Fostering in Bournemouth
Many children and young people in Bournemouth require urgent care and guidance, because they are unable to stay with their own families. Some reasons for this are internal family conflicts, or an illness that means their parents or guardians are unable to care for them because they need to stay in hospital for a while. Sadly, the main cause of children coming into care is because of neglect or abuse. TACT are recruiting foster carers in Bournemouth to provide safe and caring homes to these children. If this sounds like something that you could do, you could join our Fostering Bournemouth Team!
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Can I foster in Bournemouth?
You don’t need any previous experience to start fostering in Bournemouth. 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 prior experience or training is required to become a foster carer.
We provide comprehensive training to ensure you are fully prepared to care for children in your home. Training is available both in-person and online.
The initial training, called Skills to Foster, is completed online as part of the foster carer assessment process. This short course offers an introduction to fostering and gives you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
Once approved as a foster carer with TACT, you will receive a full training program to enhance your skills, helping you to care for more children and young people in the Bournemouth area.
In addition, we offer specialised training to support you in caring for children with specific needs or requirements.
24/7 Support
Consistent support is essential to help change children’s lives. We reinvest any surplus funds into improving the services we offer to our fostering families, ensuring you have the help you need whenever you need it.
Once approved as a TACT foster carer, you will be assigned a dedicated Supervising Social Worker. With manageable caseloads, our Supervising Social Workers are able to dedicate more time to supporting you. We believe that with the right guidance, you’ll be better equipped to provide the care and support required to make a difference.
This is what we provide:
- Full 24/7 support. Your Supervising Social Worker will typically be your main point of contact, but our out-of-hours service ensures there is always someone available for help or advice.
- Foster carer portal. A central online hub that offers easy access to vital information, advice, training, and resources to assist you in your daily responsibilities.
- Education service. A specialised service to provide guidance, ensuring the children in your care have access to the best educational opportunities.
- Health service. Close monitoring of the physical and mental well-being of the children in your care.
- Support groups. Local support groups in Bournemouth and nearby areas offer a space to connect with other carers and share experiences.
- Support for young people. Our Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners offer extra support, activities, and events for the children in your care in Bournemouth.
- Supporting your own children. Recognising the role of your own children in the fostering process, our Children Who Foster events provide opportunities for them to connect with others in similar situations.
- Peer support. Where available, experienced TACT carers can offer peer-to-peer support to provide guidance and help for new foster carers.
Pay & Allowances
Foster carers are highly trained professionals, and our fees and allowances are designed to reflect the essential role they play.
In collaboration with Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Council, we receive funding to support the care of children and young people in the region. This funding helps us deliver our services, and supports our committed team of foster carers. The fostering allowance you receive will depend on factors such as the type of care provided, the number and ages of the children in your care, and the complexity of their individual 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 Bournemouth 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
“We are very glad we took the time to do a lot of research to find the best agency because we feel very lucky to have found TACT. The fact that TACT is a charity appealed to us and our TACT social workers, as well as the wider team, have been brilliant. We have had the best support ever.”
Debbie and Glyn – TACT Foster Carers since 2018
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
