For current foster carers, the decision to transfer from your current agency or local authority to a new agency can be a really big one. Whilst we always want to encourage new foster carers to come forward, we understand that there are many reasons that current foster carers may also choose to move. 

At TACT, we pride ourselves on the level of support and training we can offer to our foster carers. As a not-for-profit charity, we’re also able to reinvest funds into support and activities for the young people we care for and our foster carers. 

Transferring is possible whether you currently have children in placement or not. Although you will need to go through the Form F process again, we are able to ‘fast-track’ this assessment process for current carers, meaning it will be much quicker than when you first became a foster carer. 

James, along with his wife Alice, transferred to TACT from their local authority in 2022. They’ve shared their experiences and their reasons for choosing TACT with us below. 

Why did you choose to transfer to TACT?

We wanted to work with social workers who truly prioritised the needs of the children in our care and gave us the support we needed to foster well. With TACT, that meant having regular supervision and the chance to connect with other carers for peer support—it really makes a difference. 

It was also important to us to foster with an organisation that puts kids first and reinvests profits into providing exceptional care. That ethos really resonated with us. 

Before we transferred, our foster kids had gone through six social workers in their first six months with us! That kind of turnover made it so hard for them to settle and work through complex birth family relationships. The supervising social worker from the local authority didn’t seem to see this as an issue, but we knew it wasn’t good enough for the children or for us. 

We looked at a few options, and honestly, TACT stood out by a mile. We knew it was the right move for us. 

Did you have children in placement when transferring? If so, how was that process handled?

Yes, we had two siblings placed with us during the transfer. Luckily, because they kept their own social worker, the process didn’t really impact them much. 

The only difference was positive! With TACT, there were extra opportunities for the kids – like trips to Gulliver’s World and bowling. Things like that made them feel seen and supported in ways the local authority hadn’t really been able to offer. 

What were your experiences of completing another Form F assessment?

It was a thorough process and took about six months from start to finish. There was plenty of meetings, paperwork and a final panel, but honestly, it was worth it. Everything was done online, which made it flexible and manageable for us.  

We really enjoyed having the chance to talk and reflect with someone who genuinely understood our reasons for fostering. It gave us the space to revisit why we chose to foster in the first place, think about the care we provide, and consider how we can best help children navigate such a complex care system. 

Can you describe some of the support and training you’ve experienced with TACT that differs from your previous experience?

The supervision we’ve had with TACT has been amazing, especially during a tough placement. Our social worker has been empathetic, clear, and incredibly supportive. They always see the bigger picture—what’s best for the children placed with us, as well as for us as carers. It’s exactly what we hoped for when we transferred, and TACT hasn’t let us down. 

The training is another huge strength. It’s thorough, relevant to the children we’re fostering, and leaves us feeling really well-equipped. We’ve done both online and in-person training, and it’s all been so helpful. TACT places clear emphasis on therapeutic parenting and it’s embedded in both training and supervision. We strongly believe in this way of caring for children and we’ve really enjoyed learning more of the theory and then being able to put it into practice.   

On top of that, the sense of community at TACT is fantastic. We’ve been to carer meetups and bigger gatherings where staff, carers, birth children and foster children come together. It’s been brilliant to build a wider support network and learn from other foster carers. It’s helped us to learn from the approach that other carers have taken and reflect on what we can learn. 

Would you recommend TACT to foster carers with profit making agencies?

Absolutely, without hesitation. The support we’ve had has been above and beyond anything we’ve experienced before. 

From an area manager who knows the names of the kids placed with us (and what’s happening in their lives!), to a supervising social worker who brought us electric heaters when our boiler broke, TACT is all about going the extra mile. Add in a well-constructed training programme, and you’ve got an organisation that genuinely puts carers and kids first. We couldn’t recommend them more. 

Read more about transferring to us.