Fostering in Staffordshire

Foster a Child in Staffordshire

Acorn Fostering Services is proud to provide high-quality foster care placements to children and young people in Staffordshire. We work in partnership with local authorities, foster carers, and other professionals to provide safe, nurturing, and stable family placements. Our team of dedicated professionals is committed to improving the lives of looked after children and young people by providing a supportive environment that promotes their best interests. We are ready to help if you are interested in learning more about becoming a foster carer or would like to know more about our services in Staffordshire.

Why Foster in Staffordshire?

Fostering in Staffordshire can make a real difference in a child’s life. Many children in the area need a safe and caring home to live in, and by becoming a foster carer in Staffordshire, you can help provide them with the stability and care they need. Fostering in Staffordshire can be a rewarding experience, allowing you to positively impact the lives of vulnerable children and young people in your community. As a foster carer with Acorn Fostering Services, you will receive extensive support, training, and guidance to help you provide the best possible care to the children in your care. By fostering in Staffordshire with Acorn, you can make a real difference in the lives of children and young people in your local community.

How to Become a Foster Carer in Staffordshire

Becoming a foster carer in Staffordshire s is a straightforward process that involves an initial telephone interview with our recruitment team, followed by a preliminary assessment by a social worker. After a positive assessment you will also attend a two-day assessment training called “Skills to Foster.” before being invited to make an application. Once an application is accepted a comprehensive assessment, also known as the Form F Assessment, will be carried out. During this stage, we will conduct statutory checks, such as DBS and OFSTED, and after completing the assessment process, the assessing social worker will present the assessment report to an independent fostering panel. If approved, you will be approved as a foster carer, which is reviewed annually. The entire process takes around 4-6 months, and every effort is made to avoid unnecessary delays.

What Foster Training Is Available?

Acorn Fostering Services provides comprehensive training programs for prospective and approved foster carers. Prior to submitting an application, all prospective foster carers are required to attend a two-day training called “Skills to Foster,” facilitated by Acorn’s Senior Recruitment Officer and current foster carers. This training is designed to give people interested in fostering the realities of fostering and to ensure that fostering is the right fit for them and their families. Post-approval, foster carers attend regular support groups, both virtual and face-to-face, organised by their Supervising Social Worker (SSW), as well as larger support groups held two to three times a year. The agency also provides a WhatsApp support group and pairs foster carers with a “buddy” in their area. Foster carers also have a Personal Development Plan (PDP) that outlines their training needs, and they receive a calendar of mandatory training events at the start of the year, which can be planned around their fostering commitments.

Areas in Staffordshire we Serve

Acorn Fostering Services operates in a number of locations in Staffordshire, providing fostering services to children and young people in need. The following is a list of the areas where Acorn Fostering Services operates:

  • Stafford
  • South Staffordshire
  • Cannock Chase
  • Lichfield
  • Tamworth
  • East Staffordshire
  • Stoke-on-Trent
  • Newcastle-under-Lyme

Contact Acorn Fostering Services to Learn More

Fostering is critical to ensuring that vulnerable children and young people receive the care and support they need to thrive. At Acorn Fostering Services, we understand the importance of this and strive to provide high-quality fostering placements that meet the unique needs of each child in Staffordshire. Our dedicated professionals and foster carers work tirelessly to ensure that every child in our care feels safe, supported, and loved. We believe that everyone has the potential to make a positive difference in a child’s life, and we invite you to join us on this journey. If you are interested in becoming a foster carer or would like to learn more about our services, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

We also provide Foster Care in many other counties:

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Our Teachers

Our Qualified Teacher

Shadab Ahmad

Director and ADM

Director Shadab is a qualified social worker with over 32 years post qualifying experience. He has an MA in social work and has worked in Local Authorities and the NSPCC as a manager before setting up Acorn Fostering Services in 2004. His main area of interest is protecting vulnerable children and providing them with new opportunities. He has experience of working with children in need, looked after children and child protection cases.

Anupam Srivastava

Director

Director Anupam is a qualified social worker with over 34 years of post-qualification experience in social work. He has an MA in social work and worked with both statutory and voluntary sector. Prior to setting up Acorn Fostering Services in 2004, he was a neighbourhood Coordinator with Leicester City Council’s Neighbourhood Renewal Programme. Anupam has vast experience of working with children and families.

Kshama Srivastava

Director

Director Kshama has a background in Human Resources Management. Up until June 2014 she was working as a Human Resources professional in the NHS. In 2014, Kshama decided to leave her employment with the NHS to play an active role in Acorn Fostering Services. In her capacity as a Director, Kshama has assumed a lead responsibility for consultation with Staff, Foster carers and other stakeholders, Policy Review, and development along with bringing a vast and valuable contribution in the form of her knowledge and skills and abilities in the field of HR Management.

Lionel Boyce

Registered Manager

Lionel has 43 years’ experience of working in the social care field, ranging from his early work with people with severe mental and physical disabilities and working and managing in older person’s homes, working with children and families in a child care team. Over the last 25 years, Lionel has worked with children, in a child care operations team in various local authorities. Lionel moved to fostering in 1993 initially as a social worker and then as a team manager and service manager with local authorities and independent fostering agencies.

Julie Bailey

Deputy Manager

Julie has 13 years’ experience as a qualified Social Worker with Acorn Fostering Services. Julie started her social work career with Acorn in 2009, firstly as a Supervising Social Worker, then as Acorn’s Recruitment Officer. In October 2015 Julie moved to the post of Placement Manager where she has been able to use her knowledge of our fostering households to inform the risk and assessment process when matching placements. In October 2016 Julie was promoted to Deputy Manager where she has the responsibility of overseeing the Recruitment Team as well as continuing with the Placement Manager.

Our Staff

The rest of Acorn’s team have between them a wealth of experience gained from a variety of different settings all of which contributes to a well-informed, supportive, and stable team. We are a medium sized team with a friendly, professional approach to our work; made up of people from different backgrounds, experiences, cultures, and religions. We value our staff and are committed to helping them explore their interests through training and personal development.