WHY FOSTER WITH BRIDGING GAPS?

As a prospective foster carer, you have to choose which fostering agency you would like to work with and you need to feel confident in your choice. The law says that you can only be approved by one fostering agency at any one time so it is important that you give some thought to your choice of agency from the beginning. 

Choosing Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency

At Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency, we believe that finding a new home for a child is a highly sensitive and challenging task. We take our responsibilities very seriously: that’s why we believe in offering a local service, where we can really work in partnership with foster carers, children, and local authorities to harmonise the process for everyone involved. Above all, we always have plenty of time for foster carers no matter what time of the day or night it is. We are there to support as we take pride in achieving better outcomes and continuously improving the quality of our placements.



A service that supports you with:

  • Allocated supervising social worker plus a support worker

  • Backup carers who are registered foster carers

  • A comprehensive support package bespoke to each placement

  • 24 hour support from an experienced and qualified team

  • High quality and relevant training leading to childcare qualifications

  • Treated as a professional and listened to

  • Monthly and professional supervision 

  • Regular sharing, good practice workshops

  • Tax advice

  • A career that rewards you

  • A generous allowance

  • Respite as per BGFA policies

  • Social events, trips, activities, children’s parties for the foster children, your children and you

  • A children’s forum for foster children and your children to raise voice

  • Fostering Network Membership

  • Therapeutic support as and when required


We pay all newly approved Foster Carers a generous payment at the time of their first placement in recognition of their commitment during their assessment period.

Choosing the right agency is an important decision and we’ll be happy to answer any further questions you may have.

Foster carers need support at night and at weekends and all agencies claim to offer twenty four hours support to their carers. Most agencies including Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency arrange a staff rota to deal with out of office hour’s emergencies. Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency’s foster carers also have direct telephone access to their own social worker twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. New foster carers in particular value this ability to discuss issues and resolve problems as they arise.

Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency provides a comprehensive learning and development programme to enable applicants, and foster carers to learn more about the job and to help them improve their skills. 

We think fostering should be fun so we arrange parties for children, organise children’s activities, day trips to theme Parks, Concerts, Theatres, Seaside’s and other events for families, friends & staff. 

In conclusion we suggest that you work out what factors are most important to you, speak to a number of agencies, look at their websites and read their inspection reports before finally making a decision about which agency to join.

What we will give you

The most rewarding jobs are often those which place the greatest demands on your energy and attention.

We know that this can sometimes be the case with fostering and we are fully committed to helping you every step of the way. We’ll provide you with full training and a generous financial allowance to cover all the expenses of raising a child, and to recognise the skilled and dedicated work you are doing.

Being a local agency we concentrate our efforts and resources so that we can offer meaningful support to our children and carers. Your supervising social worker will be in touch regularly to make sure that you are happy and managing your role effectively, this also gives you the opportunity to discuss and address any issues arising at an early stage. They will also make regular visits every few weeks to spend some quality time with you and your children. Any time in between we are always just a phone call away, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week if there are any difficulties and rest assured, you will never be left to cope alone at any point you feel you need support.

 

Different children, various needs

We will arrange support to meet every child’s individual needs and when and where necessary we can draw upon accredited and experienced professionals to help such as therapists, educational psychologists, health specialists or family counsellors.

Fostering is different in many ways to looking after your own children. As foster carers you usually get to meet the children’s parents and they may be able to visit their children in your home, this is called “contact” Sometimes contact is arranged outside your home at convenient venues. 


You will also be required to keep various daily records for the child/young person in your care. You will have a supervising social worker who will guide you along the way and explain the details of the record you have to keep.