Fostering
Creating job satisfaction for foster carers
Key findings
Creating job satisfaction by career choice
Less research evidence exists in this area: many practice initiatives are recent and have generally not been independently scrutinised by researchers. One study (98) of short-term fostering found that many carers had developed child care careers for themselves which included child minding and work in family centres, as well as fostering, and that they were generally satisfied with managing their own career in this way.
Findings from SCIE Practice Review 1
There are several practice examples of agencies attempting to provide career choices within or connected to fostering.
A number of agencies reported that they are hindered by the Fostering Service Regulations (Department of Health 2002), which do not allow carers to take on more than five hours paid additional tasks for the same agency that employs them as carers. In response the Department of Health states the restrictions apply only to foster carers working within the fostering service that employs them as carers; they would therefore be able to pursue a management or social worker role within another fostering service, if available to them.
Practice points
- Think about how you and your agency can enable foster carers to use and develop their skills in as many flexible ways as possible.
What we know from research
Creating job satisfaction by career choice
Less research evidence exists in this area: many practice initiatives are recent and have generally not been independently scrutinised by researchers. One study (98) of shor-term fostering found that many carers had developed child care careers for themselves, which included child minding and work in family centres, as well as fostering. It found they were generally satisfied with managing their own career in this way.
Findings from the SCIE Practice Review (1)
There are several practice examples of agencies attempting to provide career choices within or connected to fostering.
A number of agencies reported that they are hindered by the Fostering Service Regulations (Department of Health 2002), which do not allow carers to take on more than five hours paid additional tasks for the same agency that employs them as carers. In response the Department of Health states the restrictions only apply to foster carers working within the fostering service that employs them as carers; they would therefore be able to pursue a management or social worker role within another fostering service, if available to them.