Fostering Support
Always on hand
“Fantastic commitment from the foster care support workers to our young people, giving them the opportunity to have experiences they may not normally have had access to. Well done everyone.”
Andrea – Swiis Carer
Our fostering support promise
Choosing to become a foster carer is a life-changing experience and we fully appreciate that you need a range of information to help you make your decision. Swiis are on hand to help support you through the decision-making process and should you decide to apply to become a foster carer, we will guide you through each stage of the process. Once approved, Swiis will provide ongoing mentoring and exceptional support via a local team of fostering specialists to help you succeed in your new role and in making a difference to a child or young person.
Supervising Social Workers
Social workers provide ongoing support to Swiis carers and are available 24/7 to ensure that someone is always ready to help whatever the problem. The Swiis Social Worker also acts as the liaison with the Local Authority social workers responsible for the child and will be the conduit for all other professionals linked to the placement.
Education
Each foster care office is supported by education experts who work closely with children and carers to understand their individual needs and help them with any issues they may face in their education. This may include support with specific topics the child is struggling with or potentially sourcing a school near to the foster placement.
Education and therapists play a key role in foster carer training, ensuring you have all the necessary resources available to meet children’s needs.
AVERAGE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE OF SWIIS CARED-FOR CHILDREN
Therapy
Many of our children have experienced trauma, loss, abuse or neglect and some have little trust in adults. Looking after them can be challenging and exhausting. As well as undertaking assessments and providing direct 1:1 therapy sessions with children our therapists also deliver attachment training and carer consultations to help you understand the child’s difficulties in relation to their past experiences, and help you develop the skills to respond in ways which encourage lasting positive change and help the child to thrive.
OF SWIIS CARERS HAVE BEEN WITH US OVER 2 YEARS
Resource Workers
Our Resource Workers play a key part in transforming and raising aspirations of our young people. They are available to offer practical help, whether it is accompanying children and carers to appointments, providing assistance with transport or taking young people out for activities or one-to-one work.
Resource Workers offer a flexible combination of practical and emotional support to children, young people, carers and families to ensure they thrive on their journey together. They routinely arrange for the foster children to meet collectively to undertake joint activities and workshops, these include funs days out to museums, theme parks or undertaking accredited Awards. We also listen to what the children want and recently one group wanted to learn First Aid! Activities and workshops also give us an opportunity to ask the children and young people we look after, what they think about Swiis and their placement and how we can do better. We listen to what our children and young people have to say and adapt the way we work to make sure they get the best from us.
Start Your Fostering Journey
With thousands of children coming into foster care in the UK everyday, we urgently need foster carers more than ever.
Refer a Friend
Do you know anyone who would be a fantastic foster carer who has the skills and compassion to support a child or young person in need of a loving home?
