Foster Carers employee rights

[Bobbet02]

Petition: Give Foster Carers employee rights.
Why do they have to be self employed petition.parliament.uk/petitions/173468

I have signed.

Lets see if we can get our Foster Carers paid holidays, a pension, sick pay, protection against allegations, rights to a union, rights to work for other organisations, and retaining pay if no placement if not down to the carer.

Same as the social workers really.

I Have signed. 40yrs service and counting, be lucky if we get a Micky Mouse watch when we retire.
Changes will improve recruitment and retention of the 10,000 shortages of
foster parents.

Until being a foster carer is recognised as a job, the same as other jobs nothing will change. The amount of people who believe foster carers should foster for the love of looking after children is horrendous. Foster carers need to be recognised as professionals, exactly the same as social workers. It's just that their work place is in the home (and 24/7).

Agree. They should be employees

I have just checked and there are 25 signatures (including mine).

I would happily campaign for foster carers to have the same privileges I had when I worked in severe and enduring mental health/addictions (dual diagnosis). I had a regular salary, pension, annual leave and a good management structure who looked after my wellbeing and guided my practice. We had clear policies and procedures and support to make sure we kept burn out at bay.

I lurk around the fostering section as many of the service users I supported had a history of being in care, (and prison and psychiatric hospital) so this interests me.

Maybe foster carers prefer being self employed?
I would be interested to know why there is so little support for this petition.

Foster Carers probably don't know about it. Its the first I have heard about it!!

i didn't know about this, have signed, its only on 47 now so not much interest at all

I've signed as this is something I feel really strongly about. Being both a fc and a social worker (the latter with adults) has given me huge insight into the injustices fc are placed at. If service providers for adults had to put up with what we do - there would be no services at all!!
I've shared on Facebook to try and get more interest