Fostering in St Helens
Could you provide care, guidance and a stable home to vulnerable children and young people? By joining our Fostering St. Helens team of foster carers, you could make a real difference in your local area.
You may have been thinking about fostering for a while, or be totally new to the idea. Whatever stage you are at, we can provide you with all the information you need for you to begin your fostering journey.
Meet Our Team
We have a great team of staff within the St. Helens area. Jon Broadhurst, our Area Manager for the region, is truly passionate about making a difference to children’s lives. He manages our great team of social workers ensuring that our team of foster parents are fully supported. Jon has over 28 years’ experience in social work, with 17 years’ experience specifically in the charitable sector.
We cover a wide area in and around St. Helens, including Eccleston, Rainford and Haydock.
Why Foster in St Helens with TACT?
TACT is the UK’s largest dedicated fostering charity. We have been providing nurturing and caring homes for vulnerable young people since 1993.
We work closely with St. Helens Borough Council to help provide foster homes for vulnerable young people. As we are a charity, we reinvest to provide more support for our foster carers in the form of our Education and Health services, and our online foster carer portal. In addition, our Connect community ensures that our care-experienced young people continue to receive support into adulthood and beyond.
Take a look at some of the wonderful reasons why to foster in St Helens with TACT:
Rated as ‘OUTSTANDING’ by Ofsted
Following an inspection in December 2023, Ofsted have announced that TACT North West has been rated ‘Outstanding’ for its work with foster carers and looked after children.
“Children’s lives are enriched by the love and care they receive from their foster carers. Children make exceptional progress as a result of the quality of care they experience. Children are welcomed into their fostering households and embraced as part of their foster family.”– Ofsted 2023
24/7 Support
We understand how important a high level of support is to our foster carers, which is why we reinvest surplus income into providing more support for our fostering families. Also, our Supervising Social Workers have manageable workloads, so that they are able to dedicate more time to you. After all, the better we support you, the better you will be able to provide the care and guidance required to change children’s lives.
This is what we provide:
- Full 24/7 support. Your Supervising Social Worker will usually provide all the support you need, but we also have a dedicated out-of-hours support service for total peace of mind.
- Foster carer portal. An online community of TACT foster carers and a place to find information, advice, training and other resources to help you with your day-to-day life as a foster carer.
- Education service. Our specialist service provides support and advice to help ensure that the children in your care receive the best possible educational opportunities.
- Health service. Our dedicated health service was created to provide ongoing physical and mental health monitoring for the young people in your care.
- Support groups. Our support groups operate all over the country, and provide you with a local outlet to meet other carers in your area, share experiences and knowledge, and even make new friends!
- Support for young people. Our Engagement and Activity Practitioners provide the children in your care with additional support, activities and events.
- Supporting your own children. We understand that your own children play an important role in the fostering household. As such, our Children Who Foster events provide your own children with an opportunity to socialise with other young people who make an amazing contribution to fostering.
- Peer support. In some areas, peer-to-peer support may be available. These work by pairing newly approved foster carers with experienced TACT carers to provide another level of support.
Fostering Allowance St Helens
Foster carers are highly skilled people, and our fees and allowances reflect this.
When you join our Fostering St. Helens team, you will receive an allowance whilst you are caring for young people in your home. The actual amount you will receive will depend on a number of factors such as the type of fostering you are providing, the number of children you are caring for, their ages and complexity of their needs.
Hear From Our Foster Carers in St Helens
“We love encouraging the children to pursue their passions”
Alice and James, TACT foster carers from the North West since 2022. The couple share their story of how they become foster carers and their journey from fostering with their local Council to transferring to TACT
“DNA doesn’t make a family, love does”
Gemma and Jenilee, TACT foster carers since 2020, turned to fostering after unsuccessful fertility treatments, feeling destined to give love to children in care. Their first placement involved three siblings, where they provided stability, routine, and care. Seeing the children flourish has been their greatest reward.
“My proudest moments are when I encourage the children to try new things”
Karen’s proudest moments come from encouraging foster children to try new things and discover their talents. Watching their confidence grow, whether it’s winning chess tournaments or performing in assemblies, brings immense satisfaction and highlights the rewards of fostering.
Fostering Information Events
- October 11, 2024
- Manchester
- Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Manchester Fostering Information Event
Join TACT North West at Manchester Jobs Fair (at Old Trafford) for a Fostering Information Session on Friday 11th October 2024, from 10am to 1pm
Start Your Fostering Journey
