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Your membership Largest membership organisation for fostering in the UK 55,000 foster carers 370 fostering services We protect We support We connect We are the largest membership organisation for fostering in the UK, working with over 55,000 foster carers and more than 370 fostering services. (click) Our membership offers a range of benefits to ensure our members are protected, supported and connected in their vital roles transforming children and young people’s lives.

We protect Market-leading legal protection insurance 24-hour legal helpline 24-hour stress counselling service Solicitor to attend a police interview Up to £150,000 legal expenses It is vital that foster carers are protected in their roles, which is why our membership offers market-leading legal protection insurance that covers the whole fostering family in the event of an allegation. (click) The insurance includes access to a legal helpline, which has responded to over 1,100 calls since April 2018. The insurance also includes access to a confidential stress counselling service, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year round. You will also be able to arrange for a solicitor with knowledge of fostering to attend a police interview with you, and claim up to £150,000 legal expenses in the event of a criminal prosecution or civil proceedings. (click)

We support Helplines Independent support and mediation Publications Training Consultancy We know how essential it is that foster carers are fully supported in their roles. We also know the importance of working with fostering services to develop and share best practice. (click) Our helplines offer foster carers and fostering services independent advice on all aspects of fostering, from tax and benefits to best practice and guidance. We support the development of foster carers’ and social workers’ skills by providing a wide selection of publications, online resources, training, events and consultancy packages, which you can access at discounted rates (Click) Over the last 12 months we have delivered 45 training courses to our members over 62 days, 24% of the training days were for courses in London. In total courses were delivered to over 600 delegates, of which 34% were social workers and 33% were foster carers. The courses most requested were our trademarked The Skills to Foster: train the trainer, Managing Allegations, Record Keeping and Panel training. Social worker Others Greater London Foster carers

We support Helplines Independent support and mediation Publications Training Consultancy Mortgage and home insurance partners Discounts on holidays and family days out www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/membership For many foster carers, securing a mortgage or getting the right home insurance can be a complicated process. That is why we have developed relationships with specialist home insurance and mortgage providers that understand fostering. (click) Finally our discounts on family days out and holidays for our members support you to spend quality time together as a family. Register and log in to our website to access the full range of discounts available to you.

We connect Events Online community E-newsletters Magazine Campaigns Raise the profile of fostering “Being a member helps me stay informed about what’s going on in fostering and links me in with other foster carers. Feeling like I’m part of a community is really important.” Foster carer Being a member with us means that you are part of the UK’s largest fostering community. (click) We connect you through events such as today’s so that you can hear about the latest developments and meet others involved in fostering. We also bring you together through our online community so you can share advice, support and your own personal experiences. As a member you will also receive our monthly e-newsletter and quarterly magazine to stay up to date with the latest sector news. We influence fostering policy and practice at every level and campaign to ensure that foster care is the very best it can be. Working with our members, we also develop and pilot innovative approaches to foster care such as the Mockingbird model. 15 hours additional child care extended to include foster children after a campaign led by The Fostering Network State of the Nation – 4,000 responses Allowances survey of local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland – will be using results to ensure all foster carers receive at least the national minimum allowance. Held round table on our Keep Connected campaign – which is supported by voluntary organisations, fostering services, foster carers, DfE, Ofsted and other stakeholders. We are currently in final stages of revising thr Foster Carer Charter - supported by DfE Fed into fostering review. Government response spoke about their support of Keep Connected campaign and Charter. Have pledged to introduce guidance if necessary. Fostering transforms lives and we want everyone to recognise the crucial role that it plays in our society. This is why we work with all of our members to raise the profile of fostering, for example by delivering Foster Care Fortnight. Thank you for being a member of The Fostering Network. By listening to and working with you, we really do create vital change so that foster care is the very best it can be.