remain confidential at all times.

  3. What sort of checks are carried out on me and my home?

    We undertake a number of statutory checks including a medical, CRB (police check) and Local Authority checks.

  4. If I am going to be the main foster carer, do you need to carry out checks on my partner?

    We regard all couples living together as partners in the fostering process so we would require that you both have the necessary checks and training and that both take part in the assessment process.

    We will need to carry out checks on anyone in the household over the age of 16. Even if you are the main carer, anyone sharing your home will have some involvement in and influence on the fostering task.

  5. Can a child I foster share a bedroom with one of my own children?

    Perpetual fostering will only place a child in a home where they can have their own bedroom, however in the case of sibling groups we would allow them to share the same bedroom if appropriate and in the best interest of the children.

  6. Can I still go out to work and be a foster carer?

    As an agency we would prefer that the main carer remain at home to be able to meet the needs to the child/ren placed.  In the initial stages of the placement there is an expectation that the main carer will attend meetings with education and social services departments and therefore needs to be available during office hours.
  7. Can I choose how long I want children and young people to stay with me?

    Before you are approved as a carer with, we will have discussed the different types of placements that are needed for our young people. You can decide which types of placement would suit you best. However the duration of most placements is un-clear and therefore a flexible approach is required.
  1. Can I choose which age group or sex I would prefer to foster?

    Yes, you can. However, you need to bear in mind that the majority of children referred to Perpetual Fostering are in the 10+ age group and we tend to have more boys than girls. If you are relying on income from fostering, you are far more likely to have continuous placements if you are willing to take teenagers as well as younger children.
    We do also require carers with sufficient space to take sibling groups. These children are often younger.

  2. How much will I know about the child/young person before they are placed with me?

    We discuss every placement with our carers and it is your decision as to whether to take a young person. We will provide you with as much information about the young person and their background as possible, including any difficult behaviour and how to manage it.

    You do need to be aware that sometimes we have very little information, especially in an emergency. We would always try to obtain as much background information as possible.

  3. Who is responsible for taking the children to school and to the doctor etc?

    We would normally expect carers to undertake these tasks. Occasionally, if you have a particular problem, your social worker would endeavour to make alternative arrangements.
  1. Are we allowed to smack foster children?

    No form of corporal punishment is acceptable under the regulations governing fostering; this would include any form of smacking, slapping or shaking. We provide training to all our carers on alternative and effective ways to cope with any difficult behaviour.

  2. What sort of support will I get if I’m finding it difficult to cope?

    You will have your own allocated social worker and support will be available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We also have a team of resource workers who work with our carers and young people. We provide two weeks’ paid “respite” holiday for carers each year and, on occasion, additional regular respite breaks if considered necessary.

    You will never be expected to cope on your own. In fact, we want and need you to tell us if you are having any problems at all so that we can help and support you and the young person with you.

    Arranged Carer Support Groups, which we hope will enable Carers to gain experience and support from each other.
  3. What sort of training will I get to be a foster carer?

    We hold a ‘Skills to Foster’ training course, prior to being approved that takes place over two days. During the course you will be given information about the assessment process and about fostering. Course attendees almost overwhelmingly report that they have found the course extremely enjoyable and informative.

    Once our carers have completed our assessment process and have been approved, we encourage and support those carers interested, to achieve professional qualifications by providing training to NVQ Level 3 in Child Care, in addition to an on-going training programme.

  4. How much allowance will I receive per week and how is this decided?

    The basic allowance is £375 per week per child fostered. Subsequent children placed by the Local Authority may attract a lower fee and therefore this may be reflected in your allowance. Sometimes enhanced payments are made (if, for example, a child has particularly challenging behaviour and the Local Authority,  has requested that they are a ‘solo placement’ with no other children in the household).

  5. What does the weekly allowance cover?

    Your weekly allowance for each child fostered is intended to cover living costs such as food, clothes, basic travel, household bills. Occasionally, extra contributions can be made.

  6. Will I be taxed on this income?

    Our carers work on a ‘self employed’ basis. Foster carers receive very favorable tax treatment on income derived solely from fostering.

    Under a new tax relief introduced in 2003, foster carers whose gross receipts from foster care do not exceed an individual limit will be exempt from tax on their income from foster care.

    Individual and more general advice on taxation is available from a number of sources including the Inland Revenue.  As an agency we would advise you to undertake private financial advice.
  7. If I become approved as a foster carer, how long will I have to wait before I begin having placements?

    Once your assessment – the ‘Form F’ – is completed, it will be presented to our Fostering Panel. If you are then approved you can begin taking placements immediately. All placements are made following a careful matching process, based on information obtained from you during your assessment. The more flexible you are the easier it will be to place children with you. 
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