Fostering in Hounslow

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Caring for children and young people who live in Hounslow

Fostering with Hounslow keeps children and young people who need foster care in the local community, in familiar surroundings that we know can provide a better outcome for them as they grow up. In most cases, they can continue going to the same school or nursery, church or faith group and regularly see the friends they have made. Most importantly, they can continue to see their parents, siblings and extended family members on supervised visits without having to travel too far.

Hounslow is a diverse borough where the needs of children are a priority, and our foster carers are truly valued. Foster carers in Hounslow can now enjoy an even better fostering allowance package and support, with a fantastic 44% increase across the board - this includes a 20% increase for standard allowances and a 50% increase for children with complex needs.

Benefits, allowances and support

  • Generous allowance: If you foster with Hounslow, you’ll get an allowance of up to £1,130 per fortnight plus outstanding support and ongoing training
  • Other financial benefits: We'll refund your council tax while a child is in your care, lightening your financial load
  • Start-up payment: Assistance to buy essentials such as cot beds, bedding, car seats and buggies
  • One-off payments: Available throughout the year, for example, holiday allowances
  • 24/7 telephone support: Such as out-of-hours fostering duty and the children’s emergency duty team
  • Dedicated social worker: Ready to assist whenever you need them
  • Foster carers' support groups: Organised opportunities to meet, share experiences and get advice
  • Learning, development and training opportunities
  • Fostering Network membership: Includes 24-hour helpline, discount for foster carers and much more
  • Monthly newsletters: Keep up to date with relevant news, advice and benefits for carers
  • Clinical psychotherapist: Professional advice, support and training to stabilise placements
  • Health and wellness: Our foster carers enjoy a Fusion leisure pass, granting them free access to the borough's leisure centres and classes
  • Family fun: An annual Merlin pass, granting free entry to 30 of the UK's top attractions, including Legoland, Alton Towers, and Thorpe Park
  • Blue Light card: Discounts at hundreds of high street retailers, restaurants and cinemas
  • Yearly social event: Join us to celebrate the contribution of foster carers

Transfer to Hounslow

If you are already a foster carer and looking to transfer, we want to hear from you.

We will ensure that your transfer from another agency to us is a smooth process, ensuring continuity of care for any children in your care.

You can only be registered with one fostering agency at a time, so once you have given written notice to your current agency of your intention to transfer, we will work with you to map out a timeframe for when you can transfer to Hounslow Council.

We will need to undertake our own assessment, but we are able to use the information provided by your agency as part of it, meaning that we are able to complete the assessment within a shorter period of time than those new to fostering.

What are the steps to becoming a foster carer with Hounslow?

Step 1 - Make contact

Call Foster with West London on 020 8753 1075 or join us to hear more at one of our information sessions. During this initial call we will provide you with advice and support you to make a decision as to whether it is the right time for you to foster.

If you are ready to progress with your journey to becoming a foster carer, an initial enquiry will be completed over the phone to learn more about you and your family. If you meet the initial screening criteria, you will be passed to the local authority you want to foster for who will book an initial home visit and a member of the team will visit you.

Step 2 - Training

Attend our Skills-to-Foster 3-day course which will equip you with essential skills required to care for a vulnerable child or young person. Attendance at the course forms part of the assessment process and all applicants are required to attend. 

Depending on when the training course starts, you may be invited to attend the course before the assessment begins or during the assessment.

Step 3 - Assessment (Stage 1 and 2)

Once we have completed your initial enquiry and an initial home visit has been carried out, a decision will be made to progress to Stage 1.

Both you and your allocated worker will sign an Assessment Stage 1 agreement outlining the process involved. During the Assessment Stage 1 a number of checks, required by the government under the fostering regulations, will be undertaken which includes:

  • your local authority
  • probation
  • finance
  • employment
  • education

In addition to the above, we will complete personal references and education checks for your children. You will be expected to undertake a health assessment with your doctor. We will need to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check on you, your partner and any members of your household who are over 18 years old.

We will also agree on a timeframe for this work to be undertaken. You will be offered the opportunity to undertake Skills-to-Foster training at this stage.

Upon completion of Assessment Stage 1, you will be allocated a social worker to carry out an assessment of your background, life experiences and the qualities you would bring to fostering.

This is called Assessment Stage 2 of the fostering process. This will be reviewed halfway through by the principal social worker within the team to check any plans that need to be put into place.

Step 4 - Approval

You will be invited to a Fostering Panel that will assess your application alongside the government fostering regulations and make a recommendation for your approval as a foster carer and the final decision will be made by the agency decision maker shortly after.

Step 5 - Post-approval

You will be enrolled on our payment system and allocated a supervising social worker who will help you prepare yourself and your home for a child or young person coming into your care, and your life as a foster  carer begins!

After one year, you will go back to a Fostering Panel which will review your first year as a foster carer.

Start today

If you would like further information, with no-obligation, please send us your details and one of our fostering team will get in touch with you.

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