Lorimer Foundations · Course 1 of 7
Fostering ExplainedYour Role and Your Team
What a foster carer really does, why children need foster homes, and the people who work alongside you every step of the way.
- 14short sections
- 65minutes, at your pace
- 1certificate when you pass
Welcome back. Pick up where you left off?
ContinueSection 1 · 2 minutes
Welcome
Easy Read
- This course is about being a foster carer.
- It takes about 1 hour.
- At the end there is a short quiz and a certificate.
- You can stop and come back later.
- You can ask Rachael, Gareth or anyone in our team for help.
This course explains what a foster carer does, and who works alongside you. It is the first of seven courses in Stage 1 Learning, part of the Lorimer Fostering Induction programme. There are more stages of learning after this, and you will find out about them as you go.
By the end, you will be able to
- Explain what fostering is, and the kinds of fostering Lorimer offers.
- Describe why and how children come to live with foster carers.
- Name the people in a child's team, and what each of them does.
- Understand how Lorimer Fostering will support you, from your first call to your first review.
How this course works
- Your own paceYour place is saved on this device. The course map shows how far you have come.
- Check yourselfShort questions help it stick. Nobody else sees your answers.
- Private notesNotes boxes save on this device only, until you choose to share them.
- Plain wordsTap a dotted word, like , for a simple explanation.
- ListenPress Listen on any section to hear it read aloud.
- A certificatePass the check at the end and print your certificate.
Section 2 · 3 minutes
Meet the families
Easy Read
- You will meet 2 families.
- Dele and Sarah live with their sons, Josh and Leo.
- Mags lives on her own.
- They want to foster.
- They have questions, just like you.
Two families travel through all seven courses with you. Their questions are the ones applicants often ask us.
Dele and Sarah, with Josh and Leo
- Warrington
- Sons aged 15 and 13
- Spare room
- Both working
Dele and Sarah are in their forties. Sarah works in a school office. Dele is a self-employed electrician. They have a spare room and a lot of energy.
We know how to raise our own boys. What we don't know is what it's like to care for a child who has been through a lot.Sarah
Mags
- Bolton
- Lives alone
- Aged 58
- Works three days a week
Mags's daughter has grown up and moved out. She works at a garden centre, and she has always been the one her friends' children talk to.
I wondered if I'd be allowed to foster on my own, and at my age. I'm glad I asked.Mags
You will see how each family thinks things through. Neither gets everything right first time, and that is the point.
Who would you like to follow? We will put their moments first.
Section 3 · 5 minutes
What fostering is
Easy Read
- Fostering means a child comes to live with you.
- The child cannot live with their own family for now.
- You help the child stay in touch with their family, when it is safe.
- Short break means a child stays for a few days.
- Short term means weeks, months or longer.
- Long term means until the child grows up.
- You are part of a team.
- You are paid.
Fostering means giving a child a home in your family when they cannot live with their own.
It might be for a weekend, or until they are grown up.
How long does fostering last?
The kinds of fostering Lorimer offers
Tap a card to find out more.
Short breakSometimes called respite
A child stays for a weekend or a few days, once or regularly, to give their family or carers a rest.
Short term
A few weeks to a year or more, while the child's future is decided.
Long termAlso known as permanence
A home for as long as the child needs it, often into adulthood.
Most Lorimer Fostering carers are approved for more than one kind. You decide, with your assessor, what suits your household.
Could we do short breaks first, to see how the boys cope?Sarah
In a nutshell
- Fostering gives a child a family home when they can't live with their own.
- You care for them every day, and help them stay connected to their family.
- It can last a weekend or until adulthood, and you choose the kinds that suit you.
Section 4 · 6 minutes
Why and how children come into care
Easy Read
- About 2 in every 3 children in care live with foster carers.
- Children come into care when home is not safe, or their family cannot look after them.
- Some children come to the UK with no family here.
- It is never the child's fault.
- Most of the time, a court decides.
- Sometimes parents agree to it.
67 in every 100
children in care in England live with foster carers.
That is 54,820 of the 81,770 children looked after on 31 March 2025.
- With foster carers
- Other homes, such as children's homes, supported accommodation or living with their parents
Source: Department for Education, November 2025.
Why children need a foster home
Most children come into care after a mix of problems has made home unsafe, or has left their family unable to look after them well enough.
Some young people arrive in the UK alone, with no family here to care for them.
None of this is the child's fault. Most children miss their parents, even when home was not safe.
How children come into care: two main routes
By agreement
Section 20, Children Act 1989
Parents agree to the council looking after their child.
: stays fully with the parents. They can ask for the child back.
By court order
Section 31, Children Act 1989
A court decides the child is suffering, or likely to suffer, .
Parental responsibility: shared between the parents and the council. The council has the final say on most decisions.
- Care order, 75%
- By agreement, 19%
- Placement order (plan is adoption), 6%
A is a court order made when the plan is adoption. The law has more detail, and your assessor will explain anything that applies to a child you care for.
In a nutshell
- Two in three children in care live with foster carers.
- A mix of problems usually makes home unsafe, and it is never the child's fault.
- Most are in care by court order. Some are in care by agreement with their parents.
Section 5 · 3 minutes
Could it be you?
Lorimer Fostering carers live across Cheshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Manchester and Merseyside, and anywhere within about two hours of Manchester. No two households are alike. What they share is a spare bedroom, time, patience, and the wish to make a real difference to a child.
You can foster if you are
- single, married, living with a partner or divorced
- renting or owning your home
- working, part time or full time, or not working
- any gender, sexuality, faith or ethnicity
- a parent already, or not
Your life so far counts. Raising a family, working with people or caring for a relative all contribute towards building the skills fostering needs. So does coaching a team, or coming through hard times yourself. Your assessor will talk with you about what you already do well, and the training that will help.
Myth or fact?
Make your guess, then tap to check.
You can't foster if you rent your home.
Myth
Renting is fine. What matters is a safe, settled home with a spare bedroom.
You have to be married to foster.
Myth
Single people and couples foster, married or not.
You need a spare bedroom.
Fact
A child needs a bedroom of their own. Brothers and sisters can sometimes share. A baby will often sleep in your bedroom at first, but you still need a spare bedroom to be approved. There are not many baby-only placements, and babies grow up!
You can't foster if you work.
Myth
Many carers work. You need enough flexibility for school runs, meetings and appointments.
Foster carers are not paid.
Myth
You get a weekly allowance for each child and a weekly fee for your skills.
You can't foster if you smoke or vape.
Myth
You can still apply. You must only smoke or vape outside, and never in the car with a child. Children under 5 are not usually placed with carers who smoke.
You can't foster if you have a dog.
Myth
Pets are welcome. We check every pet is safe with children as part of your assessment.
You need lots of experience with children.
Myth
Your life experience counts, and Lorimer Fostering gives you training and support from the start.
Could I foster?A quick, private checker. Six questions, two minutes, no details needed."Nobody said I was too old. They asked what I'd learnt from bringing up my daughter on my own."
Mags
In a nutshell
- Lorimer Fostering welcomes people from every background, single or in a couple, renting or owning.
- What matters is a spare bedroom, time, patience and the wish to help a child.
- Your life experience counts, and you get training and support from the start.
Section 6 · 7 minutes
Your role, day to day
A foster carer does two jobs at once. You care for a child as any loving parent would, and you work as a professional within a team.
The caring part
- Keeping the child safe, warm, fed and well.
- Getting them to school, appointments, clubs and friends' houses.
- Noticing how they are, listening, and helping them make sense of their feelings.
- Saying yes to the things their friends do, like a school trip, a football club or a birthday party.
- Celebrating who they are: their culture, faith, language and interests.
The professional part
- Most children keep in touch with their family. You help this go well, and tell the team how the child is before and after.
- Everyday decisions. You can make many day-to-day decisions yourself. This is called , and it is written into the child's . New national standards, consulted on in 2026, say carers should have these decisions by default. They are not in force yet.
- Records. You write short, factual notes about the child's day in . The will soon replace much of this, and Lorimer Fostering also uses for documents. Good records help the child later in life, and protect you.
- Meetings. You go to the child's reviews and planning meetings, and speak up for them.
- Learning. You keep learning throughout your fostering life.
A day in a foster carer's life
Here is one ordinary day for Mags, a few weeks after Amira, 12, came to live with her. No two days are the same.
- 07:00Breakfast
Mags and Amira get ready for the day. A calm morning sets the tone.
- 08:30School run
A quick chat at the gate with Amira's teacher about a trip next week.
- 10:00A visit from Monique, her supervising social worker
They talk about how Amira is settling, and plan for her review.
- 12:30Learning
Half an hour on her TSD workbook, with a cup of tea.
- 15:15School pick-up
Amira talks most in the car, so Mags lets her lead.
- 16:30Family time
Mags drops Amira off for an hour with her mum, and picks her up after.
- 18:00Tea together
Amira chose tonight's tea. Small choices help her feel at home.
- 19:30Record what happened
She updates her My Week Carer Log: how the day went, how family time went, and anything to share with the team.
- 21:00Bedtime
A story, a chat, and the landing light left on.
- Any hourHelp is there
If something worries her in the night, Mags can call the Lorimer Fostering team, 24 hours a day.
Learning with Lorimer Fostering
- Stage 1 LearningThe seven Lorimer Foundations courses, including this one. They are the first stage of the Induction programme.
- In your first yearThe national , with workbooks, support and time to finish them within 12 months.
- For every carerSafeguarding, first aid, de-escalation, reporting and recording, internet safety, safer caring and managing allegations.
- As you growExtra learning matched to the children you care for, plus support groups and workshops.
"I thought the paperwork would put me off. It's a few lines a day, and it means nothing gets forgotten."
Dele
In a nutshell
- You do two jobs: caring like a loving parent, and working as a professional in a team.
- You help with family time, make the everyday decisions set out in the placement plan, and keep short records.
- Learning carries on throughout your fostering life.
Section 7 · 6 minutes
Your team
You know the child best, day to day. Around you are two teams: the child's team, led by the council, and your team at Lorimer Fostering.
Tap a role to see who they are, what they do, and what they will ask of you.
The child's team
Your Lorimer Fostering team
Choose a role above.
Child's social worker
- Who they are
- A social worker from the council that looks after the child.
- What they do
- Leads the child's care plan, visits the child regularly and makes the big decisions with the child's family and the court.
- What they will ask of you
- Keep them updated, share your records, and tell them quickly if something worries you.
Independent reviewing officer (IRO)
- Who they are
- An independent reviewing officer, separate from the child's social worker.
- What they do
- Chairs the child's reviews and checks the plan is working and the child's views are heard.
- What they will ask of you
- Come to reviews, and help the child share what they think.
Birth family
- Who they are
- The child's parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents and others who matter to them.
- What they do
- Stay part of the child's life where it is safe, often through family time.
- What they will ask of you
- Be respectful and welcoming, and help family time go well for the child.
School and virtual school
- Who they are
- The child's teachers, plus the council's virtual school head for children in care.
- What they do
- Support the child's learning and agree a personal education plan.
- What they will ask of you
- Get the child to school, read with them, and go to meetings and parents' evenings.
Health
- Who they are
- The GP, dentist, health visitor or school nurse, and the children in care nurse.
- What they do
- Carry out health assessments and look after the child's health.
- What they will ask of you
- Register the child, book appointments, give medicines safely and keep a record.
Supervising social worker
- Who they are
- A qualified Lorimer Fostering social worker allocated to your household: Claire, Gareth, Liam or Monique. Leanne, our Registered Manager, leads the team.
- What they do
- Visits, supervises and supports you, and speaks up for you in the team.
- What they will ask of you
- Be open about how things are going, including when it is hard.
ClaireSenior Supervising Social Worker
GarethSupervising Social Worker
LiamSupervising Social Worker
MoniqueSupervising Social Worker
LeanneRegistered Manager, leads the social work team
Help at any hour
- Who they are
- An experienced member of the Lorimer Fostering team on call.
- What they do
- Gives advice and support 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
- What they will ask of you
- Call when you need help. That is what it is there for. You are given the on-call number when you are approved. Until then, ask any member of the team for it.
Youth Engagement Team
- Who they are
- Claire works with the children and young people we care for.
- What they do
- Run activities and gather children's views so they shape how we work.
- What they will ask of you
- Encourage the child to take part.
ClaireYouth Engagement Team
Therapeutic support
- Who they are
- Ceri and Gareth lead our Therapeutic Fostering work.
- What they do
- Help you understand what a child's behaviour is telling you, and what might help. Ceri runs drop-in workshops and one-to-one sessions.
- What they will ask of you
- Try new approaches and tell us what works.
CeriLeads Therapeutic Fostering, drop-in workshops and one-to-one sessions- GarethLeads Therapeutic Fostering
Panel and Agency Decision Maker
- Who they are
- The fostering panel, and Lorimer's Agency Decision Maker.
- What they do
- The panel recommends whether to approve carers. The Agency Decision Maker decides.
- What they will ask of you
- Meet the panel at approval, and at some reviews.
The child's social worker leads the plan. Your supervising social worker supports you to carry it out. You speak up for the child in both teams.
Meet your Lorimer Fostering team
These are the people you will get to know. We use first names, just as we do day to day.
Supervising social workers
One of them will be yours once you are approved.
- ClaireSenior Supervising Social Worker
- GarethSupervising Social Worker
- LiamSupervising Social Worker
- MoniqueSupervising Social Worker
Therapeutic Fostering
Ceri and Gareth lead this work. Ceri runs drop-in workshops and one-to-one sessions.
- CeriLeads Therapeutic Fostering
- GarethLeads Therapeutic Fostering
Youth Engagement
Activities for children and young people, and making sure their views shape what we do.
- ClaireAdvanced Therapeutic Intervention Worker
Leading Lorimer Fostering
Responsible for the quality and safety of everything we do.
JonathanResponsible Individual and Managing Director
RachaelDirector and Fostering Adviser- LeanneRegistered Manager
Office team
Your first point of contact for forms, training, records and everyday questions.
JessBusiness Support Officer
SophiaBusiness Support Officer
StephBusiness Support Officer- CeriBusiness Support Officer
BethMarketing Officer
"I thought I'd be on my own once the assessment ended. It's the opposite."
Mags
In a nutshell
- The child is at the centre, with two teams around them.
- The child's social worker leads the plan. Your supervising social worker supports you.
- You speak up for the child in both teams.
Section 8 · 5 minutes
How Lorimer Fostering supports you
You will never foster alone. Lorimer has been a family-owned and family-run fostering agency since 2004, and some of our team have been with us for over 20 years.
Claire, Gareth, Liam and Monique"The agency is totally professional. We feel fully supported in our role and there is always someone there to help."
In a nutshell
- You have your own supervising social worker, with regular visits.
- Help is there 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
- Support groups, FosterTalk, the Lorimer Portal and your annual review all help you along the way.
Build your support network
When fostering gets tiring, who would you ring first? Tap to add them. You can type a first name if you like. This stays on your device.
No one added yet. Most carers find three or four people make a big difference.
Section 9 · 5 minutes
Listening to children
Children in care have had many decisions made about them by adults. Being listened to helps them feel safe, settle and trust again. It also helps you notice when something is wrong.
What listening looks like
- Making time when they want to talk, which is often in the car or at bedtime, not when you planned it.
- Taking their views seriously, even when the answer has to be no, and explaining why.
- Helping them say what they want at their own reviews, or write it down.
- Telling them who else they can talk to, including an .
How Lorimer Fostering hears children
- Every child gets the Lorimer Children's Guide: one for younger children, one for those aged 12 and over. Young people living with Lorimer Fostering carers helped write them, and there is an audio version.
- Our Youth Engagement Team runs activities and gathers children's views, so they shape how we work.
- Every year, children are asked for their views as part of their carers' review.
Questions children want to ask you
When we asked children living with Lorimer Fostering carers what they would want to know about a new home, they asked:
Questions from children
"Will I have my own room?"
"What would you cook for tea?"
"Would you always be truthful to the child?"
In a nutshell
- Listening helps children feel safe and learn to trust again.
- Take their views seriously, even when the answer has to be no.
- Lorimer Fostering hears children through the Children's Guide, the Youth Engagement Team and reviews.
Section 10 · 6 minutes
Seeing the whole child
Children don't grow evenly. A 10-year-old might read like a 14-year-old but manage their temper like a 5-year-old.
Seven areas of growth help you and the team see what a child does well. They also show where the child needs more help. Tap an area.
Choose an area to see what you might notice, and do.
Health
What you might notice: Sleep, eating, check-ups and how well they feel.
What you can do: Book appointments and keep a record.
Education
What you might notice: Reading, play, school and homework.
What you can do: Read together and go to parents' evening.
Feelings and behaviour
What you might notice: How a child shows and handles their feelings.
What you can do: Help them name feelings and calm down.
Identity
What you might notice: Their name, culture, faith, story and what makes them proud.
What you can do: Help them keep their story.
Family and friends
What you might notice: Relationships with family, carers and friends.
What you can do: Support family time and friendships.
Looking after themselves
What you might notice: Cooking, keeping clean, budgeting and other everyday skills.
What you can do: Teach a little at a time.
How they come across
What you might notice: Clothes, hair, manners and how they present themselves.
What you can do: Help them feel confident.
Children who have missed out on care early on can catch up. Steady, kind care makes a real difference. You will learn much more in Course 2, Behind the Behaviour.
The seven areas come from the government's Looking After Children work (Parker and others, 1991), explained here in our own words.
In a nutshell
- Children grow in seven areas, often at different speeds.
- The seven areas help the whole team see what is going well, and what needs help.
- Steady, kind care helps children catch up.
Section 11 · 4 minutes
Your journey with Lorimer Fostering
Every application is different, but these are the main steps from your first contact to your first review.
- First contact
Most people get in touch through Facebook, Indeed, a phone call or our website. Rachael or another member of the team answers your questions and takes a few details. We usually reply within one working day, and often within minutes.
- Foundations
Start the seven Lorimer Foundations courses at your own pace. They help you learn what fostering involves before the next steps.
- Informal video chat
A relaxed chat on Microsoft Teams. After that, one or two of our team usually visit you at home.
- Apply
You sign the application form. Once you have applied, we ask you for more information so we can send off the checks we need. We introduce your assessing social worker.
- Stage 1 Assessment
This is mainly about sending off checks: DBS, references, medical and local authority checks. Our office team does this for you.
- Stage 2 Assessment
Your assessing social worker comes to visit you at home, over about 8 or so sessions. You also visit Lorimer House to meet the team.
- Fostering Assessment Report
You read your assessment report, ask for any changes and sign it. Leanne, our Registered Manager, visits you before panel.
- Panel
You meet the fostering panel, who make a recommendation. This is usually about 4 to 5 months after you apply.
- Decision and approval
Our Agency Decision Maker decides, usually within two weeks. We ring you, then email the letter. You sign your foster care agreement and meet your supervising social worker.
- First child
We match a child to your family with care, and plan their arrival with you.
- First review
At about nine months, your fostering is reviewed and the panel sees it. You also complete your TSD Standards within your first 12 months, with our help.
In a nutshell
- There are eleven main steps from your first contact to your first review. Most people are approved 4 to 7 months after they first get in touch.
- The panel recommends, and the Agency Decision Maker decides.
- Your first review is at about 9 months.
Section 12 · 6 minutes
What would you do?
Two short moments from the families' first months. Pick an answer to see what happens. There are no wrong turns that end the story.
Scenario 1 · Mags
The sleepover
Amira, 12, has lived with Mags for three weeks. A school friend has invited her to a sleepover on Saturday. Amira is excited. Mags has met the friend's mum once.
What would you do?
Not quite
Amira is upset and feels different from her friends. Mags has kept her safe, but missed a chance to help her fit in.
A strong choice
The plan shows Mags can agree sleepovers once she has spoken with the host family. She calls the friend's mum, agrees pick-up times, and Amira goes.
Not quite
The social worker is out until Monday and the sleepover is missed. Asking is never wrong, but knowing what is delegated to you saves the child from waiting.
A strong choice
Monique helps Mags look at the placement plan. Mags can agree sleepovers once she has spoken with the host family, so she calls the friend's mum and Amira goes. Checking with your supervising social worker or on-call is always a good idea when you are unsure.
Tip from the Lorimer Fostering team
Know what's in the placement plan from day one. If you're unsure, ring us. We'll help you decide.
Scenario 2 · Dele and Sarah
After family time
Kai, 9, lives with Dele and Sarah. He comes back from seeing his mum quiet and angry. At tea he throws his fork and shouts at Leo.
What would you do?
Not quite
Kai calms down, but alone. He learns that big feelings mean being sent away.
A strong choice
Kai stays near people who are calm. Later he says he misses his mum. Dele checks Leo is OK. Sarah listens, then adds a short note to her My Week Carer Log so the team, including his social worker, can see it.
Not quite
Kai shuts down. Questions can feel like blame, and he may not know why he feels this way.
Tip from the Lorimer Fostering team
Feelings after family time are normal. Your record helps the team plan family time that works for him.
In a nutshell
- Know what the placement plan lets you decide, and ask when you are unsure.
- When feelings run high, stay calm and close, then listen, record and share.
Section 13 · 5 minutes
Check yourself and finish
Five quick questions. Your answers stay on this device. They are not sent to Lorimer Fostering.
Well done. You have passed, so you can now get your certificate.
You need 4 out of 5 for a certificate. Look back at the sections, then try again.
Send your answers to Lorimer Fostering
Your answers go to Lorimer Fostering. Your assessing or supervising social worker will talk them through with you. You have passed, so we will also email you your certificate.
Certificate of completion
This is to certify that
has completed
Fostering Explained: Your Role and Your Team
Issued by the How to Foster website when this course was completed. Version 2.0. Your answers were sent to Lorimer Fostering.
Finish the course
- Look back at your notes. or
- Send your answers to Lorimer Fostering. Once you finish the check above, a short form appears. If you did this course as a couple, add both your names on one form.
- Talk through your notes with your assessor at your next session.
My notes
These are saved on this device only. Lorimer Fostering cannot see them.
Section 14 · 2 minutes
About this course
- Course
- LF2522 Fostering Explained: Your Role and Your Team
- Programme
- Lorimer Foundations, Course 1 of 7
- Version
- 2.0
- Written by
- Lorimer Fostering's learning team
- Next review
- 12 months after release
The law and guidance this course rests on
- Children Act 1989, including sections 20 and 31
- The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011
- The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010
- Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards (2011)
- Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care
- Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026
- Draft Fostering Standards for England (DfE consultation, July to September 2026). Not yet in force. This course is mapped to draft Development Standards 1 and 7, and to the Training, Support and Development Standards on the role of the foster carer and working with others.
Sources and credits
- Children looked after in England, year ending 31 March 2025, Department for Education. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- The seven areas of a child's development: Department of Health, Looking After Children (Parker and others, 1991), and the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (2000). Explained in our own words.
- All text written by Lorimer Fostering, 2026. Illustrations drawn for Lorimer Fostering.
- © 2026 Lorimer Fostering.
Words used in this course
Words you have tapped are marked with a tick.
- Delegated authority
- The everyday decisions you are allowed to make for a child yourself, such as haircuts, school trips and sleepovers. They are written in the placement plan.
- Placement plan
- A plan made when a child comes to live with you. It sets out why they are with you, who does what, family time and the decisions you can make.
- Parental responsibility
- The legal rights and duties a parent has for a child, such as agreeing to medical treatment or choosing a school.
- CHARMS
- Lorimer Fostering's secure online system, where you write short daily notes about the child and see information from the agency.
- Lorimer Portal
- Lorimer Fostering's own secure online portal. It will replace much of what carers and staff now do in CHARMS.
- SharePoint
- A secure Microsoft system Lorimer Fostering uses to keep and share documents, such as policies, guides and forms.
- TSD Standards
- The Training, Support and Development Standards: what every new foster carer should know and be able to do. You show this in a workbook in your first year.
- Form F
- The assessment report about you and your household, written by a social worker with you and read by the fostering panel.
- Independent reviewing officer (IRO)
- An independent reviewing officer. They chair a child's reviews and check the plan is working.
- Family time
- Time a child spends with their family. You may hear the older word "contact".
- Placement order
- A court order that lets the council place a child with people who hope to adopt them.
- Significant harm
- Serious harm to a child's health or development. It is the test a court uses before making a care order.
- Respite
- Another word for a short break: a child stays for a weekend or a few days so their family or carers can rest.
- Permanence
- A plan for a child to have a stable, lasting home, often with the same foster carers until they are grown up.
- Care plan
- The council's plan for a child: their needs, how they will be met, and where they will live.
- Personal education plan
- A personal education plan: the school's and council's plan for a child's learning, reviewed each term.
- Virtual school
- A team in each council that helps children in care do well at school.
- Agency Decision Maker
- The senior person at Lorimer who makes the final decision about approving a foster carer, after the panel's recommendation.
- Independent advocate
- An independent person who helps a child say what they think and makes sure they are heard.
A plan made when a child comes to live with you. It sets out why they are with you, who does what, family time and the decisions you can make.
The legal rights and duties a parent has for a child, such as agreeing to medical treatment or choosing a school.
Lorimer Fostering's secure online system, where you write short daily notes about the child and see information from the agency.
Lorimer Fostering's own secure online portal. It will replace much of what carers and staff now do in CHARMS.
The Training, Support and Development Standards: what every new foster carer should know and be able to do. You show this in a workbook in your first year.
The assessment report about you and your household, written by a social worker with you and read by the fostering panel.
An independent reviewing officer. They chair a child's reviews and check the plan is working.
Time a child spends with their family. You may hear the older word "contact".
A court order that lets the council place a child with people who hope to adopt them.
Serious harm to a child's health or development. It is the test a court uses before making a care order.
Another word for a short break: a child stays for a weekend or a few days so their family or carers can rest.
A plan for a child to have a stable, lasting home, often with the same foster carers until they are grown up.
The council's plan for a child: their needs, how they will be met, and where they will live.
A personal education plan: the school's and council's plan for a child's learning, reviewed each term.
A team in each council that helps children in care do well at school.
The senior person at Lorimer who makes the final decision about approving a foster carer, after the panel's recommendation.
An independent person who helps a child say what they think and makes sure they are heard.