The Islington Fostering Service supports foster carers to look after local children and young people. Fostering is caring for someone else’s child in your own home. Foster carers look after babies, children and young people who are often distressed about being separated from their family. In Islington there is the need for foster carers for all age groups as well as specialist carers for young peo
ple with challenging behaviour. The team also supports a Supportive Lodgings scheme where carers offer young people aged 16-21 supported accommodation, helping them with their transition to adulthood and Family Based Short Breaks which offer a regular overnight or weekend break at your home once a month or up to 26 days or more a year to a child or young person with disabilities. There is also the need for placements that can accommodate a young parent and their baby. This means providing accommodation, stability and the support to help the parent learn and develop the skills required to be a parent. The service is part of Islington borough council in London. The Islington fostering service also includes a recruitment and assessment team that works in the community to support those interested in becoming foster carers. You will see much of the sort of recruitment they do on this Facebook feed – events in the community, information sessions, training days as well as gathering information from the media and other sources that could be useful in helping prospective carers through the process. The social workers in the R&A team will guide applicants through the assessment process, working with them to get the family ready for receiving a foster child. As well as supporting the care of the children and young people the service also manages the development of the foster carers it works with offering ongoing training and 24 hour support. It also offers foster carers dedicated social workers and specialist support through services such as the child and adolescent mental health team (CAHMS).
