Foster Carers' Charter for Coventry

Working in partnership - how will we achieve this?

• Value your skills, expertise and knowledge as a professional carer
• Respect your confidentiality and your own family values 
• Recognise that you are likely to be the people who know the children best and understand their holistic needs
• Acknowledge and celebrate that foster carers make a big difference to children and young people's lives
• Recognise that you as an individual can offer our children and young people in terms of diversity, uniqueness and difference
• Ensure your voice is heard, valued and respected part of any planning process for the children in your care
• Ensure the service we, and you provides meets regulatory requirements and adheres to the National Minimum Standards
• Provide you with the right support and advice at the right time
• Ensure the needs of you, your family and birth children are considered and any fostering arrangement works for you all
• Provide you with independent help and support when needed
• Offer you out of hours advice, guidance and support
• Respect confidentiality
• Ensure your complaints are taken seriously and dealt with in an effective and timely way
• Support ongoing connections to previous foster carers for the children if it is in their best interests
• Provide you with training, support services and development days that help better understand the needs of children and young people that need to be looked after

To share information with the fostering service - how will we achieve this?

• Inform our supervising social worker and professionals about significant changes in our household
• Inform our supervising social worker and professionals about any difficulties that arise for us

Learning development and support - how will we achieve this?

• We will be prepared to develop and update our skills throughout our fostering career
• Attend mandatory and relevant training
• Complete the training, support and development induction standards
• Take up opportunities offered to us
• Attend and contribute to support groups
• Communicate with professionals involved

Communication - how will we achieve this?

• Respond to local consultations and discussions in order to inform the development of the service
• Talk openly and honestly with your supervising social worker and ask for advice and support when needed.
• Meet with councillors,  managers and others in order to promote dialogue and a good working relationship
• Communicate the needs of children and young people in our care to professionals
• Be outstanding advocates and champions for the children and young people of Coventry
• be willing to keep in contact with children who have moved on from our care