Visit: Oak Lodge Residential

 

Who can foster

What we are looking for in our foster carers.

We are looking for people who;

1. Have experience of caring for children, through work, voluntary/community work or raising a family.

2. Have the time, patience and commitment to care for a child and welcome them into your home and family.

3. Are able to meet the needs of children who will have experienced difficulties in their early lives, suffering abuse, neglect and rejection.

4. Want to make a difference to a child's life and can meet the challenges of foster caring.

5. Can work as part of a helping team alongside children, their birth families, social work, therapist, health and educational professionals.

6. Are interested in learning and are willing to commit to an on-going programme of training and professional development. All Oak Lodge Foster Carers are recruited, trained and supported to ensure they offer effective care to all children and young people placed with them and are central members of the 'helping team'.


Support for our foster carers
Oak Lodge foster carers will have twenty four hour support, advice and guidance in relation to children and young people in their care. They will also have weekly carer support group meetings which will be facilitated by a qualified link social worker and psychotherapist/psychologist.

All foster carers will meet two weekly with their link social worker for support, discussion and supervision. On-going training and development is a key component of the support available to Oak Lodge carers and gives all carers the opportunity to expand their knowledge and improve their skills.

Respite care is an important part of the support Oak Lodge Fostering services offers its foster carers and the children placed with them. Three weeks of respite care is available to foster carers each year and more can be provided if required. Respite can also be made available in an emergency and will be provided via other Oak Lodge Foster Carers.