Find Us In London & Our Borough Coverage
Our Offices in Greater London
Whether you are interested in fostering in South London, looking to provide foster care in East London, or are based anywhere else in the capital, we are here for you. We provide 24/7 wraparound support to foster parents across all London boroughs, including: Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Islington, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets and Wandsworth.
Brixton Fostering Services
Become a foster carer in South London with Compass! Learn more about our office in Brixton and the support we offer to our carers in this area including training, support groups, coffee mornings and much more.
Hornchurch Fostering Services
Become a foster carer in East London with Compass! Learn more about our office in Hornchurch and the support we offer to our carers in this area including training, support groups, coffee mornings and much more.
Who Can Foster in London?
We work with people from a wide range of backgrounds – single, married, working or retired.
There are a few essential requirements for fostering in London UK:
· A spare bedroom: every child needs their own private space
· Age: you must be at least 21 years old
· Residency: you must have the right to live and work in the UK
You don’t necessarily need to drive. You don’t need formal childcare qualifications – we provide the training and support you’ll need. And we actively welcome people from all cultural backgrounds, faiths and communities.
Financial Support & Fostering Allowance London
Fostering is a professional commitment, and the financial support reflects that. We understand the higher costs associated with living in the capital, which is why our London fostering allowance rates are highly competitive.
· Standard weekly professional allowance: typically, around £482 per week
· Enhanced payments: up to £800 per week depending on the needs of the child or sibling group
· Tax benefits: fostering income is treated differently by HMRC, giving you a fixed tax exemption of £19,690 per year, plus an additional weekly tax relief for every child in your care
· Overall income: at the higher rate of £800 per week, foster parents in London can earn up to £41,600 per year, which may be completely tax-free depending on their circumstances.
We’ll always be clear about what you can expect financially, so you can make an informed decision.
Compass Fostering London Limited - Rated Good by Ofsted
Last inspected 16 September 2024 · Full report available
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Children know their foster families' supervising social workers well and meet with them regularly.
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We receive wraparound care; it's like a huge, fuzzy, warm hug.
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Children are matched thoughtfully with families who understand their needs, leading to secure attachments and strong progress.
Events
Join Our Live Digital Q&A Sessions.
Learn all you need to know about foster care and what is required in our live Zoom Q&A sessions.
How to Become a Foster Parent in London
We aim to complete the fostering assessment in 4–6 months – thorough but not unnecessarily drawn out. Here’s what happens:
- Enquiry – speak to our London team or one of our Recruitment Ambassadors
- Home visit – an open conversation about your circumstances and what fostering involves
- Assessment & training – you’ll work with a dedicated social worker and begin therapeutic training
- Panel – your assessment is reviewed by an independent fostering panel for approval
- A Home for a Child – you’ll work with our Family Finding team to match with a child and begin your fostering journey
The Need for Foster Parents in London
Across Greater London, there is a need for foster parents who can offer stable, safe and nurturing home environments for children and young people when they need them most. Parent and Child foster parents are in particularly high demand in London. This is a specialist type of arrangement in which a parent and child live with an approved foster parent, giving them the chance to stay safely together whilst the parent receives support, assessment and guidance.
This role differs from standard fostering in significant ways. Parent and Child foster parents support the parent to care for their child safely and responsibly, observe how the parent is meeting the child’s needs, and share clear, factual records with the wider professional network.
As Phildelia Amele, Head of Fostering for London, explains: “It’s more of an assessment role rather than ‘I’m taking your child and caring for your child for you’.”
Parent and Child foster parents are also supported through an additional framework, including more frequent, fortnightly visits from their supervising social worker.
This type of fostering may be especially suited to people with previous parenting experience, a background in youth work, community work, family support or healthcare. There is also a continuing need for foster parents who can support teenagers, sibling groups, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and children with complex needs.
If you are interested in Parent and Child fostering, you can find out more about the role, the training we provide and the support available through Compass on our dedicated Parent and Child fostering page.
We also offer:
- Short-term fostering: providing a steady anchor during a time of transition
- Long-term fostering: committing to a child’s future until they reach adulthood
- Disability and complex needs fostering: taking care of children with significant challenges
- Fostering siblings: ensuring brothers and sisters can stay together
Local Support & Community
When you foster with Compass, you’re not doing it alone. You become part of a professional community of Life Changers – supported by experienced social workers, local peer networks and regular reflective supervision.
That support matters. Because fostering is not about getting everything right. It’s about having the right people around you when things are difficult.
Your Senior Compass Fostering London Team
At Compass Fostering London, we believe every child deserves a safe, nurturing home where they can feel understood and supported to thrive. We are proud to deliver a high-quality fostering service that places children and young people at the heart of everything we do. Alongside strong day-to-day support, we offer therapeutic input, enriching activities, and meaningful opportunities for young people to have their voices heard. Our commitment to child participation is well established through our active youth council, and we are proud to have been awarded Investing in Children for the second year running in recognition of this work.
We offer foster carers a truly bespoke journey, with a consistent and supportive experience from assessment through to approval and beyond. Our carers benefit from clear onboarding, ongoing training, and the guidance of experienced foster carer ambassadors who provide peer support and representation. Our therapeutic practitioner works closely with carers to embed therapeutic parenting approaches that support placement stability and long-term permanency for children and young people. Through strong multi-agency partnerships and collaborative working, we achieve positive outcomes for children whilst ensuring carers feel confident, valued and never alone." — Phildelia Amele, Head of Fostering.
Phildelia Amele
Head of Fostering
Hannah Hassan
Operations Manager
Sharon Daley
Operations Manager
Sandra McVann
Operations Manager
Fostering in London — Compass FAQs
The Fostering Basics
What fostering roles are in demand in London?
There is a significant need for specialist carers for children with disabilities, and parent and child foster placements. We especially welcome couples who foster, as many of our single carers struggle to take on older children with higher-end behavioural needs.
Does Compass Offer Parent and Child Fostering in London?
Yes. Compass Fostering provides Parent and Child fostering in London and is currently looking for more foster parents who can support these specialist arrangements.
You do not need to be a specialist before applying, as relevant training will be provided. This type of fostering may suit people with strong judgement, emotional intelligence, safeguarding awareness and clear record-keeping skills, including empty nesters, people with childcare or healthcare experience, and existing foster parents looking for a different challenge.
In London, Compass Parent and Child foster parents are supported by their supervising social worker, local authority professionals and wider specialist support where needed.
Which local authorities do you work with?
As a leading fostering agency in London, we work with virtually all local authorities in the City, holding monthly or quarterly meetings with some to actively discuss referrals. We also work with authorities outside the immediate region, particularly to house sanctuary-seeking young people.
The Fostering Journey
Where will my training take place?
A large portion of our training is now conveniently available online. Mandatory face-to-face sessions, such as paediatric first aid and the Foster Care Foundations course, are primarily held at our satellite offices in Brixton and Hornchurch. We also occasionally utilise venues in Croydon, West London and Leyton in East London to ensure training is accessible across the region.
Do I need to be able to drive?
No, driving is absolutely not required to foster with us in London. The city is overcrowded with low emission zones, congestion charges and parking fines. Public transport is readily available, and even most of our own social workers do not drive.
How long does it take to be approved?
The fostering assessment process typically takes around 4 to 6 months to complete, concluding with your approval at our fostering panel.
Once approved, how quickly can I welcome my first child?
While the exact timeframe varies, we have a dedicated family finding team and operations manager on duty every day to proactively identify referrals and match them with carer availability.
How does the matching process work and will I have a say?
Our family finding team matches referrals based on carer skill sets, location and close proximity to the child’s school. You will have a large say in the matching process; we read the referral to you, email it over, and give you the autonomy to decide if a child fits well within your household. We hold matching meetings and build a tight “scaffolding of support” around you.
Professional Support & Practicalities
Where are your local offices?
Our physical offices are located in Brixton and Hornchurch.
How often do I need to visit?
You will not need to visit very often — perhaps around six times a year. Visits to the office are typically only for optional support groups, training or celebratory events, as annual reviews are now online and your social worker comes directly to your home.
Who supports me out of hours?
We provide a 24-hour out-of-hours service for emergencies, such as reporting missing children or seeking immediate guidance. Because London operates as a highly close-knit community, carers also have direct access to their Operations Manager and the Head of Fostering.
How often will my Supervising Social Worker visit?
All of our social workers are based at our London offices or the immediate surrounding vicinity. They will visit your home every four to six weeks for supervision and will conduct two unannounced visits a year. You will always have an allocated social worker, and if they go on leave, you are given a duty number and have direct access to your Operations Manager.
What support is available for more complex situations?
During the matching process, we advocate heavily with local authorities to negotiate school proximity and minimise educational travel. To counteract the high cost of living and competition from well-funded local authorities, we focus on exceptional community retention, ensuring our carers feel intimately valued and supported.
Community, Events & Networks
Will there be other Compass foster parents near me?
Yes, many of our carers live in close proximity to one another. Local carers often form networks to support each other with day respite or arrange local outings to the park together.
Do you offer mentoring or buddy support?
Yes, we assign a dedicated Carer Rep who stays on board from the assessment stage up to 12 weeks post-approval. We also offer a referral system for experienced Carer Ambassadors who specialise in language support, IT assistance and emotional guidance.
What local events do you run?
We hold annual foster parent award events and take the children and foster parents to a pantomime every December. We also organise group walks in Epping Forest and host very large carer appreciation parties. We host “Meet the HoF” (Head of Fostering) sessions both in-person and online, and year-round “Bring and Share” events to celebrate everybody’s heritage inclusively. Birth children are enthusiastically invited to our events and coastal trips, such as our outings to Margate.
How do you support diverse families and communities?
We proudly support same-sex couples in our region and fully embrace our LGBT+ carers. We celebrate diversity year-round, sending cards for Eid and Ramadan, and planning events around fasting periods to ensure all carers can comfortably participate.
