Sponsored Editorial: Produced in association with Medway Council

Have you worked with, looked after or cared for children or young adults that have experienced challenges and troubles in their young lives?

If you have, then you may already have a lot of the skills and qualities needed to provide a secure and welcoming home for a child in Medway.

There are approximately 64,000 children in Medway with 434 of these being looked after children who are in the care of Medway Council. As of January 2021, we recorded that

there are 321 children in Foster Care, and 161 of these children are placed within Medway Fostering households.

At the end of last year 2020, there were 450 children in care within Medway - and that figure is expected to rise.

The situation is becoming an emergency and new national statistics shows that figures will rise above the already staggering 89% in the South East.

This projected increase in the number of children in care means that the demand for foster carers has never been higher.

In order to meet this demand, Medway Council Fostering Services is now recruiting carers.

In return, following successful completion of assessments, we offer a new lifestyle opportunity with fresh challenges, training that leads to qualifications, ongoing support from a dedicated team of children’s social workers, stay-at-home and flexible working freedom, with an income.

Who are Medway Council's foster carers?

Our Foster Carers are skilled professionals that we work alongside, to enable children in their care to feel accepted and to not be defined by their history. These skills, when applied in a non-judgemental way, can lead to a child or young person excelling in foster care, to being part of a foster family and gives children a chance to rebuild their lives.

We fully appreciate that it can be a big step to take, which is why we make sure you receive a professional allowance for becoming a foster carer. In fact, many of our carers view being a foster parent as a career opportunity as we will also support you with a range of exceptional training that will offer you ongoing professional development opportunities.

Why do babies, children and young people enter the foster care system?

There are multiple reasons leading to babies, children and young people entering the foster care system. In the majority of cases, children have likely suffered trauma, violence, abuse, or may have come from a family breakdown, neglect or family illness.

Medway Council’s foster carers and children are regarded as unique cases that require a tailored approach.

Through specialist training courses, our carers are taught personable

skills on how to engage with children more effectively, especially at difficult times, and how to build on trust and the relationship.

What is fostering?

Fostering offers children and young adults a safe and caring family environment, usually geographically, close to their home while they are unable to live with their own and provides an opportunity for other professionals to work with the birth family to help resolve their issues.

As a local authority, Medway Council has a responsibility to look after children and young people in care as their corporate parent.

We directly recruit foster carers to care for children and young people, providing fostering placements.

What is a foster carer?

It's who you are that matters! Often, potential foster carers worry about whether or not they are the sort of people we are looking for, but there really is no such thing as the ‘ideal’ or ‘perfect’ foster carer.

A foster carer commits the time and energy to children that are in their care and to work cooperatively with the professionals around the child. Before being approved to foster,

Medway Council Fostering will equip you with the tools, skills and ongoing developmental training to help meet the needs of any child in your care.

You will receive support from a dedicated Social Worker whose role it is to support you in caring for the child or young person.

Why do we need foster carers?

Through positive parent-child interactions, a foster carer can build a child’s trust through the means of providing stability and security within a loving home environment are the foundations to fostering.

Celebrating a child’s achievements, however small. Being inclusive of a child’s birth family and heritage enables a child to form a positive sense of their self; this then creates

an ability for a child to see themselves in a positive way, to believe that they can achieve good things and are worthy of achieving these.

Medway Council’s foster carers are skilled at enabling children in their care to feel accepted and to not be defined by their history. These skills, when applied in a non-judgemental way, can lead to a child or young person excelling in foster care, to being part of a foster family and gives children a chance to rebuild their lives.

Who can foster?

If you can offer security and a welcoming home to a looked after child, you can foster.

You can foster regardless of your age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and religion.

You can also foster if you have pets, a disability, have children living at home, are a homeowner, or a private or social housing tenant.

People have also become foster carers with backgrounds from many different professions, such as solicitors, counselling, teaching, nursing, accountancy, and emergency services, like the police and ambulance staff, that provide the skillsets that can enhance your ability to foster.

Fostering enables you to have a career and to work from home.

To become a Medway foster carer, you must...

• Be over 21
• Be a British Citizen or have indefinite leave to remain in the UK
• Have the time, resilience and commitment to care for a child or young person

You should also...

• Have at least one spare bedroom
• Have at least one main carer based at the home
• Be a driver with access to a car
• Be fit and healthy
• Live in Medway or within a 20-mile radius
• Offer a smoke-free environment

What is Medway Council’s fostering process?

During your application assessment you will have the opportunity to discuss with your assessor what type of fostering you would like to undertake. Some foster carers are approved only for respite and emergency care, others are approved for short term, some are approved for long term and permanency.

Most foster carers are approved for any length of time but can cite a preference dependent on what fits in with their current lifestyle and situation.

To find out more

To find out more about fostering with Medway Council, you can give the team a call on 01634 335726 or fill out our enquiry form and someone from the team will be in touch for an informal chat at a time that suits you.

For more information, view Medway Council’s Facebook page or fostering website.

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