Different types of fostering
Fostering is flexible and can be worked around your availability and lifestyle. There are different types of fostering that we provide.
Short-term fostering
In this role you will care for a child full time in your home. The length of stay can vary depending on the circumstances of the child’s family and plans made about the child’s long-term care. This could be anything from an overnight stay to a period of several months.
Some children return home to their family while others may move to long-term foster carers or become adopted.
Long-term fostering
Sometimes a child cannot return home and adoption is not possible. As a long-term foster carer you will provide children with a loving and stable home, nurturing their development and preparing them for independence when they turn 18.
Respite fostering
This is when you look after a child at weekends or set holidays. This gives birth parents or other foster carers a break from providing full-time care.
Supported Lodging fostering
Supported Lodgings is an opportunity for you to offer space, support and care to a young person aged 16 – 21 years (or 25 years if still in education) in your home. Most young people are not ready to go out into the world on their own when they reach 16 years old. We know that there are vulnerable young people in Derby City who are at the stage of leaving home through no fault of their own, but still need support to help them reach independence. As their “host”, you offer them a vital stepping stone to their independence.
Fostering PLUS
Are you looking for a rewarding career change? Do you have the time, understanding and experience to support a young person in need of stability, care and guidance?
Derby's Fostering PLUS is a scheme for young people moving from residential care into foster family life. The young people are likely to have complex needs requiring a higher level of care, support and nurturance to make a real difference to their lives and future. They will have experienced multiple placement moves and will be managing behaviours due to traumatic life events.
This is a full time, self employed role earning upto 40k a year.
Our Foster PLUS carers will have experience in caring or working with young people from a range of areas such as an Education or Caring sectors i.e. residential, school settings or nursing.
You, or somebody in your household, will need to be available as a full time carer, be able to drive and have access to a car, be home based, have a spare bedroom and be motivated to work with a team of professionals. As a Foster PLUS carer you will be self-employed.
Our carers will be matched with a young person following a careful assessment process to ensure the young person is a good match for your family or circumstances. Generally the young person will need to be the youngest member or only child/ young person in the household.
To reflect the skill and time needed Derby City Council will offer:
- A generous financial package of up to £500 a week, plus child/fostering allowances dependent on a child’s age. Income up to £40,000 a year.
- 28 days paid respite
- A package of therapeutic support individually tailored to meet the needs of the child and carers
- An experienced supervising social worker as part of the network of support
- Out of hours support at evenings and weekends.
- Training and support groups for carers – focusing on understanding attachment and therapeutic parenting strategies
Download and read about Fostering PLUS person attributes and job description .
If you would like an informal discussion about whether this could be the right next step for you, please email Claire.lunn@derby.gov.uk or andrew.hore@derby.gov.uk or call 01332 643863
Come along to the Fostering PLUS information events which are detialed on our events page.
Please fill out the online form to find out more about all the different types of fostering.
Or you can call us on 01332 640880
Download and read the Derby Foster Carers Charter