We know there are many children in the UK who have experienced multiple foster placement breakdowns and/or who have been separated from their families for long periods of time. Ofsted highlighted that “One third of children living in children’s residential homes had originally foster care on their care plan but were instead placed in a children’s home.” (Ofsted, 2022b).
Our framework aims to ensure a child’s outcomes are not restricted by the wider social care system and placement sufficiency. It is designed to prepare and support children and young people to return to family-based settings where possible.
The framework is for children that could live happily within a family setting and build lifetime long relationships.
Our Stepping into Family Living Framework provides a clear structure and visual process to aid professionals in working with children to achieve the overarching goal of moving into foster care or returning to their families. The framework is designed to help stabilise the child and equip them with the skills they need to thrive within a family home environment, with less supervision than in residential settings. Our process also allows the careful consideration of the next placement to ensure the child does not suffer further negative experiences.
Who will benefit?
Many children benefit from being in residential care and the enhanced level of support that comes with it. However, there is a group of children who have care plans which suggest foster care is a more beneficial pathway for them. Currently there is a lack of skilled and quality foster carers to meet their need and thus a residential provision is often sought to fill the gap.
Our aim is to provide outstanding outcomes for children and ensure they could achieve the goals of their step-down plan in the short – medium term. This programme is for those children who are experiencing numerous family and/or foster placement breakdowns and who require a period of stability and consistency.
What are our aims?
Our concept is two-fold:
1. To achieve personalised outcomes for the children agreed at the point of placement with the Local Authority.
2. To provide the Local Authority with value for money from placements with us and demonstrate long term outcomes which equip children for the future so they can contribute to society.
The framework has been created by considering the experiences we have had with helping children to step down to fostering, mainstream schooling and reunification with families. It encompasses the views of the children and young people we work with and the expertise of a variety of professionals who work with the children therapeutically. Within our research we have also included the experiences of a national fostering agency whom are keen to work with us as part of the project.
The team would be more than happy to speak to you about this bespoke service on 0800 024 6985 or [email protected].