Devon County Council is one of 14 local authorities across the South West to celebrate the official launch of a new regional fostering recruitment hub, Fostering South West, this week, as part of work to attract local council foster carers in the area.
Fostering South West is a new virtual fostering hub bringing together the expertise of 14 councils from across the region to support families considering fostering with their local authority.
The hub will act as a first point of contact for those interested in fostering; giving them a centralised platform for enquiries, ensuring they receive the best support right from the start of their fostering journey, and helping them make an informed choice about how fostering could work for them. The hub then links potential foster carers with their local council for the next steps in the fostering process.
The scheme seeks to help recruit carers from a range of different backgrounds and circumstances in the region. By supporting collaboration among local councils, the hub aims to streamline the process and offer comprehensive assistance to prospective foster carers at every step of the way.
Hosted by Wiltshire Council, the Hub is funded by the Department for Education.
Carrie Worth, Fostering South West Team Manager, said
“Fostering South West is an incredibly exciting opportunity for the region to work together, share their knowledge and expertise and work collectively to create more safe and loving homes for children and young people in the care of their local authority.
“The hub will provide a central point for people to learn and enquire about fostering and to receive support throughout their journey to becoming a foster carer.
Janet Daby, Minister for Children and Families, Department for Education, said
“Foster carers are a precious part of the children’s social care system – welcoming children into their families and providing a safe home for them to flourish.
“With a growing number of children going into care, we know that we urgently need to recruit more foster carers and this will be at the heart of our thinking as we re-focus the system to provide earlier support and greater stability for children.
“It’s fantastic to see the launch of Fostering South West and the hub will be a valuable touchpoint for carers throughout their fostering recruitment journey, offering valuable support, guidance and training.”
The hub began operating in April, however the official launch event took place this week. Representatives from all authorities in the Hub met to discuss the results from the first few months of operation and plans for the future as well as an exciting new partnership with Mood Bears.
Steve Liddicott, Deputy Director Children’s Health and Wellbeing at Devon County Council said:
“Devon County Council is pleased to be a part of the development of the regional fostering hub. Whilst we want more Devon foster carers to keep our children local to their families, friends and schools, we are also want to contribute to the recruitment of more foster carers across our neighbouring authorities. Ensuring that there are enough foster carers for the children in our care is both a local and a regional challenge.”
Local authority fostering keeps children local, allowing them to continue to live in the community they know, with as little change as possible.
More information on becoming a local council foster carer can be found on Fostering South West’s website. You can also visit our contact us page for more information on how to get in touch.