Simply Fostering

Fostering in West Sussex

FREE FOSTER CARE APPLICATION SERVICE.

Are you considering becoming a foster care professional?

Simply Fostering provides comprehensive information about foster care and a free agency matching service to prospective foster carers.

Foster carers provide a safe and nurturing family environment to children in need. There are many different types of foster care in the UK, from emergency placements to long-term foster homes. At Simply Fostering we will help you in assessing which option is most suitable for you.

Foster care can be an extremely fulfilling career. Anybody can apply to become a foster carer. After making an application, your suitability will be independently assessed. This process can take anywhere up to six months. During this period, the council or agency will complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check on you and anyone over eighteen in your home. It is also compulsory to complete a medical check, to ascertain your physical suitability for the role.

The different types of foster care.

 

  • Emergency foster care:
    Emergency foster carers need to be prepared to take a child into their home at very short notice. Emergency foster placements are unplanned and occur if a child’s situation has changed dramatically in a short period of time. For example, if their parent has been hospitalised. This type of placement usually only lasts a few days before a longer-term solution can be organised.
  • Short-term foster care:
    A short-term placement can be anything from an overnight stay to several months. Short-term care is the most prevalent form of foster care in the UK. Carers provide a temporary home to children before they can return home or be put up for adoption. Often, children in short-term care will maintain contact with their birth family.
  • Long-term foster care:
    In some cases, children will not be able to be reunited with their birth family for several years, if at all. Long-term fostering provides children in care with an alternative familial environment and stability. Similar to short-term placement, children will often retain contact with their birth family.
  • Support care:
    Support care is a contemporary alternative to traditional foster homes. It is a form of part-time care, where a child might stay from a few hours each week to a couple of weekends each month. This gives their own family or guardians respite and support. This is a preventative system designed to stop young people from entering the care system.
  • Specialist care:
    Specialist carers undergo extra training to help them specialise in caring for children with unique needs. This could include children with severe behavioural issues, learning disabilities, or mental health issues.

The Simply Fostering aim.

At Simply Fostering we aim to make the process of applying to become a foster carer as simple as possible. Through our UK Agency Database, we will pair you with the most suitable fostering agencies in West Sussex. We also aim to provide a comprehensive source of information on everything fostering.

To find out more and to take the next step towards a career as a foster carer, use our no obligation, free agency matching service by completing our online fostering eligibility quiz, and get fostering right the first time!

West Sussex population and demography.

West Sussex is a largely rural area. As of the 2011 census the population was 806,900 with the most populous region being Arun, with 149,200 residents. According to the most recent estimates the population of West Sussex is gradually increasing. Chichester is the only city in West Sussex, with the rest of the urban population being divided between the towns of Horsham, Crawley and Worthing.

There are approximately 28,000 children living in West Sussex, with 1,200 in the support of Children’s Services. From March 2010 to March 2015 the population of looked after children has gradually decreased. This contrasts with most of the unitary councils in the UK.

West Sussex has been the benefactor of a strong recruitment drive from the county council and independent agencies. However, West Sussex is challenged by a unique set of circumstances in recruiting foster carers.

West Sussex is one of the least densely populated regions in the UK, with only 423 residents per square kilometre. Ideally, agencies do not like to relocate children too far from their birth family. This can have an extremely disruptive influence on their life. Therefore, West Sussex needs to recruit more foster carers to optimise their services.

West Sussex Needs More Foster Carers!

Fostering Statistics: South East

Total Children in Care, SE 2020
Foster Care Placements, SE 2020

The following statistics are from the total number of children in care in the South West and not exclusively those in Foster Care.

Children with disability : 420
4%
Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers : 1040
10%

No Data Found

No Data Found

Popular Placement Types: Vary in this area.

Related Areas

This related area section is currently being reviewed by our team.

What Could You Earn?

Being a foster carer is not only an ethical career, it's also financially rewarding. Our calculators estimate what you could be earning.

Free Matching Service?

If you meet the UK criteria to foster. we will match you with a local Fostering Agency and ask them to call you.
Quiz

UK Wide Fostering Network

Try these: South WestDevonExeter

If you live in the UK… We’ve got you covered.
We cover the length and breadth of the UK with our unique Agency Network. Finding an Agency near you and supporting your move into foster caring.

 

Did you Know - West Sussex?

The history of human habitation in East Sussex dates back to the Stone Age. The earliest human remains known to Britain were discovered in Boxgrove. The Roman occupation saw the construction of the palace in Fishbourne and a prominent rural villa in Bignor. After the fall of the Roman Empire, West Sussex was subjected to almost continual invasion because of its coastal location.
According to the Met Office, West Sussex is the sunniest county in the UK. It is also home to the South Downs National Park which contains 1,813km of footpath! To compliment the surroundings, West Sussex has many picturesque stately homes to visit, such as Petworth House and Bramber Castle.
West Sussex’s easy access to both the coast and London makes it a very desirable place to live. Notable residents include TV presenter Holly Willoughby, comedian Jack Dee, and broadcaster Chris Evans.

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