Fostering in Ross-on-Wye
By fostering in Ross-on-Wye, you offer a loving home and embark on a rewarding journey.
Become a Foster Carer in Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye, one of the oldest market towns in England, proudly boasts a charter granted in 1138 by King Stephen. Despite its rich history, Ross-on-Wye faces a modern challenge: the need for more individuals to step forward and become foster carers. In this blog post, we will explore fostering a child in Ross-on-Wye while sharing some interesting facts and figures about this great town.
Foster caring in Ross-on-Wye is crucial for providing safe and loving homes for children in need. As one of the best fostering agencies in Ross-on-Wye, we aim to support and guide prospective foster parents through every step of the journey. Therefore, if you’ve ever wondered how to foster a child in Ross-on-Wye, our website is designed to provide all the information you need.
Support and Training when Fostering in Ross-on-Wye
With a population of just 10,700 people, Ross-on-Wye boasts a small yet supportive community. This ethos of local support is at the heart of everything we do as a local independent fostering agency in Ross-on-Wye.
If you start fostering in Ross-on-Wye with us at Family Fostering Partners, you will benefit from regular support groups with other foster parents, a 24/7 phone line for advice and guidance, and regular meetings with your personal link worker. Our constant training ensures you are well-prepared and supported at every step.
In addition to our internal support, everyone fostering a child in Ross-on-Wye with us receives Foster Talk membership. This membership provides legal and medical advice, extra training and resources, as well as discounts and offers.
Financial support and pay
We strongly believe that individuals and families who decide to become foster carers deserve to be supported financially to do so. That is why at Family Fostering Partners, we provide competitive pay to our foster parents, based on the individual needs of each child. We recognise their dedication and believe that those fostering in Ross-on-Wye should be paid fairly for their role.
If you’re in the early stages of wondering how to foster a child in Ross-on-Wye, and you’re concerned about giving up work to be able to foster, you may be interested in our “BeThereToCare” scheme. BeThereToCare is our unique financial transition support package designed to help those who have decided to quit their jobs and become a foster parent, ensuring they can focus on providing the best care for their foster children without worrying about immediate financial pressures.
The advantages of Fostering in Ross-On-Wye
As previously mentioned, Ross-On-Wye has a lot to offer those who want to become a foster carer. One of the reasons we think we’re the best fostering agency in Ross-On-Wye is because of our knowledge and support of the local area, here’s our topic pick of things to do with children in Ross-On-Wye:
- Historic Market Town: Ross-on-Wye boasts a rich history dating back to the 13th century, with many well-preserved buildings, including the iconic Market House and St. Mary’s Church. When fostering in Ross-On-Wye the market can be a fun and educational tool to teach children about local history, produce, and traditions.
- Scenic Beauty: The natural beauty of the Wye Valley, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), makes Ross-on-Wye a popular destination for nature lovers. Those foster caring in Ross-on-Wye can take advantage of the water activities on the River Wye; from canoeing, paddleboarding and kayaking, there’s something for all abilities! Taking part in such activities can boost confidence, use up energy, and create happy memories within your fostering family.
- Cultural Heritage: The town is home to several annual events and festivals that celebrate its cultural heritage, such events offer a perfect opportunity for those fostering in Ross-on-Wye to introduce children to their local community and culture.
- Wye Valley Walk: Ross-on-Wye is a key point on the Wye Valley Walk, a 136-mile trail that follows the River Wye from its source in Wales to the Severn Estuary. Such walks are a perfect opportunity for engaging children in educational outdoor activities.
How to foster a child in Ross-on-Wye
We’ve created a simple guide on how to foster a child in Ross-on-Wye which can be found below. This is a brief overview of each step to becoming a foster carer, for a more detailed explanation please visit our “Become a Foster Parent” page.
Step 1: Get in touch
Reaching out to an agency like ourselves at Family Fostering Partners is the first step in your journey to become a foster carer. You can do so by visiting our “Contact Us” page and request an initial call or an information pack.
Alternatively, we have a live chat feature on our website which allows you to chat directly to a member of our staff, simply type “Fostering in Ross-On-Wye” into the dialogue box in the bottom right hand side of your screen. We’re always happy to answer any questions that people my have about how to start fostering.
Step 2: Initial Call & Home Visit
Organising an initial call is an essential part of the assessment process, it’s an opportunity to ask the assessing social worker any questions you might have and tell them a bit about why you want to start foster caring in Ross-on-Wye.
After an initial call the next step is a home visit, this is when we visit your house to ensure it’s suitable for fostering. This is also another opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have about fostering a child in Ross-On-Wye.
Step 3: Complete an Application Form
Once the application form is accepted, the process officially begins, and you will be assigned a dedicated Assessing Social Worker!
Step 4: Assessment Process
Along with your assessing social worker, they will discuss your motivations and reasons for fostering, as well as chatting about your history and current situation. You will discuss what type of fostering you’d like to be considered for, as well as what the right match will be for your family.
Checks and references will be undertaken, and the culmination of this information will create your assessment report for the fostering panel. During the assessment process, you will also be invited to a ‘Skills to Foster’ training course to prepare you for your journey to fostering in Ross-on-Wye.
Step 5: Panel
Your Assessment report will be presented to a panel, they will make a recommendation based on the information provided to them.
Step 6: Approval
You are approved to foster and can begin your fostering journey! The matching process can begin!
Why We Think we’re the best fostering agency in Ross-on-Wye
We’ve already detailed how we equip foster carers with the skills and knowledge they need to provide the best care possible through our training and support. This is just part of why we think we’re the best fostering agency in Ross-On-Wye, however, watch a video from one of our foster parent detailing why they foster with us at Family Fostering Partners.
Start Fostering In Ross-On-Wye
If you’re eager to become a foster carer, please get in touch with us by filling out the contact form or by using our live chat feature on the bottom right hand side of your screen. We’re always happy to help answer any questions that you may have about fostering in Ross-On-Wye and the process of becoming a foster parent.
Training is very important. FFP are amazing at giving support. If there are any courses we’d like to do, we just speak to our link worker and they will always organise that for us. The training is first class.
Steve, Foster Parent
