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What is STEPS fostering?

The STEPS fostering scheme provides emergency placements for children and young people who are looked after but are experiencing a breakdown of their current placement.

These placements will be for children aged eight to 18, either gender, for a duration of 10 working days. In exceptional circumstances, this may be increased by a further 10 days.

Placing a young person in STEPS will provide stability while planning their next placement. The young person in STEPS will be the only young person in the placement, which will allow their carers to focus on their needs.

These placements will be in Warwickshire to allow the young person to remain in their current school or college.

How is STEPS different from mainstream fostering?

This scheme is different from mainstream fostering because:

  • each foster carer will be approved for only one placement
  • as a carer household, you will not be caring for any other children
  • you will need significant experience of working directly with or caring for challenging young people, for example; experience in youth work, social work, education or as an experienced foster carer
  • you will be expected to accept a same-day placement which has been agreed by the fostering manager as a STEPS placement
  • The placement will be for 10 working days
  • as a carer, you will be paid for 52 weeks a year
  • if you are not caring for a young person in a 10 days STEPS placement you will be expected to offer support to other carers, including overnight respite.

What will you receive in return?

  • You will be paid a weekly fee of £329.42 whether there is a young person in placement or not. This will be on a self-employed basis.
  • You will be entitled to 28 days of annual leave.
  • You will receive fostering allowances while the young person is in your care (which is up to £199 per week for a 15-year-old).
  • You will have the support of a dedicated social worker and social care worker.
  • When the office is closed you will have access to 24-hour support. This will be via the foster care support line and the emergency duty team.
  • You will be involved in a support group for carers on the solo and STEPS scheme.

What to consider

  • You may be asked to take a same-day placement, where the previous placement has broken down.
  • You will be expected to accept any placement you are asked to take.
  • You will need to be available to either take the young person to school or provide daycare if they are not in school.
  • You will have the opportunity to care for a large number of young people (remember they are only in placement for 10 days).
  • These young people will have experienced at least one placement breakdown.

Read about fostering experiences

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