Fostering

Types of fostering

Westminster runs a variety of fostering schemes, providing care for a range of children and young people with different needs.
The fostering schemes
Full time (Fee-paid) Fostering
The Full-time fostering scheme provides short-term foster placements for children between the ages of 0 to 18 years. We are in the process of incorporating long-term fostering into this scheme, in recognition of the fact that several short-term carers change their approval to offer permanent placements to children in their care

Specialist Scheme

Specialist carers provide full-time placements for “difficult to place” and high risk young people aged between 10 –18 years, who present with behavioural and emotional difficulties. 

Supported Lodgings

This scheme was recently incorporated into the Fostering Service. It continues to provide full-time bridging placements for young people between fostering and independence. 

Short-break Fostering

A new Short-break scheme is currently being formed with a view to incorporating the Part-time, Family Link and Respite Schemes. The services to be offered by this scheme will include:

(1) Part-time fostering to aid the work of the Family Support teams in supporting parents and enabling them to keep their children at home
(2) Respite to full-time foster carers and in particular Specialist carers 
(3) Respite care to children with disabilities.

Network (Regulation 38) Carers

This scheme is responsible for assessing and supporting network carers, i.e. family and friends of children who cannot live with their own parents. Its objective is to keep children within their own familiar family network, rather than place them with mainstream foster carers.

If you have any questions or would like more information please call the Westminster Fostering Recruitment Team on 0800 0322 533 or contact us online.