BACK TO NEWSA recent report has found that over half of carers subject to allegations did not receive independent support. Prior to this, in 2016, FosterTalk commissioned commissioned ‘The Impact of Unproven Allegations on Foster Carers’ research, published in 2016 by Gillian Plumridge and Judy Sebba, The Rees Centre for Research in Fostering and Education University of Oxford. The research gave several recommendations for government departments, fostering providers and social workers, which if implemented would undoubtedly help to improve support for foster carers and assist in avoiding loss through unnecessary resignations.
Fostertalk’s Allegations Support Team’s primary aim is to support the retention of Foster Carers across the UK.
‘We are committed to ensuring that the self-employed independent advisors we commission are highly trained, experienced, impartial, and sensitive to the emotional and practical needs of foster carers during what is a traumatic time. We seek to minimise the impact of this trauma on foster carers and their families to ensure unnecessary loss of foster carers to the sector, which is already severely under-resourced and facing a severe shortfall of foster carers in the near future.’
– Ruth Willetts Head of Social Work and Development, FosterTalk
FosterTalk’s Allegations Support Team Statistics 2021
- 70% of carers who received allegations support from FosterTalk continued to foster
- FosterTalk’s Allegations Support Service achieved a 96% satisfaction rating from foster carers
- In 2021 we saw a 47% increase in allegations referrals
- 97% of foster carers who have used our Allegations Support service have said they would recommend us
Testimonials from Foster Carers
“We just wanted to say a big thank you for your support, kindness and thoughtfulness towards us and family during the last few months. Your support was very much needed and gratefully received.”
“FosterTalk’s Allegations Support Team are the reason I’m still Fostering; our Advisor was invaluable excellent”
“They were always on hand to talk things through, explain the process to us, and point out what we should be doing and questions to ask to help us with our case. The independent social worker gave us tremendous support throughout the ordeal which gave us reassurance.”
Further Information
Following on from our earlier research, we have been consulting with our foster carer focus group on the impact of allegations on foster carers and would welcome individuals, services, and other organisations to contact us to build on our consultation document by emailing us at yourviews@fostertalk.org
