l.a or private fostering?

[angel31dust]

I have tryed twice to start the fostering process with my local l.a but the keep losing paperwork, failing to follow up. i started the first time 1 year ago and again this year in May. As of last week they have lost all paperwork and need to start the process for a third time. We got in touch with FCA a private fostering company also in may. they have been brilliant. they come everyweek to talk us through the paperwork, the process and evaluate us as a family. They are aware we have tried to use our l.a but that they keep letting us down and have stressed that if we continue with them they will ensure that we are dealt with properly within the timeframe they all give for the process. I have sat here for a couple of days reading through all the threads and i am even more confused about what to do. My feeling is that i am sure this is right for me. The longer we wait for L.a to get us processed the longer there is a shortage of carers for the many children desperately needing a loving family. The fca will i am sure have us approved by the end of November. Anyone with some advise???

[NanaNina]

Hi AD - I have 30 years experience as a social worker and team manager in fostering and adoption and have recently retired.

I think it is unforgiveable that the l.a. have been so inefficient and incompetent, especially when they are all so short of foster carers. I suggest you write to the Tm Mgr of the Fostering Team (no need to be angry or aggressive) but just to say that you are concerned about the way your application has not been taken up. I suspect this is because of shortage of social workers but that isn't any help to you.

FCA is an IFA (Independent fostering agency) and I am not surprised how efficient they have been because they are a business and need you to "sell" to local authorities which is how they make their money and believe me they make huge profits out of local authorities. What happens is that if the l.a. cannot place a child withintheir own foster carers (known as in house) they have to buy a placement from an IFA at about 3 times the cost of an "in house" placement. The other thing is that l.a.s are often in the position where they cannot place children with very difficult behavious and have to buy a placement from an IFA, thus IFA carers will sometimes (though not always) get more difficult children. The other thing is if you foster for the l.a. you will get a child within your particular county. If you foster for an IFA you can get a child from anywhere in the country, because if the l.a. cannot place a child they have to rely on what is on offer from an IFA. If you lived in Cornwall you could get a child from Dundee. How unsettling is that for a child to be miles from his home and have to change school etc and have contact with his parents.

If you choose to go to an IFA you may wait for a plcement because the IFAs are solely dependent on the l.a. not being able to place "in house" - whereas if you foster for the l.a. you can expect a steady "supply" of placements though this of course does depend on what age range you are considering. Carers who offer to take middle years aged children and sibling groups will generally be used more than someone who is offering something like 0 - 6 months.

Finally how do you want your council tax to be spent, on a cash starved local authority or to line the pockets of some entrepeneur i.e the IFA director. I know of someone who started an IFA and I think it may have been FCA who is now a millionaire.

My advice is to get in touch with the l.a. again, don't be fobbed off - ask to speak to the Fostering Team Manager and tell her the problems you are having, or get his/her name and write to them. Tell them you are on the verge of going to FCA and I can tell you they will pull out all the stops to prevent you doing this. Making you point clear will not go against you.

Good luck whichever way you go.

[angel31dust]

Hi Nananina
Thanks for your info. I have been in contact with a manager and all they said was they will try to get the social worker to contact us again. I did say that the FCA are interested in us moving forward with them and they just said that they can only apologise and that unfortunately starting again for the third time was the only option.
Its a pain it really is. We would always have wanted to go with the LA first and foremost but when they make it so impossible what option are you left with but to seek out an alternative

[NanaNina]

Sounds like the team manager is also incompetent - will try to get the sw to contact you again - appalling - I know there is a huge shortage of social workers but the fostering teams are usually pretty well staffed. There is a complaints procedure and were I you I would make a formal complaint.

The IFAs only used to take experienced carers but now they will take new ones and if they have a family to "sell" to the l.a. they don't care too much about matching (but then that happens with l.a. too) I do however know of new IFA carers who have been put off fostering by having very difficult first placements. Like anything new carers need to be "eased" into fostering and gain confidence as they continue with the task.

Given what has happened with the l.a. I wouldn't blame you for going to an IFA - see how it goes - you can always apply to the l.a. again if things don't go right.

Good luck anyway

[jozanna]

im with a private agency where as my friend is local authority i do seem to get more placements because she can only get them from her area where as i can get them from all over country

[angel31dust]

Made a decision to go with LA thanks to nananinas advice. The sw came tonight and did all the paperwork and we are on the skills to foster course for next month. Finally I think we are getting somewhere with them.

[NanaNina]

Really pleased to hear about your decision Angeldust and glad that the LA have finally realised that they were about to lose a potential foster carer.

I honestly think the reason for the delays and loss of paperwork etc is due to staff shortages and work overload, as there is a national shortage of social workers. It still doesn't altogether excuse the way they have dealt with your application. However glad that you are on a prep course next month because sometimes you have to wait ages if they have just completed a prep course and people have to wait for the next one.

Don't forget though that the assessment is a two way process and as well as the LA assessing you, you need to be assessing whether fostering is really going to be right for your family. Mind you won't really know until you begin. Also don't hesitate to ask questions or raise issues of concern at the prep group. The chances are there will be others with the same queries but are not going to speak out.

Social workers usually paint a fairly bleak picture of fostering at times on the prep course and it may seem they are concentrating on the negatives. The reason for this is that they want to be honest but also want to tell you the negatives, which will test the applicant's ability to cope with the negatives, and then when they start to foster they can enjoy the positives too! Hope that makes sense. You will hear things on the prep course that will most probably raise concerns for you. Please discuss these matters either in the group or with the course leaders at another time. I was always far less concerned about appplicants who had some concerns and admitted that they wouldn't know if it was right for them till they actually started but still wanted to go ahead. Some applicants would claim they had no worries and made comments like "Oh we'll have 3 kids"...........they always worried me because they were being totally unrealistic.

Anyway good luck and I'm sure you will make good carers - I feel it in my bones! Oh one more thing - if you go on the website for "British Agency for Fostering and Adoption" (BAAF) there is a wealth of information, or the national organisation for fostering "Fostering Networks"

[angel31dust]

Thanks nananina for your infinite words of wisdom. I am so glad I came on here. I was pre warned about the content of the course when sw came over but he was confident we could cope and assured us it was worse case sinarios. I agreed though that I think it's so much for the better to put that information forward first. I will keep you posted as the process continues. Thankyou so much for your advise you really helped me make my mind up. I feel much more comfortable with the LA. take care thanks again

[NanaNina]

Yes I'd love to hear how you get on so keep me posted, and thank you for your kind words.