The scheme gives local businesses the opportunity to support Hull Fostering’s work to recruit more foster carers, and Hull’s most vulnerable children and young people, by making some simple changes.
This is not one size fits all, our aim is that employers consider the needs of foster carers who are your employees and do what they can to help. Be that giving time off for training, allowing swapping of shifts or sharing information about fostering.
In recognition of your support we will help raise the profile of your business' commitment to Hull children through publicity and in the Council’s fostering publications.
Fostering friendly - ideas for employers
Hull Fostering carers have an important role as part of the professional team around the child. A supportive employer will enable foster carers who also work for them to balance their work and caring responsibilities with Hull City Council Fostering.
Time off for training
To ensure children’s needs are well met and they are safe, anyone interested in fostering must go through a robust assessment process and intensive training before they can be approved as Hull City Council foster carers. Employers can support staff interested in fostering by giving them some time off to help attend pre-approval training which is approximately five days, usually spread over a number of weeks.
Flexibility
Our foster carers need to be able to respond to the needs of the children in their care. They are an important part of the Hull team supporting the child and must be able to attend regular meetings about the local children they care for. Access to flexible working, being able to swap shifts with colleagues or similar could really help foster carers to do this.
Emergency leave / Additional leave
The unexpected happens. Hull City Council provides Hull Foster carers with the same access to emergency leave as parents, and recognising fostered children as dependents, like for any other parents, will enable foster carers to provide a stable and secure home for the Hull children they care for. Also, when a child is in place Hull City Council staff have access to an additional five days annual leave to care for a child, to attend relevant meetings.
Celebrating fostering
Your business could help celebrate and support foster care by -
- making information about how to become a foster carer with Hull Fostering available on
- noticeboards
- intranet sites
- internal publications
- hosting a Hull Fostering information session for your staff (we’ll attend to chat to staff or customers) about fostering and explain the support you offer as a fostering friendly employer
- providing us with space for a stand or display in your office or workplace during Foster Care Fortnight (held every May/June) to support the drive to raise awareness and recruit new foster carers
- contributing to our support services and social events for local foster families
In some cases, business demands might mean not all of the above are possible. This is not one size fits all, our aim is that employers consider the needs of foster carers and do what they can to help.
The reality is that a very small number of people apply to become foster carers each year, while the impact on your business would be minimal, the impact on our ability to recruit foster carers could be significant. And you gain evidence of your social impact in the community.
