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Fostering in Wokingham

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Fostering in Wokingham :

Become a foster carer in Wokingham with Sunbeam Fostering Agency.

Do you live in Wokingham? And looking for a local fostering agency with whom you want to become a foster carer? Sunbeam Fostering Agency is one of the largest in the UK, we have offices in London, Coventry with head office in Langley and a sister agency in Luton. We offer up to £700 per child per week with local staff at hand in Wokingham.

 Sunbeam provides local support in Wokingham which means you will have a supervising social worker local to you and available to support you if you need them. Also, we have other local support staff who will help you with any support you need while fostering with Sunbeam.

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Sunbeam was established in 2000 in the London area. The company has grown in all major parts of the UK with dedicated staff members for each area and especially in Aylesbury to fulfill the needs of looked after children in those areas.

We currently provide services to over 50 Local Authorities in London, South East, South Central, Midlands, and North regions and are geographically expanding into further areas to recruit more foster carers for the benefit of children in care. We are accredited by the relevant professional bodies such as London Care Placements, South Central Framework Authorities, East and West Midlands Childcare Consortia, White Rose Framework, and Eastern Regions Consortium. Sunbeam is a member of the Fostering Network and CoramBAAF. All our foster carers are individual members of the Fostering Network.

What is Fostering? or What is Foster Care? or How to become a Foster Carer?

Fostering is a way of providing a stable family life for children and young people, who are unable to live with their parents at a point in time. This allows children the chance to thrive in a safe, secure, loving and caring home environment with foster carers. The children and young people placed with foster carers are from a diverse range of backgrounds and will display different behaviour depending upon their various experiences.
All children and young people are different, making it difficult to define a “typical child”. However, what you can expect is that, as with any child or young person, they need security, stability and the chance to develop and thrive with carers who understand what is fostering and have empathy for the child’s situation.

To become a foster carer or for further information on what is fostering, please contact us today and we are happy to provide you with the information and support you need.

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Sunbeam was established in 2000 in the London area. The company has grown in all major parts of the UK with dedicated staff members for each area and especially in to fulfill the needs of looked after children in those areas.

We currently provide services to over 50 Local Authorities in London, South East, South Central, Midlands, and North regions and are geographically expanding into further areas to recruit more foster carers for the benefit of children in care. We are accredited by the relevant professional bodies such as London Care Placements, South Central Framework Authorities, and East and West Midlands Childcare Consortia. We also hold contracts with West London Alliance, Croydon, Sutton, Lambeth, Lewisham, Suffolk, Luton, Central, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Hampshire, etc. We are members of NAFP, NWG, and Fostering Network. Sunbeam is also a member of Coram BAAF and FosterTalk.  All our foster carers are individual members of the FosterTalk. As one of the largest and most progressive independent fostering agencies in the UK, we provide quality family placements to children in care and competitive foster care payments to our foster carers.

Our local staff is at hand to assist with training and local support groups held and supported by our registered offices in London, Coventry, and resource centers.

To become a foster parent or if interested to know more about fostering in and how we can help with your fostering inquiry. Call us now or complete a callback request and a member of the recruitment team will get in touch to answer any questions you may have. As one of the largest and most progressive independent fostering agencies in the UK, we provide quality family placements to children in care and competitive foster care payments to our foster carers.

Why Sunbeam

Reason why you should choose us

At Sunbeam, we are proud of our standards and the support and training that we provide to our foster carers. We are driven by children’s needs.

Experienced Experts

Professional, experienced, qualified staff to undertake your assessment

Support

A supervising social worker who will be local to you and dedicated to supporting you.

Allowance

Fostering allowances up to £700 per week to cover children’s needs.

Training Programme

Comprehensive and progressive up to date training programme

Don’t hesitate, contact us for better help and services. Call us at 020 8799 0930 write to us at info@sunbeamfostering.com

Why Join Sunbeam?

At Sunbeam we are proud of our standards and the support and training that we provide to our foster carers. We would welcome you to take the opportunity to speak to one of our existing foster carers to hear this first hand.

We have a good record in maintaining placements and this is due to excellent matching process at the placement stage and also that we seek to address any concerns quickly.

Many Local Authorities now have Framework Agreements (determined by a tendering process) and often Sunbeam will be in the top tier of these contracts to ensure that we receive strong referrals levels for placements.

Foster Carers choose Sunbeam because we provide

  • High quality, professional extensive support
  • A supervising social worker who will be local to you and dedicated to supporting you
  • Full support on a 24-hour basis through our out of hours team
  • An excellent and progressive training program
  • The chance to be treated as a fostering professional
  • The opportunity to become a specialist foster carer for children with challenging needs. This may be a child with disabilities, autism, or learning difficulties
  • Regular support groups for foster carers and children
  • Competitive fostering allowances to cover children’s needs and provide a “reward” element to carers
  • Good placement levels due to our tenders with Local Authorities and several preferred provider relationships

Become a Foster Carer

Take a first step towards fostering, get in touch with our fostering team






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    Who can foster?

    Your age should be at least 21 years-old (although by law you can apply to foster from 18) and to have a spare bedroom big enough for a young person to live in.

    Fostering Allowance

    As a foster carer, you will receive fostering allowance which normally covers things like food, clothing, transportation, pocket money, outings etc.

    What foster carers are saying

    This job is probably one of my favourites. Every day is different, every day has new challenges and every day has new rewards. It’s not always easy but each challenge you go through with the child bonds you and makes you both stronger for each other.

    Hannah and Kashif
    Hannah and Kashif

    We have been fostering for the last 8 years and feel proud to be a part of the Sunbeam family. At the beginning, we thought it’s a tough job, but the skills to foster initial training and the whole assessment procedure to become a carer was interesting, and it gave us both a broad insight into both the tough and rewarding side of what we were likely to encounter.

    Asma
    Asma

    “Fostering is a rewarding experience as it allows you to actually make a difference for a child/young person. I feel happy being able to make such a difference whether it is for one day or several years.”

    Karen Thorn
    Karen Thorn

    “When they told me that I had been approved for fostering, well I just cried. I was an emotional wreck and was so happy that I just couldn’t hold back my very, very, happy tears.”

    Sunbeam Staff

    I have grown both professionally and personally at Sunbeam.am very grateful for that, as fostering is my passion, and my job allows me to use my skills whilst doing what I love.

     

    All the staff at sunbeam are friendly and helpful , I truly feel like we are all a family and its nice when we all get together when celebrating foster carers and children’s achievements as it shows off everyone’s hard work.

     

    It’s a great place to work. All the managers are super helpful and are always looking after their team. I have grown a lot at this agency.

     

    Working for Sunbeam has been very fulfilling for me. As I get to work for the community and get a chance to make a difference as child welfare is at the core value of this agency.

    Foster Children

    I have been in placement with my foster carers for 11 years. Sunbeam placed me with foster carers who have always treated me like a family member. Sunbeam has also been very supportive throughout all these years

     

    Fostering changes life, I have experienced this first-hand. My foster carers have been very supportive of me and my siblings. They keep us motivated to do good in our studies and always stay involve.

     

    Sunbeam organises many fun and informative days out for us regularly. We recently went to the University of Cambridge and attended their seminar on ‘Realise’ program for care leavers. I am really thankful to Sunbeam for organising this trip.

    OFSTED

    Children and carers receive practical and therapeutic support from the agency and enjoy regular social occasions to relax, enjoy and celebrate alongside staff and managers.

    “All children make good progress within this agency, in all areas of their lives. They benefit from committed and dedicated foster carers who are effectively trained, and supported to meet the individual needs of children”.

    Staff and foster carers alike referred to the agency as being like a ‘family’ when describing their experiences. The registered manager consults well with carers and staff, incorporating their views when monitoring the quality of care provided to children. The registered manager has good audit systems in place and maintains good oversight of practice.

    “The agency delivers a consistently good quality of care to foster carers and children. Management and staff support carers and children in ways that exceed what they might expect. Foster carers spoke about the flexibility, motivation and wide ranging support they receive from the agency”.

    We love to work with children and are really happy with the support that we are getting from Sunbeam. Our social worker is wonderful, we couldn’t have done it without her.

    We are very happy with the support that we are getting from Sunbeam Fostering. We are provided with many interesting trainings and support group throughout the year which help us immensely.

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    All About Fostering Allowance

    Sunbeam offers up to £700 fostering allowance per child per week depending on children’s needs. Additionally, we pay other allowances and our foster carers receive many other benefits while fostering with us. We welcome foster carers from a diverse range of backgrounds and all ages. We would welcome you to take the opportunity to speak to one of our existing foster carers to hear this first hand.
    Contact Us: 02087 990 930

    FAQ – FOSTERING

    We have answered a few common questions about fostering here

    General

    01. What is the difference between fostering with an Independent Fostering Agency (IFA) or with a Local Authority?
    Local Authorities are ultimately responsible for the wellbeing of all children in public care. They need to find the best way of looking after these children to make sure that they receive the best possible standard of care. IFAs such as Sunbeam provide a fostering service to Local Authorities and we work in partnership with them. We have our own foster carers, social workers, therapists and education staff who work hard to ensure that the needs of the carers and children are met to high standards and without delay.
    02. I'm not married – does this matter?
    Although some Local Authorities and IFAs will allow this, at Sunbeam we think that the high quality care, which we consider every one of our children and young people need, can only be achieved by having one carer at home full time. Our carers are part of a professional and dedicated team and we offer them a remuneration and respite package that reflects their commitment.
    03. Can I still go out to work and be a foster carer?
    Although some Local Authorities and IFAs will allow this, at Sunbeam we think that the high quality care, which we consider every one of our children and young people need, can only be achieved by having one carer at home full time. Our carers are part of a professional and dedicated team and we offer them a remuneration and respite package that reflects their commitment.
    04. Do I have to own my home?
    Most people can foster, but when we consider applications we look closely at the following areas: Your ability to work in partnership with the agency Your ability to work as part of a professional team Your family lifestyle Space in your home, including sleeping arrangements Your health and background Your parenting skills, attitude and personality, including any experience of caring for children Your ability to provide a caring and nurturing environment. Things that are less important to us are your income, age, marital status and employment status. Third party references.

    Personal

    01. My partner doesn't live with me should I include them on the application form?
    Yes please, include any individuals who is a significant person in your life and will frequently visit the house.
    02. If I am going to be the main foster carer, do you need to carry out checks on my partner?
    We regard all couples living together as foster carers applicants in the fostering process so we would require that you both have the necessary checks and training and that both take part in the assessment process. Even if you are the main carer, anyone sharing your home will have some involvement in and influence on the fostering task.
    03. Do I have a choice in the type of child I care for?
    Children who require care must have foster carers who can meet their needs. Throughout the fostering assessment process, we work with you to identify your strengths and skills to assist you in identifying the children and young people you could care for. We will also identify specific training with Sunbeam to assist you in expanding your skills as a foster carer. Before you are approved by the Agency Decision Maker, we will have agreed on the type of child who will fit in with your family. This includes the age, gender, ethnicity and religion of potential foster children.

    Allowances

    01. How much is the Fostering Allowance?
    At the Sunbeam Fostering Agency we believe that our carers and foster children should have a good standard of living and a quality of life. Sunbeam offers up to £700 fostering allowance per child per week depending on children’s needs. Additionally, we pay other allowances and our foster carers receive many other benefits while fostering with us. This allowance is paid when children are in care and is not paid when carers do not have placements. Please ask for a copy of our Foster Carer Payment Guide which is updated and reviewed annually.
    02. What does the weekly allowance cover?
    The weekly allowance is intended to cover all the needs of each foster child, including food, clothing, travel, activities, savings and so on. We provide guidance on how money should be spent on each child, to ensure that the child has a healthy and balanced life.

    Tax Benefits

    01. Will I be taxed on the allowance?
    In April 2003, the Government introduced an income tax exemption for foster carers with an income below a set level. Allowances for looking after foster children placed with the Sunbeam are not generally taxable. However, foster carers who have multiple placements and who also work may be liable to pay some tax if their income is above the set level. For the purposes of calculating tax, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) treat foster carers as self-employed. HMRC produce helpful guidance for Foster Carers which you can request direct from HMRC (ask for guidance IR 236).
    02. Do I qualify to claim any benefits?
    Eligibility to benefits is assessed on an individual basis by the relevant central or local government department, and the Sunbeam Fostering Agency cannot offer advice specific to benefit eligibility. The government department responsible for benefit entitlement is called the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Any queries about fostering allowances and benefit eligibility needs to be assessed by the DWP. Find information by calling 0800 882200 or visit www.dwp.gov.uk Jobcentre Plus delivers benefits to many people of working age, so contact your local office for advice. Housing Benefit, Council Tax benefits and tax credits are calculated and administered by your own Local Authority. Alternatively, seek specialist advice from an advisory agency such as the Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) or a welfare rights service.
    03. Do I qualify for tax credits?
    Fostering counts as self-employment, so you may be entitled to Working Tax Credit (and also Child Tax Credit if you have children of your own). You need to get advice about Tax Credits, which takes into consideration your own individual circumstances. Eligibility and assessments for tax credits can be made by contacting 0845 300 3900.
    04. Will I have to pay National Insurance?
    All foster carers must register as self-employed, so must register to pay National Insurance contributions. You can obtain get information by calling the Newly Self-Employed Helpline on 0845 915 4515.

     

    Full Support Provided

    All children and young people placed with Sunbeam foster carers should have their own social worker from the relevant Local Authority who will keep in touch with them throughout their placement, make statutory visits and make care planning decisions with and for them.

    However, in addition to the child’s social worker, every Sunbeam fostering agency has his/her own supervising social worker to ensure that they are fully supported.

    Sunbeam Fostering Agency is one of the largest independent fostering agencies in the UK. We welcome foster carers from a diverse range of backgrounds and all ages.

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