Transferring foster families quickly is more safe, and more compliant… discuss…

We all know…

…too often, when a good foster family says they want to leave the service with which they’re registered, they are treated poorly.

You’ve heard it, right? Families making an enquiry with you, telling their stories.

Many of us wouldn’t dream of treating good people badly just to stall, to keep the fees for children placed for as long as possible, or to deter other families from thinking of leaving.

That would be the other folk, other IFAs… them… because we do know it happens. 

Or Local Authorities… perhaps it’s them.

Because we do know it happens.

And families sometimes leave fostering all together, rather than at best jump through meaningless, demanding hoops again, and at worst risk the potentially life changing allegations that might, never previously mentioned, come out of the woodwork. 

We of course understand why any service wants and needs their families to stay. 

It costs a lot to find and approve them, and without fostering families, there is no fostering service.

But too often, when a family puts their hand up to move to another service, relations with the existing service become frosty or hostile… too often, they are no longer welcome at training or events; supervision declines in frequency and quality; they are no longer offered for children for whom they may be a great fit because other families who are staying are prioritised. And then there is the potential for the dreaded not-real allegations, which can, quite simply, ruin lives.

Too often, that very stressful experience can last for months, during the transfer process, in a heightened, unsupportive environment. 

Which is obviously bad for the families, and for any children placed, and for any children waiting to be placed.

Living with that anxiety, and displacement, around events that determine our futures, is never fun.

Any other job interview, for an already experienced, proven applicant, and we expect to hear the outcome within a few days, preferably hours.

When we have medical tests, we want the results as quickly as possible… delays of days are stressful, of weeks may be intolerable.

Once we’ve settled on a new home, somewhere we want to be more than where we are now, we want to move in asap, and begin to separate from where we are now.

So, perhaps we should transfer folk quickly, simply because it’s the right thing to do…?

What if we could get it done in a few days, 3-4 weeks tops?

When a family wants to join your organisation, and you’ll treat them well, the quicker the better, right?

Sure, that’d be nice, I hear…

…I mean, we all value our amazing families don’t we, but is it really safe, and compliant… seriously…. no new DBS or medical, no updated form F?! 

Sounds like cutting corners… Ofsted aren’t going to like that…?

Tune in next time!

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Fast Foster Family Transfers