Being a foster parent can be incredibly rewarding but comes with unique challenges. The right fostering agency will prepare and empower you to navigate these challenges, providing support and guidance from an experienced team that values your hard work and dedication.
No matter how long you've been fostering, it can be worthwhile to reflect on your journey so far to see if another fostering agency could better serve you. Read on to discover the signs that it might be time to consider transferring fostering agencies.
Why transfer fostering agency?
You receive impersonal support
If you feel like you’re receiving standardised support that’s impersonal or difficult to obtain, it could be a sign that it’s time to switch to another fostering agency. Fostering can sometimes be unpredictable, so having the support of a reliable and responsive team is essential.
At Orange Grove, we are by your side throughout your fostering journey. We take a personal approach, building villages of tailored support around our foster parents so you never feel alone.
Our support for foster parents includes:
- Dedicated social worker - Your supervising social worker will nurture a relationship with you, providing personalised advice and support.
- Family support worker - All our foster parents receive practical support from a family support worker. They will ensure that every family member feels valued and their well-being prioritised.
- Therapists – Fostering can be challenging, which is why all our foster parents have access to a local therapist if and when needed.
- 24/7 helpline - Fostering is a 24/7 role, so we ensure you receive support day and night.
- Support groups - We host regular support groups that give you an opportunity to connect with other foster parents.
- Paid respite - All our foster parents can receive up to two weeks of paid respite care.
Training doesn’t meet your needs.
Every child has different needs, so you may need to attend specialist training sessions to help the child in your care thrive. Children are also constantly evolving as they transition through the various stages of childhood, which means you need ongoing training to support their changing needs. If your current training has stagnated, it could be time to switch foster care agencies.
At Orange Grove, our training courses are tailored to meet the needs of your whole family. We offer a mix of e-learning courses, online group training with daytime and evening sessions, as well as in-person training
Our training for foster parents includes:
- Mandatory training – You’ll have already completed some mandatory training with your current fostering agency (for example, Safeguarding and First Aid), which will be carried over to us when you transfer. We'll collaborate with you to schedule any courses that need to be recapped, as well as courses on new topics that you haven't yet completed.
- Advanced training - We deliver a wide range of training in specialist subjects, such as autism, bullying, cultural awareness, and more. These courses not only support your ongoing professional development but also prepare you to provide specialist care based on your young person's individual needs.
You don’t feel valued
As a foster parent, you make a real difference in the lives of children and young people every day by opening your home and nurturing every aspect of their well-being. This takes patience, commitment and expertise, which should be reflected in your fostering allowance. If not, it may be time to consider transferring fostering agencies.
At Orange Grove, we value our foster parents, rewarding you for the incredible work you do with a generous fostering allowance and additional perks.
Allowances Matched as a Minimum
If you transfer to us, we’ll match your current fostering allowance at the very least but can often offer you more than your current agency. You’ll also benefit from the following perks:
- You'll receive an additional allowance to help make birthdays and religious festivals special for the children in your care.
- You may not need to take a break, but if you do, we offer up to two weeks of paid respite care.
- Our generous mileage allowance will help cover the extra cost of travelling with the child in your care to meetings, appointments and family time.
- Our rewards platform features discounts on daily essentials, holidays, days out and more.
- If you know someone interested in fostering, you could receive up to £3000 for referring them with our exclusive refer-a-friend scheme.
- You'll also receive a free membership to FosterTalk, where you can access even more support.
Unreliable support for children
Children in care need reliable support tailored to their individual needs and current stage of development. Additionally, if you have children or grandchildren, when you foster, they do too. They play a vital role in helping the young people in your care feel at home and may need support as they navigate a change in family dynamics.
If your current fostering agency provides support, but it is unreliable or overlooks the value of your children and grandchildren, it could be time to transfer to an agency that nurtures the well-being of your whole family.
If you transfer to Orange Grove, each child in your family will receive personalised support. Our support for children in foster care includes:
- Pathway plan - When you foster a child, you'll work closely with us, the child and their local authority social worker to create a personalised pathway plan. We'll develop a pathway plan that takes their care plan into consideration and includes their long-term goals and specific needs. Together, we'll guide them along their pathway.
- Dedicated social worker - Your dedicated social worker will collaborate with the child's local authority social worker to deliver the support they need to thrive.
- Education experts - Every child deserves to receive a good level of education that will help them progress in life and achieve their dreams. Our educational specialists are available to offer support and ensure your young person's school is meeting their academic needs.
- Therapeutic support - Many children in foster care need emotional and mental well-being support. That's why, when you foster with us, you'll receive support from a trauma-informed team and undergo training in trauma that will help you better understand your young person's needs.
Our support for children who foster includes:
- Support groups - We host support groups for children who foster to help them make friends and share their thoughts and feelings about fostering with peers who understand their experiences.
- Activities - We organise trips and activities for the whole family, giving every child in your home the opportunity to connect and share their experiences with other young people like them.
- Children's helpline - All children have access to our dedicated helpline, where they can receive non-judgmental support and guidance.
- Children's resources - Our resources for children who foster help them prepare for fostering.
You don’t feel part of a community
It takes a village to raise a child, so if your current fostering agency lacks community and you feel disconnected from other foster families in your area, it may be time to transfer.
Why transfer to Orange Grove? It’s our community spirit and dedication to building strong bonds that make us one of the best fostering agencies to transfer to. When you foster with us, you become part of a family of foster parents and fostering experts who will be by your side through all the ups and downs of raising a child.
Thinking about transferring?
Download our Guide to Transferring Foster Agency for an in-depth overview of the transferring process and the benefits of fostering with Orange Grove.
How to transfer fostering agency
If any of our signs to transfer fostering agencies resonate with you, the next step is to research potential agencies to discover which one will best meet your needs. Once you've found the right fostering agency for you, it's time to transfer. Below is our step-by-step guide on how to change foster agency.
How easy is it to transfer fostering agency?
The steps to transferring are similar to those of becoming a new foster parent. However, at Orange Grove, we fast-track the everything, aiming to complete the process within 12 weeks of your initial enquiry. We’ll support you through each of the following steps:
- Enquiry - Contact our friendly team, who will provide you with more information and schedule a home visit.
- Initial visit - A member of our friendly team will either video call you or visit you at home and provide in-depth details about fostering with Orange Grove.
- Application - If you’re happy to proceed, you’ll complete an application form and notify your current fostering agency that you intend to transfer.
- Assessment - Being an experienced foster parent means the assessment process will be quicker this time and will focus on the knowledge and skills you’ve acquired through fostering.
- Panel - Once complete, your assessment will be reviewed by an independent panel.
- Transfer - After approval, you'll resign from your current agency and transfer to us within 28 days.
Transferring with a child in your care.
If you currently have a child in your care, you can still transfer to Orange Grove, and it's just as easy with the help of our expert team.
When you plan to transfer with a child in your care and notify your current fostering agency of your intent to transfer, you must also inform your child's local placing authority. They’ll then organise a Transfer Protocol Meeting within 28 days of being notified of your intent to transfer.
What is the purpose of the Transfer Protocol Meeting? - Its purpose is to confirm that your child's needs will continue to be met when you transfer. The meeting will include you, your current provider, the child’s local placing authority and a member of the Orange Grove team.
If you’re searching for a fostering agency that helps you build strong relationships with the children in your care and supports your professional growth, enquire about transferring to Orange Grove today.
