The Skylark Approach

Skylark Fostering operates under the Fostering Services Regulations 2011 and is committed to surpassing the National Minimum Standards established by the UK Government. While these standards may appear complex, the underlying principles are straightforward. We continuously evaluate and enhance our practices to not only meet but exceed these standards, ensuring the best possible outcomes for all children in our care.

We strive for every child in our care to:

• Enjoy robust physical and emotional health.

• Feel secure.

• Have enjoyable experiences.

• Succeed academically or professionally.

• Avoid trouble.

• Contribute positively to their communities.

• Achieve their full potential as adults.

These objectives are consistent for every child, independent of their origins or situations. Children who are healthy, safe, and actively engaged are more likely to flourish and succeed academically, a recognized avenue for escaping poverty.

We welcome prospective carers from all walks of life, ensuring a supportive environment for each child. We have designed our procedures for visits, assessments, and training to prepare carers for the intricacies of caring for looked-after children.

Our comprehensive support and supervision provision ensures that our placement procedures are in harmony with the children's needs for stability and comply with the care plans set by placing authorities. Many fostering agencies assign their Supervising Social Workers to support more than fifteen families, often involving over 20 looked-after children. This heavy caseload can mean that Supervising Social Workers spend most of their time managing mandatory documentation for each carer and child.

At Skylark, however, our Supervising Social Workers support no more than ten foster families. This allows them not only to ensure that documentation is meticulously completed and maintained but also to provide comprehensive support in various other capacities. They have the capacity to engage in such activities as informal book club discussions, accompanying carers to specialised training sessions, assisting young people with career planning, helping compile life story records, and vitally, offering crucial support during challenging times. By allocating our resources in this way, we enhance the stability and resilience of fostering arrangements, significantly increasing the likelihood of successful fostering arrangements.

Engaging and partnering with our foster families and the children and young people in their care is central to our approach. We strive to create an environment where foster families feel that the agency works for them, not the other way around! This philosophy extends to the looked-after children and young people; we prioritise listening to them and ensuring their voices are not only heard but also acted upon to enhance their foster care experience. This is crucial for helping them feel safe and valued, especially considering their potential experiences before entering foster care.

We invite you to join us in this mission. Come talk to us and be a part of our commitment to securing the best possible outcomes for looked-after children and young people!!