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Different types of fostering

Children and young people of all ages and from different backgrounds, may need a foster home for a wide variety of reasons and for shorter or longer periods. In Coventry we need people to become foster carers who have a wide range of different skills and experiences to support them.

Foster carers require skills and qualities such as being: 

  • Resilient 
  • Relational and restorative
  • Empathetic 
  • Trauma-informed
  • Confident
  • 24-hour committed 

The type of fostering you could provide will very much depend on you, your lifestyle and the needs of your own family.  In Coventry, we are recruiting for the following types of fostering:

  • Mainstream fostering:  This can mean anything from an overnight stay to a period of several months, or in some situations, years.  Foster carers provide a temporary place to stay until the child can return home to their own family or a longer-term arrangement can be made. Long-term fostering allows children to stay in a family where they can feel secure, and their needs are met, whilst staying in touch with their own family.  Mainstream fostering includes caring for unaccompanied teenagers.  As well as the normal tasks of supporting teenagers with their education, self-help and social skills, foster carers working with these young people will need to work with interpreters and learn to overcome everyday language barriers, respect the child's cultural identity and background and upskill your understanding of the country they come from.  
  • Short Stay fostering [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/fostering-1/different-types-fostering/5]:  Short stay fostering is a type of fostering for a child or children who are either living with foster carers or who are still living at home with their family.  Short stay fostering is for a set period, typically ranging from one night or up to 2 weeks.
  • Out-of-hours fostering [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/fostering-1/different-types-fostering/2]:  Out-of-hours foster carers care for children and young people who need an immediate foster home outside office hours.  Where these arrangements are needed out-of-hours, foster carers will be contacted by a member of the service. The expectation is that these children will remain with the carer until the next working day although the arrangement may be extended with the carer’s agreement. A retainer payment is made to the carer(s) on the rota, with the expectation that they will be available for any child who needs to be cared for out-of-hours.
  • Next Steps fostering [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/fostering-1/different-types-fostering/3]:  We need to recruit therapeutic foster carers to support children with complex emotional and behavioural needs and require foster carers who can provide skilled, intensive foster care in a family home setting.

If we can provide more information about the above care arrangements, please call our team or come along to one of our events [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/fosteringinfoevents].

Foster with Coventry logo

Fostering Service (recruitment)

Monday to Thursday: 8.30am – 5pm, Friday: 8.30am - 4.30pm (excluding bank holidays)

Address: Council House
Earl Street
Coventry
CV1 5RR

Telephone: 024 7683 2828 [tel:02476832828]

Out of hours fostering

Have you ever thought about fostering but cannot commit full-time?  Do you think you can be an out of hours foster carer?

Roles and responsibilities

  • Foster carers on the weekly rota will be asked to be available to provide an emergency care arrangement and care for any child/young person who is considered suitable for fostering.
  • Where you have particular commitments, Out of Hours foster carers can commit for part of the week rather than the full week.
  • The expectation is that the out-of-hours foster carer will provide care for the child/young person until the start of the next working day.
  • Out-of-hours foster carers will be expected to supervise children placed on an emergency basis and to not be left unsupervised with any other child/ren in the household.
  • In some circumstances, a child/young person may need an out-of-hours care arrangement as no other foster carer could be identified during the working day.
  • If on the next working day, the child/young person still needs an out-of-hours fostering arrangement, you may be approached to provide care for a subsequent night, which will be at your discretion.

In return, the scheme offers

  • A retainer payment of £350 per week, or pro rata, whilst you are on the rota and available to be contacted for children needing out-of-hours care. 
  • Fees and allowances for any child/young person for the time they have been in your care. 
  • As an Out of Hours carer, you will receive £350 as holiday pay, once you have completed a year on the rota.
  • Full initial and ongoing training.
  • Dedicated support.
  • Access to our 24/7 emergency telephone support service manned by a member of the Fostering Service.

If you want to find out more about fostering with Coventry including the different types of fostering arrangements, please give the team a ring on 024 7683 2828 or visit – www.coventry.gov.uk/fostering [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/fostering].

Foster with Coventry logo

Fostering Service (recruitment)

Monday to Thursday: 8.30am – 5pm, Friday: 8.30am - 4.30pm (excluding bank holidays)

Address: Council House
Earl Street
Coventry
CV1 5RR

Telephone: 024 7683 2828 [tel:02476832828]

Next Steps fostering

Are you ready for the Next Steps?

Coventry City Council’s Fostering Service is recruiting people to join a small team of dedicated foster carers. Fostering on the Next Steps scheme means you will provide care and support for one of Coventry’s most vulnerable children and young people in your home.

Through the adoption of a therapeutic approach on a 1:1 basis, children and young people on the scheme can receive a level of nurture and support to help them to take their next steps onto positive pathways.

Foster carers on the scheme will join our small dedicated team, with bespoke training and support packages as well as 1:1 and peer supervision

To be eligible to be assessed for the scheme you should be able to demonstrate

  • At least 2 years’ experience of caring for or working with young people with challenging behaviour (or similar)
  • No other under 18-year olds living with you
  • One carer in the household will be home-based (recognition of this is reflected in the financial package)
  • Insight and understanding about trauma, abuse, neglect, and potential of autism and/or mental health issues
  • With our support and training, the ability to manage and support a young person who is likely, due to their experiences, to display challenging behaviours, in your home
  • Ability to work positively as part of a wider team of professionals
  • Adaptability and willingness to learn and implement new approaches
  • High level of empathy
  • Commitment and motivation to care for a young person who might have had multiple placement breakdowns

In return, the scheme offers

  • Full initial and ongoing training, personalised to your needs and based on a social pedagogical model
  • Dedicated support from a senior social worker and support workers
  • Access to our 24/7 emergency telephone support service provided by our team
  • To recognise the commitment required for this scheme, a financial package of up to £45K per annum (including costs for caring for the young person) is offered.

You can

Foster with Coventry logo

Fostering Service (recruitment)

Monday to Thursday: 8.30am – 5pm, Friday: 8.30am - 4.30pm (excluding bank holidays)

Address: Council House
Earl Street
Coventry
CV1 5RR

Telephone: 024 7683 2828 [tel:02476832828]

Parent and child fostering

‘I’d love to provide support to a young family starting off’

‘I know how difficult the early days can be with a baby and how crucial support can be’

If this sounds like you, then read on to find out more about why we need more people to come forward and become Parent and Child foster carers.

Parent and child foster carers provide safe, supported and nurturing homes for those who have been identified as needing some additional help and support in learning to care for a new baby. The parent being supported could be a mother, father or both, and we, with our foster carers, very carefully think over what is a good match for each household. Parent and child care arrangements provide new parents with a positive alternative to a more institutional residential care, which can be isolating for new parents and do not replicate or role model ‘family life’.  Providing this type of care arrangement can be very rewarding but also complex and challenging, so we do require the primary carer to be home based.  

Why do we need people to become Parent and Child foster carers?

  • To offer a supportive and nurturing home for parent(s) who may not have experienced positive role modelling from family and friends.
  • To provide crucial support and consistency by providing the parent/s with reassurance, guidance and support during the early months of parenting.
  • To offer support to the parent to safely care for their baby/child, so that all their needs are met.     

What do Parent and Child foster carers do?

  • Record observations and information about the parent's ability to safely care for the child independently.
  • Works closely with other professionals to identify additional support which may be needed in the future.

We run a number of information events if you want to find out more, please register your interest [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/fosteringinfoevents].

Foster with Coventry logo

Fostering Service (recruitment)

Monday to Thursday: 8.30am – 5pm, Friday: 8.30am - 4.30pm (excluding bank holidays)

Address: Council House
Earl Street
Coventry
CV1 5RR

Telephone: 024 7683 2828 [tel:02476832828]

Short Stay fostering

Do you have free, an evening per week, a weekend each month or availability during school holidays to make a difference to a child’s life?  If you have, and you have a spare bedroom, you may be the perfect fit to become a Short-Stay foster carer with Coventry.

What is Short Stay fostering?

Short stay fostering is a type of fostering for a child or children who are either living with foster carers or who are still living at home with their family.  Short stay fostering is for a set period, typically ranging from one night or up to 2 weeks.

An example of a short stay may include care to a child on a regular basis. We always seek to support families to identify family led solutions, but this is not always possible. This was the scenario for a single parent, who was having weekly treatment for a health condition and her son aged 8. A short stay foster carer would care for Tom every Wednesday evening, enabling his mother to attend her medical treatment. This overnight stay provided her the time and space to care for herself following treatment and Tom the time to build a relationship with the fostering family. Tom would look forward to his time with his fostering family and have time to do fun things with them. 

He was often worried about his mother and would share his worries with his carers.  His mother built an amazing relationship with the fostering family and felt she now had a support network, feeling less isolated and confident he was having the opportunity to experience new things that most 8-year-olds do.  Tom said “I love going to Jenny’s (foster carer), i worry about my mum a lot, but know that on a Wednesday she doesnt have to worry about me. Jenny takes me to the park and sometimes we do cooking or other stuff. She helps me with schoolwork too”.

One of our Coventry foster carers said “Short stays give children the chance to experience new environments, build relationships, and develop independence, while providing carers valuable time to rest, recharge, and nurture their own well-being.  This supportive balance fosters resilience in both children and caregivers, enhancing the quality of care and sustaining family harmony over the time. Short stays like this offer essential relief and renewal, allowing caregivers to continue providing compassionate support with energy and commitment”.

Why children may need Short Stay fostering?

There are many reasons why children might need short-stay fostering. It not only provides great support for the child but also offers a break for their parents or carers. Reasons why children may need short stay fostering include:

  • The unexpected illness or passing of a caregiver
  • To support the child’s parent or carer
  • Situations within the family home

Roles and responsibilities of Short Stay foster carers:

The roles and responsibilities of a Short Stay foster carer include:

  • Provide a safe and secure environment for children to carry on their day-to-day life
  • Working together with social workers, teachers, and healthcare providers involved in the child’s care.
  • Offer emotional support and understanding, especially during times of uncertainty.
  • Facilitate access to education and extracurricular activities.
  • Attend meetings as required.
  • Encourage positive relationships between the child and their birth family, if in the child’s best interest.
  • Keep detailed, accurate records about the child’s behaviour, progress, and any incidents.

How much do Short Stay foster carers get paid?

The fee for short-stay foster carers is determined by the duration of care provided. Payments are pro-rata, meaning the amount you receive will depend on the length of the child’s stay. Additionally, you will receive an allowance for the time the child is in your care, calculated based on their age.

View our fostering fees leaflet [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/42028/fostering-fees-leaflet-2024-2025]

Foster with Coventry

If you want to find out more about fostering with Coventry including the different types of fostering arrangements, please give the team a ring on 024 7683 2828 or visit – http://www.coventry.gov.uk/fostering [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/fostering]

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