Fostering in Leeds
Fostering in Leeds might be something you have been considering for some time. Whatever stage you are at in your fostering journey, we are here to help you!
Children and young people in the Leeds area come into care for lots of different reasons. An illness in the family might prevent a parent or guardian properly caring for their children on a short-term basis. There may be a conflict within the family, meaning that children need to be temporarily removed until that conflict is resolved. Sadly, the main reason why children come into care is because of abuse or neglect. The welfare of a child will always come first in any situation, so if a child is removed from their home, it is important for them to be matched to fantastic foster carers. TACT are recruiting foster carers in Leeds to provide care, guidance and security to these young people.
No previous childcare or fostering experience is required, as full and ongoing training will be provided. The initial criteria for becoming a foster carer is to have at least one spare bedroom in your home, a nurturing and caring disposition – and lots of energy to provide a child with a secure and supportive home. If this sounds like something YOU could do, you could join our Fostering Leeds team!
Meet Our Team
We have a great team of staff within the Leeds area. Richard Leech, our area manager for the area, has worked in children’s services for over 27 years, and is passionate about making a difference to children’s lives. He manages our great team of social workers in Yorkshire and the North East – ensuring that our team of foster parents are fully supported. Richard joined TACT in 2013. He left his previous fostering agency due to the ‘profit’ that was being made from vulnerable children.
We cover a wide area around Leeds, including Harehills, Holbeck, Armley, Chapel Allerton– and many other areas in the region.
Why Foster in Leeds with TACT?
TACT is the UK’s largest dedicated fostering charity – enabling us to provide care for children on a national level. We reinvest any surplus income into providing more support and training for foster carers interested in fostering.
As one of the leading fostering agencies in Leeds, we provide our foster parents with training and support that is local to them – to enable them to change young people’s lives. Because we reinvest surplus income, we can provide additional support over and above what is required of a fostering charity, such as a dedicated education service, health service and an online foster carer portal.
We’re more than just a fostering agency – we go above and beyond to look after our foster carers and the children they provide care for. Our TACT Connect service ensures that when children leave the care system, they have TACT’s support for life.
This is why 98% of our carers would recommend us to others thinking of fostering.
Rated As ‘Good’ By Ofsted
Following an inspection in October 2021, Ofsted have announced that TACT Yorkshire & the North East has been rated ‘Good’ for its work with foster carers and looked after children.
“Children benefit from strong, trusting and nurturing relationships with their foster
carers. Foster carers act as positive advocates, and they empower the children to
express their wishes and feelings.” – Ofsted 2021
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 childrens 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 health service was established in order to provide young people in your care with ongoing physical and mental health monitoring.
- 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 Children’s Resource Workers 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 Leeds
Foster carers are highly skilled people, and our fees and allowances reflect this.
If you join our Fostering Leeds team, the total fostering allowance that you receive will vary based on a number of factors, including the type of foster care you are providing, the number of children that you care for and their age, as well as the complexity of their needs.
You will also receive additional payments for childrens birthdays, holidays and religious festivals. Additionally, 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).
Hear From Our Foster Carers in Leeds
“Our daily lives have changed so much”
Carol talks about fostering during the pandemic, and how they have made a difference to a child with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FASD).
“To know that you are changing a life is priceless”
The stigma around looked after children and their reputation for being unruly isn’t fair or true. These aren’t naughty children, they have been badly let down by society. When they receive nurturing, boundaries and a safe home they blossom.
“It fills you with pride seeing the difference you are making”
I began thinking about fostering after one of my friends started fostering. Seeing the positive difference in the children from when they first arrived compared to when they left, I knew this was something I wanted to do.
Fostering Information Events
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Start Your Fostering Journey
