West Northamptonshire Council has been accredited as a foster-friendly employer by the Fostering Network as part of its commitment to offering dedicated policies and support to employees who foster.
In order to receive the accreditation, the council updated its HR policy to provide staff who foster children and young people extra support in balancing their work and caring responsibilities as part of its acknowledgment of the importance and value of the role for children, young people and families.
Accreditation is awarded to employers that make a difference for foster carers and the children they care for in their local communities and improve support for their own employees at the same time, helping them to balance employment with looking after children.
Examples of support they can put in place include a fostering-friendly HR policy for all foster carers in their employment regardless of their fostering service, as well as offering flexible working and paid time off for training and settling a new child into their home.
Councillor Fiona Baker, cabinet member for Children, Families, Education and Skills at West Northamptonshire Council and chair for West Northamptonshire Corporate Parenting Board, said: “We have many amazing foster carers, who go above and beyond to support our children and young people, offering a safe and nurturing home and supporting them to reach their full potential. Fostering can be challenging, but it can also be very rewarding.
“In West Northants, we are focused on ensuring those children who come into care have a safe place to live and we are passionate about ensuring we have enough local provision to enable children to remain close to their families, friends and the things that matter to them, so I am delighted that we are now a fostering-friendly employer.”