What support will I get as a NEST foster carer?
As a NEST foster carer, you will get lots of support, including:
- meetings every two weeks with a fostering senior practitioner for the first six months after a child is placed with you.
- access to group and one-on-one support sessions led by the therapeutic parenting practitioner.
- an eight-week individual training program and ongoing support tailored to your needs.
- the support of an outreach team, with access to out of hours support.
- support from other foster carers.
- Enhanced payments, including £1500 per week as a skills payment, and age-related allowance when caring for a child and additional allowances such as mileage expenses outlined in our payment policy.
What makes a good NEST foster carer?
Ideal qualities for NEST foster carers include being good at making relationships, being flexible and resilient, and caring and compassionate. Essential requirements for a NEST foster carer are:
- At least one carer in the household is home full-time
- You have a spare bedroom
- No children under 16 live at home
What is expected of NEST Foster Carers
As a NEST foster carer, you’ll be expected to:
- provide a high standard of care to children who may display a significant level of dysregulation and distress, with acceptance, warmth and nurturing support.
- be child-focused and advocate for the child in your care.
- stick with the child, providing unconditional stability even during periods of high-level stress and challenge.
- support children who may struggle to engage with or attend education.
- enjoy learning new approaches to parent therapeutically.
- work with the child’s birth family and other professionals.
- join the community of carers and children by attending support groups, events, and training.
- help develop the NEST Fostering scheme, including mentoring new carers.
