Tameside Council to become a Fostering Friendly Employer

TAMESIDE Council is to become a Fostering Friendly Employer to provide extra support to foster carers.

The Council’s Executive Cabinet has today approved the policy to support foster and kinship carers, to help increase levels of fostering and improve placement stability, and to support the aim of being an employer of choice.

The UK’s leading fostering charity, the Fostering Network, runs the Fostering Friendly Employer scheme and encourages employers to sign up. Accreditation will also help the Council to support and encourage partners to offer comparable policies to their employees to drive the recruitment and retention of foster carers.

Cllr Bill Fairfoull, Tameside Council Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children and Families, said: “We recognise the important job that our fantastic foster and kinship carers do and this policy is a positive step forward in providing support to them, helping them manage work and the commitments of being a foster carer. It will also encourage others to consider fostering.

“Tameside’s foster and kinship carers are invaluable, giving children stability and the chance to maintain important relationships. They directly support our priorities to give children the best start in life and fulfil their potential.”

The policy offers up to 10 days of paid leave per 12-month period for employees who are, or training to become, foster carers or kinship carers (a relative or friend caring for a child who is unable to live with their birth parents) to attend training, support groups, and approval panel and other meetings. 

A range of training and meetings is essential to support foster and kinship families and provide knowledge and skills to support the needs of the child. Supportive arrangements enable the foster carer to feel confident in their care, which supports the child’s overall wellbeing.

Anyone who would like to find out more about fostering for Tameside and become part of Tameside’s fostering community should visit www.tameside.gov.uk/fostering or call 0161 342 2342.