Using this Handbook

Welcome to your Foster Carers Handbook. The handbook reflects policies, procedures and guidance for the fostering agency which cover many common situations faced by foster carers on a day to day basis. 

This Handbook contains all key policies and procedures set out in different sections. These can be accessed from the Contents button on the tool bar.

There is also an area called Local Resources which contains additional information from the Brighter Futures for Children Independent Fostering Agency to support you in your role. It’s important that you use the Local Resources area too.

There is also a link to the multi-agency safeguarding procedures that cover Reading which can be accessed from the home page by clicking on the blue button that says Procedures Manuals for Safeguarding and Children's Social Work.

If you are unable to find information you require, consult your Supervising Social Worker.

You can add a shortcut to the manual on the home screen of your phone or mobile device by opening the site using the 'url' (website address) and then on an Android phone tapping the 3 dots at the top right hand corner of the phone browser and from the drop down menu selecting 'Add to Home Screen'. On an iPhone, open the site in the phone browser and at the bottom of the browser select the icon that looks like a square with an arrow pointing upwards and from the menu that appears select 'Add to Home Screen'.

We value the children and young people that we work with. In particular, the children and young people we care for are known as Children Looked After. However in the context of this handbook as the legislation and national guidance refers to Looked After Children you may on occasions see this terminology is used within the handbook.

This handbook will be updated on a regular basis, usually annually unless there are significant changes that require more timely updates.

If you would like to suggest a change to the handbook discuss your suggestion with your line manager in the first instance.

This Handbook contains a local resource section which can be accessed via the navigation bar. This area contains additional guidance, forms and other information that supports the work that you do. It’s important that you use the Local Resources area too.

This library is maintained by the Fostering Agency. If there is a resource that you think should be added, talk in the first instance to your Supervising Social Worker. 

The handbook is accessed by readers who may find terms that they are not familiar with. Therefore, a glossary of definitions is available under the resource tab.

There is also a National Contacts resource populated with details of key national agencies and organisations likely to be relevant to procedures user.

We have used the following terms and post titles:

Every effort has been taken to ensure regulatory compliance. If you discover any errors or omissions, please alert your manager.

The content of this website can be accessed, printed and downloaded in an unaltered form, on a temporary basis, for personal study or reference purposes. Content printed or downloaded may not be sold, licensed, transferred, copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner or in or on any media to any person without the prior written consent of tri.x.

This website aims to achieve Double-A conformance to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines in accordance with government guidelines.

The Manual is intended to be viewed on line to ensure only the most up-to-date version of procedures are being used. It will be updated regularly so, in the unlikely event there is a requirement for hard copies they should be destroyed after 72 hours.

It is recommended that this manual is viewed with the latest browsers, with Java Script and cookies enabled for maximum compatibility and functionality.

Recommended browsers are:

• Internet Explorer 11 (Windows 7, 8 and 8.1);
• Microsoft Edge (Windows 10);
• Google Chrome;
• Mozilla Firefox;
• Apple Safari.

This manual has been tested on a variety of mobile devices to ensure that it displays correctly. If you are using an older mobile device it is possible that the manual will not display correctly.

If you would like the text to be larger, resize the text under the accessibility options, alternatively if you would also like the buttons and the rest of the layout to be enlarged you can use the zoom function within your browser.

The majority of devices have the functionality to allow a shortcut to be downloaded to the homescreen by loading the site using the 'url' and using the upload function and tapping 'Add to Home Screen'. The functionality may vary between devices, please refer to the manufacturer's instructions.