Fostering in Lewisham
There are many children and young people in Lewisham that really need urgent care and guidance because they cannot be looked after by their own families. There are a variety of reasons for this. It could be that there is a degree of internal conflict within the family home, and that children need to be temporarily removed while that conflict is resolved. It could also be due to an illness, meaning that parents or guardians are physically unable to meet the needs of their children. Unfortunately, it could also be because of abuse or neglect. TACT are recruiting foster carers in Lewisham to provide a safe and caring home to these children. If this sounds like something that you could do, you could join our Fostering Lewisham Team!
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Can I foster in Lewisham?
You don’t need any previous experience to start fostering in Lewisham. 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 necessary to become a foster carer.
We offer comprehensive training to ensure you’re 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 brief course provides an introduction to fostering and gives you the opportunity to ask any questions.
Once approved as a foster carer with TACT, you will receive a full training program designed to enhance your skills, enabling you to care for and positively impact more children and young people in the Lewisham area.
Additionally, we provide specialised training to support you in caring for children with specific needs or requirements.
24/7 Support
Providing continuous support is crucial to making a lasting difference in children’s lives. We reinvest any surplus income to enhance the support we offer to our fostering families, ensuring you always have the help you need.
Once you become an approved TACT foster carer, you will be assigned a dedicated Supervising Social Worker. Our Supervising Social Workers have manageable caseloads, allowing them to spend more time with you. We believe that with the right support, you will be better prepared to offer the care and guidance that positively impacts on children’s lives.
This is what we provide:
- Full 24/7 support. Your Supervising Social Worker will typically provide all the assistance you need, but our out-of-hours service guarantees that someone is always available for support or advice.
- Foster carer portal. An online platform that acts as a central hub for TACT foster carers, giving you easy access to essential information, advice, training, and resources to assist in your daily role.
- Education service. A specialised service offering guidance and support to ensure the children in your care have access to the best possible educational opportunities.
- Health service. Our health service closely monitors the physical and mental well-being of the children in your care.
- Support groups. Local support groups in Lewisham and surrounding areas provide a space for you to meet and 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 Lewisham area.
- Supporting your own children. We recognise the important role your own children play in the fostering household. Our Children Who Foster events give your children the opportunity to connect with other young people involved in fostering.
- Peer support. When available, peer-to-peer support pairs new foster carers with experienced TACT carers to offer additional guidance and assistance.
Pay & Allowances
Foster carers are skilled professionals, and our fees and allowances are structured to acknowledge the important work they do.
In partnership with Lewisham Council, we receive funding to support the care of children and young people in the area. This funding is used to deliver our services and support 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 Lewisham 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 proud to be the charity’s longest serving foster carers. It is important to us that TACT is a charity as we believe that looking after vulnerable children and young people should not be profit making.”
Rose & Bill – TACT Foster Carers since 1992
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
