Foster Carer Support and Benefits

When you join Compass Fostering, you become part of a welcoming, supportive community of professionals. From the minute you make contact, our experienced team will listen to you and support you and your family every step of the way.

We know how hard our foster parents work and we value the amazing commitment they are making when they become a foster carer. To us, every foster parent is as unique as the children you look after. That’s why we take the time to really get to know our carers and support you in all kinds of practical ways.

We make sure that all our Compass foster parents benefit from

• 24/7 support from friendly local staff who get to know you, your family and the young people you are looking after.
• A generous regular fostering allowance that values and recognises your skills along with tax exclusions.
• Being part of our friendly, local, supportive network, which meets regularly to share information and learn from each other.
• Focus group meetings and National Carer Forums to hear your views.
• Regular support and supervision with your own dedicated Supervising Social Worker.
• Planned days out for fostering families including, boat trips, picnics, theme parks, zoos and more!
• Automatically signed up with a membership to independent support service FosterTalk.

Each Compass Fostering foster carer will have a named Supervising Social Worker who will support you, your own children and the child(ren) you look after. You will be visited regularly, both formally and informally to talk about any issues you, your family or your child in placement may have.

Breaks

Under certain circumstances we can also arrange temporary care for your fostered child to spend time in another home should you need a break. Respite care should be planned, and we will help you to decide where your child should stay for a short while to give you a break.

Allowances

We offer a fostering allowance for every night that a child or young person lives in your home which includes a weekly payment for carers. This is not a salary, but it enables you to fully meet the needs and expenses of the fostered child. It is based on the age of the child fostered and length of service.

Community

At Compass, we aim to build a community that offers support and friendship. Our local groups meet regularly, allowing foster carers to share thoughts, experiences and information in a relaxed setting. From local coffee mornings to family fun days, from support groups to conferences, you’ll be warmly welcomed as part of the family.

Community also means support from our other services, such as education for children and therapy. Our wrap-around support means that all aspects of care for children and young people are offered.

We don’t underestimate the hard work that our foster carers put into creating a nurturing and safe environment for every foster child that enters their home. Our round-the-clock support from a dedicated team of local professionals give you the power to do what you do best, provide care and love for some of the UK’s most vulnerable children.