Specialist Fostering Scheme

Fostering a child or young person with a high level of need, which cannot be met within general fostering

The Specialist Fostering Scheme provides homes for young people aged 12 to 17 who are going through troubled times and have a high level of need that cannot be met within general fostering. This may be the result of a crisis in their family, illness, physical or sexual abuse, violence, neglect, alcohol or drug addiction, or their parents being unable to cope.

A team of specially trained foster carers and professionals work together to care for the young people after it is decided that they can no longer live at home, with additional recognition given to the needs of foster carers who take on this role.

Successfully caring for these young people requires empathy, understanding, warmth, commitment, and persistence. They may have difficulty establishing and sustaining relationships, be excluded from school, take drugs or misuse alcohol, be involved with the criminal justice system, be pregnant or have a baby, or have low esteem and a poor sense of identity.

Such issues may lead to self-harm and aggressive or violent behaviours; the young people may also show overtly sexualised behaviour. It can be difficult to manage such behaviours and some young people’s previous foster placements may have been disrupted as a result. They may have even spent time in a residential or secure setting.


Who can join our Specialist Fostering Scheme?

  • someone with a spare bedroom and enough space in the rest of your home
  • a resilient person who enjoys a challenge
  • people with the potential to undertake specialist training and develop their skills and learning to NVQ Level 3 (you may already have this qualification or a similar one)
  • at least one applicant needs to have no other work commitments
  • those who have two years’ experience working with young people
  • a person with the desire and commitment to improve the lives of young people
  • someone with an ability to communicate meaningfully with young people and work as part of a professional team
  • those with the ability to act as an advocate and promote self-esteem
  • someone who can work with and promote the identity of individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds
  • a person who is confident enough to talk directly with young people regarding their sexual health
  • someone who can work with clear boundaries, who can be firm, assertive and consistent when required
  • a good team player
  • someone who is able to reflect and learn from previous experience

What would your job responsibilities be?

  • to accept and provide a suitable home for young people who have been assessed as in need of specialist foster care or are on remand
  • to work as part of a team, communicating effectively with others
  • to provide a warm and welcoming environment in which secure attachments can be cultivated, and the needs of the young person are understood and met
  • to implement plans to achieve the best outcomes for children
  • to promote the young person’s educational potential at home and school, and to play a proactive role with teachers and other professionals or agencies involved
  • to prepare young people for independent life - this could mean preparing them for further education and/or a career/job
  • to advocate for the young person when required - this may be in a number of different settings, including at court and when acting as an ‘appropriate adult’ following training on this role
  • to positively encourage the young person to take up activities in line with their interests and/or talents
  • to work with parents and significant others important to the young person, so that positive relationships are sustained and developed
  • to keep young people safe from harm and abuse, and to encourage them in ways that best help them to protect themselves in situations where harm or abuse may occur
  • to attend and actively participate in meetings concerning the young person, contributing both verbally and in writing to assessments, reviews and plans
  • to promote young people’s identity, self-esteem and self-confidence

What support is available?

No single parent or family is likely to be able to undertake this task without significant help and assistance from others. This is why we offer a comprehensive support package to our specialist foster carers.


This support package includes:

  • a supervising social worker who will support and supervise you throughout your fostering career
  • each young person has their own social worker
  • a specialist foster carer support worker
  • a clinical psychologist
  • a nurse
  • an education officer
  • a team of teachers
  • St. Mark’s Resource Centre – residential unit for adolescents who can: assist in providing respite to carers and young people; report missing young people to the police; and provide telephone support and advice on strategies to manage challenging behaviour
  • CAMHS – Community Adolescent Mental Health Services
  • YOT – Youth Offending Team
  • a fostering fee and allowance, plus an additional enhancement fee
  • specialist training
  • paid annual leave

How does the application procedure work?

Becoming a specialist foster carers can take several months, as we will have to carry out a series of personal checks and take up references.

  1. As a first step, when you contact us we will collect some information about you and your family over the telephone. If you meet the requirements we will arrange to meet you and your family at home to discuss your interest and advise how being a specialist foster carer works. We will provide details about the assessment process and discuss whether this scheme would be appropriate for you and your current lifestyles.
  2. Following this visit, a decision will be made as to whether you will assessed as a potential applicant for the Specialist Fostering Scheme.
  3. A social worker will then be allocated to assess you and your home situation.  They will also carry out numerous checks including a medical check, financial verification and a Criminal Records Bureau check on anyone aged 18 years or over.
  4. We will also seek references from previous employers, ex-partners (particularly where there has been joint parenting), two personal references, and others depending on your individual circumstances.
  5. A comprehensive report is presented and considered by our fostering panel, who will then make a recommendation as to whether or not you will be approved as one of our specialist foster carers.

We recognise that this job can be practically and emotionally demanding, but with the comprehensive support package we offer this could be the most rewarding task you have ever done.


Do you want to find out more?

If you would like to know more about fostering, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us on 0800 183 2400 or email: fosterus@rbkc.gov.uk


If you would like to find out more about general fostering for all ages, please use the contact details listed above.