Fostering in poole
Becoming a foster carer in Poole could mean changing children’s lives. Many young people unfortunately find themselves in care for a variety of different reasons, including conflicts within their family – or even a long term illness. Sadly, the main reason why young people come into care is because of abuse, neglect – or both. TACT are recruiting foster carers in Poole in order to make a real difference to the lives of these children. If this sounds like something that you could do, you could join our Fostering Poole Team!
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Can I foster in Poole?
You don’t need any previous experience to start fostering in Poole. To proceed with an application, you would need to meet this initial criteria:
- To be over 21 years old (there is no upper age limit)
- To have at least one spare bedroom
- To be a full-time resident in the UK or have indefinite leave to remain
You would also need the time and flexibility to dedicate yourself to fostering. Good written and spoken English is essential, as you would be required to work with other professionals, and provide written records detailing the progress of any young people in your care.
Full Training
No previous experience or training is needed to become a foster carer.
We offer thorough training to ensure you’re fully prepared to care for children in your home, with options for both in-person and virtual sessions.
The initial training, known as Skills To Foster, is completed online as part of the foster carer assessment. This brief course introduces you to fostering and provides an opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
After being approved as a foster carer with TACT, you’ll have access to a comprehensive training program designed to further develop your skills, allowing you to care for and positively impact more children and young people in the Poole area.
We also provide specialised training to help you support children with specific needs or requirements.
24/7 Support
Providing continuous support is crucial in making a real difference to children’s lives. We reinvest any surplus income to enhance the support available to our fostering families, ensuring you always have access to the help you need.
As an approved TACT foster carer, you will be assigned a dedicated Supervising Social Worker. Our Supervising Social Workers manage reasonable caseloads, allowing them to give you more personalised attention. With the right support, we believe you’ll be better equipped to offer the care and guidance needed to positively impact children’s lives.
This is what we provide:
- Full 24/7 support. Your Supervising Social Worker will generally provide all the support you need, but our out-of-hours service ensures there is always someone available for help or advice.
- Foster carer portal. An online platform designed as a central hub for TACT foster carers, giving you easy access to information, advice, training, and other resources to support you in your daily role.
- Education service. A dedicated service offering guidance and support to ensure the children in your care have access to the best educational opportunities.
- Health service. Our health service ensures the physical and mental well-being of the children in your care is closely monitored.
- Support groups. Local support groups in Poole and surrounding areas provide a space to connect with other carers and share experiences.
- Support for young people. Our Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners offer additional support, activities, and events for the children in your care in the Poole area.
- Supporting your own children. We recognise the important role your own children play in the fostering household. Our Children Who Foster events help your children connect with other young people involved in fostering.
- Peer support. Occasionally, peer-to-peer support is available, where new foster carers are paired with experienced TACT carers for extra guidance and assistance.
Pay & Allowances
Foster carers are highly skilled professionals, and our fees and allowances are structured to recognise the essential work they do.
In partnership with Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Council, we receive funding to support the care of children and young people in the region. This funding is used to deliver our services and provide ongoing support to our dedicated team of foster carers. The fostering allowance you receive will be determined by factors such as the type of care you provide, the number and ages of the children in your care, and the complexity of their needs.
There are also payments for children’s birthdays, holidays and religious festivals. We also pay long service awards and a Refer a Friend fee (if you recommend someone who then goes on to be an approved foster carer with us).
Below, you can find examples of the weekly Fostering Poole payments you could receive when a young person is placed in your care:
Meet The Area Manager
“I have always worked with children from 0-18 years in a variety of settings including the NHS, Local Authorities, and small Charitable organisations. TACT’s ethos is putting the child at the centre and that resonates with me – making TACT a charity I am proud to be a part of.”
Christine McGillvary – TACT Area Manager London & The South
Christine is truly passionate about making a difference to children’s lives. She manages our great team of social workers that cover the South Coast – ensuring that our team of foster parents are fully supported. Christine has over 19 years’ experience in fostering, specifically within the charitable sector.
Rated ‘Good’ By Ofsted
Following an inspection in January 2022, Ofsted have announced that TACT London & the South has been rated ‘Good’ for its work with foster carers and looked after children.
“The fostering service provides a good quality of care, and the experiences and outcomes for children are very positive. Children, many of whom have complex needs, receive personalised care that meets their needs, and they are kept safe.” – Ofsted, 2022
What Our Foster Carers Say
“The support is always there and this is even more prevalent with TACT – which offers around the clock support and a multitude of training courses to help you become the best carer you can be.”
Annette and Andrew – TACT Foster Carers since 2017
Fostering Information Events
- January 9, 2025
- Hampshire, London,
- Time: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Hampshire Fostering Information Event
TACT London & The South are hosting a Fostering Information Session at Emsworth Baptist Church on Thursday 9th January between 10am – 12.30pm.
- April 11, 2025
- London
- Time: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Hammersmith Fostering Information Event
TACT London are hosting a Fostering Information Session at RCNI London West Nursing Careers & Jobs Fair on Friday 11th April 2025 between 9.30am – 4pm.
Start Your Fostering Journey
