Fostering with Sunbeam We’re here to make becoming a foster carer as easy as possible and will provide you with all the advice and guidance you need to help you start your fostering journey. We know that to achieve a healthy society our focus need to be on children been supported to build, achieve and succeed. This is a shared focus and we are here to support our foster carers in achieving this. We will start with your fostering enquiry by allocating you a qualified staff member to assess your situation and if fostering is the right choice for you. He/she will conduct a home visit as soon as possible and proceed with your application to the next stage. The whole assessment process will take around 12 weeks depending on your individual circumstances and completion of statury checks. We will be in regular contact with you to offer updates about your assessment process. You will be offered preparatory skills to foster training (2-3 days) during the course of your assessment and this will provide you with the opportunity to meet other applicants and discuss and learn more about fostering in a group setting. If you have any questions about fostering, simply click
here and get in touch.
Who can become a Foster Carer? We need foster carers from a wide range of backgrounds, races and religion. This is because all children have their own unique and individual background and heritage. You do not need to be married, own a house or have children of your own. We aim to ensure that each child’s needs are met and matched as closely as possible, we use the following selection criteria: • • • • • • • • • •
Previous employment or experience in children’s services – paid or unpaid. Applicants with particular skills and experience in specific areas as learning difficulties, medical problems etc. Applicants who show a willingness to work towards meeting care standards for fostering. Applicants with experience of the previous fostering and/or close involvement with someone who has already fostered. An ability to reflect on life experiences and to mature through them. An ability to see beyond children’s behaviour, and to link it to past trauma, where applicable An empathy for and natural ability to nurture children traumatised by separation from their birth families. Applicants able to accept teenagers Applicants comfortable with parents visiting their home. If living with a partner/ spouse, the relationship should be established and secure.
Why Choose Sunbeam Fostering Agency? At Sunbeam, we are proud of our standards and the support and training that we provide to our foster carers. We are driven by children’s needs, which means we take time with every child to tackle the problems he/she faces while encouraging positive behaviour as well as offering support with education, employability, and addiction and self-harm issues. We would welcome you take the opportunity to speak to one of our existing foster carers to hear this first hand. We have a good record in maintaining placements and this is due to excellent matching process at the placement stage and also that we seek to address any concerns quickly. Why foster carers choose Sunbeam? Foster Carers choose Sunbeam because we provide: • • • •
Professional, experienced, qualified staff to undertake your assessment High quality, professional extensive support A supervising social worker who will be local to you and dedicated to supporting you Full support on a 24 hour basis through our out of hours team
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Comprehensive and progressive up to date training programme The chance to be treated as a fostering professional Insurance cover for wilful damage caused by foster children The opportunity to become an Enhanced Foster Carer for children with challenging needs. This may be a child with disabilities, autism or learning difficulties. We are following ARC Model for this which is being rolled out across the group to develop and promote foster carers’ skills, understanding and ability to intervene therapeutically. Careful matching of placements with your family Regular support groups for foster carers and children Competitive fostering allowances to cover children’s needs Good placement levels due to our tenders with local authorities and several preferred provider relationships Management that values the work you do and cares about welfare
Reasons be a foster carer with Sunbeam • • • • • • • • • • •
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted (London office) Extensive information will be provided to you to assist your transfer We have a strong focus on quality and better outcomes for children Our organisation has been in operation for 15 years and we have developed an excellent reputation We have strong Local Authority relationships Our fostering allowances are competitive You will have 24 hour access to staff and support for 365 days per year We will develop a career path for you to develop new fostering skills Promotion of equal opportunities for all Comprehensive insurance will be provided for you to cover any wilful damage by foster children Excellent training including online access
Contact with Sunbeam Fostering Agency? Fostering is a life changing experience and an amazing journey. Whether you are making an application or need more information about the process and would like to discuss things further, we are here to go through this with you and help you start your fostering journey. Our central recruitment team will respond to all fostering enquiries and answer any questions you may have. We will work with you to find out if fostering is the right choice for you before making any prior commitment Our central recruitment team can be contacted on 0208 7990 930.
Alternatively, you can enquire to become a foster carer online by completing our call back request form at the right of this page or a more detailed enquiry form. Sunbeam Fostering Agency has two offices registered with Ofsted, Langley (London & South) and Midlands. To support our foster carers registered with our Langley (London & South) office, we have further resource centres in Croydon and Walthamstow. In the Midlands, we have resource centre in Nottingham. Our sister fostering agency, Sunbeam Pride Fostering Service (which is a subsidiary company of Sunbeam Fostering Agency) has a separately registered office in Luton.