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Recruiting the foster care workforce of the future Helen Clarke June 2010. Foster carers. ‘If we haven’t got foster carers – nothing else works’ service manager. Importance of recruitment and retention of foster carers. Always supported fostering services.
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Recruiting the foster care workforce of the future Helen Clarke June 2010
Foster carers ‘If we haven’t got foster carers – nothing else works’ service manager
Importance of recruitment and retention of foster carers • Always supported fostering services. • Lead developments and encourage innovation. • Recruitment campaigns, good practice and advice. • Workshops and networking.
Finding who will foster • Two-thirds are aged over 50. • Two out of five aren’t happy. • 1,000s of people enquire. • Six out of 10 fostering service aren’t meeting their recruitment targets.
What puts people off? • The image of foster care. • Myths about fostering. • Status, pay and support.
Recruiting the Foster Care Workforce of the Future • Why choose a career in fostering? • The recruitment team • The recruitment strategy – getting it right • Finding the people who could foster • Promoting foster care • Managing interest and encouraging enquiries • Approving new fostering households
Meeting the challenge • Resources – spend millions across the UK, staff shortages, everyone’s responsibility. • Time. • Energy – ongoing – can be hard to increase. • Spreading the word – we know who we have (profiling). • Getting it right – be strategic, clear tasks and plan, effective systems.
What do we do? • Support our organisational members • Advice and consultancy • Projects and reports • Sharing good practice – Attracting and Keeping Carers. • Raise public awareness of fostering • Foster Care Fortnight . • Lobby and campaign for change.