Visit: Oak Lodge Residential

 

Types of foster care     


Oak Lodge Fostering Services provides a wide range of foster care placements in order to meet the diverse needs of children and young people who require alternative care placements.Our Placements are available to children and young people who cannot for a variety of reasons live within their own birth families; this includes children who present challenging behaviour, sexualised behaviour, children with chaotic and disrupted care histories, those who have experienced abuse and trauma and had previous placement breakdown.

The abilities and experience of the foster carers will be matched with the individual needs of children to ensure the best possible outcome for the child within the foster placement. Foster carers are supported in their care of the children by other members of the helping team who provide on-going support, training and development.

Oak Lodge Foster Carers, as a central part of the helping team, will offer a safe and supportive family environment in which children and young people can work to overcome the difficulties they may be experiencing in their lives thus provide them with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.

All children placed with Oak Lodge Fostering Services foster carers will be done so via referral from the Health Service Executive and in accordance with the Service Level Agreement.

Oak Lodge Fostering Services provides placements that are;

• Long Term
• Short Term
• Emergency
• Assessment
• Bridging
• Solo
• Parent and Child

Long Term Placements
Oak Lodge Fostering Services offers long term foster care placements to children and young people who require a permanent alternative home for the duration of their childhood. Oak Lodge Fostering Services recognises that short term placements are often the initial plan for a child or young person whilst reunification options are explored and long term placements can develop as the child’s care plan is reviewed. Oak Lodge is committed to recruiting foster carers who have the flexibility required to meet the changing needs of young people and the requirements of their care plan.

Short Term Placements
Oak Lodge Fostering Services Foster Carers will care for children on a short term/time limited basis when this is within the agreed care plan for the child or young person. Foster Carers, as part of our multi disciplinary helping team can be contracted to carry out specific task centred pieces of work with children where the purpose of the placement is known to be focussed and time limited in duration.

Emergency
Oak Lodge Fostering Services will provide twenty-four hour availability and support for its foster carers and the children placed with them. They will accept emergency referrals and make a placement with appropriate carers as available.

Assessment Placements
Assessment placements will be short term placements where an agreed focussed assessment is undertaken by the Oak Lodge foster carers. The carers as part of the helping team will work with HSE colleagues, therapists, psychologists and education professionals to assess the child and young person’s strengths and needs in relation to a specific area of their development. This assessment can contribute to the long term planning for children; help determine the best placement options and the support services needed. A written assessment report will be provided by Oak Lodge Fostering Services.

Bridging Placements
Bridging placements are sometimes required as part of a longer term care plan for a child or young person. The child and/or young person may be working with Social Workers and Birth Family towards reunification or towards independent living (dependant on the age of the young person) and require an ‘interim’ placement while this care plan is completed to fruition. Oak Lodge Foster Carers will work with children, young people and those involved in their care to support and prepare the child for the future in accordance with the agreed care plan.

Solo Placements
Oak Lodge Fostering Services understands that some children who come into the care of their Fostering Services will have specific complex needs that require a solo placement. This type of placement is required when the needs of the child or young person places high demands on the foster carer because constant adult supervision is required in order to keep everyone safe from harm. The increased level of supervision and individual attention required precludes the placement of any other children with the foster carers.

Parent and Child Placement
Parent and child placements will be available to young mothers (including pregnant young women) and fathers who require support with the parenting task. Foster Carers providing these placements will work alongside young parents to assist with the development of parenting skills, helping them learn the skills needed to provide a high standard of care to their child. There may also be an assessment element to this type of placement and Oak Lodge Foster Carers will work with the young parent and all involved in their care to provide an assessment of the young person’s parenting ability. A written assessment report will be provided by Oak Lodge Fostering Services as required.