Could you become part of our fostering community?

We are holding a series of drop-in sessions throughout the fortnight to give people interested in fostering the chance to find out more about our current opportunities.

Staff from the Family Placement Team will be available as follows:

• Monday 9 May - Eyemouth Golf Club, 10am-12pm
• Wednesday 11 May - Transport Interchange, Galashiels, 11am-3pm (not the swimming pool as previously advertised)
• Thursday 12 May – Tesco, Galashiels 10am–3pm
• Friday 13 May – Bisley at Braidwood, Midlem 11am-3pm

The sessions are part of our ongoing commitment to recruiting foster carers who are able to care for children and young people, aged 0–21, who are in need of a family placement.

We are also looking for short breaks carers to provide respite for children with complex needs and disabilities. This involves providing weekend breaks and short term periods of respite care for children who continue to live at home with their parents.

Who can be a foster carer?

• Foster carers come from all walks of life and may be single or in an enduring partnership. They need to have had experience of looking after or working with children and are able to provide positive parenting with patience and understanding. This will include a genuine interest in children and young people and having an enjoyment of their company. Being patient and having the ability to listen, understand and communicate with young people is also important. Many foster carers have had previous careers in child or social care, for example, while others have child care experience with children in their own families and communities.
• Foster carers attend a wide range of training pre and post approval. They are also provided with a supervising social worker who provides regular support and supervision, and are paid a fee as well as a maintenance allowance to cover costs for caring for each child.
• Applicant’s need to be in reasonable health and in settled circumstances. A full assessment as to their suitability is carried out which includes statutory checks. They also need to attend a preparatory training course as part of the assessment process.

Stuart Easingwood, Director of Social Work and Practice

“All children have the right to grow up in a loving and stable home where all their physical and emotional needs are met and they are given the chance to reach their goals and ambitions. Unfortunately there are some circumstances where they are unable to live with their birth families and need to be cared for by foster carers.

“The impact of the past two years on some of our more vulnerable children, young people and families has been significant and more than ever we are keen to hear from anyone who thinks they have what it takes to welcome a child or young person into their home and provide them with the support they need.

“I also want to take this opportunity to thank our existing team of foster carers for not only everything they do on a daily basis, but particularly for all the commitment, dedication and resilience they have shown against the challenging circumstances of the pandemic. They have, and continue to do, an incredible job and we should all be extremely grateful to them.

“If you think you’ve got the motivation, skills and experience to become part of our fostering community, please get in touch. The drop in sessions are a great way to speak to our staff in person but you can also find out more by giving them a call and having an informal chat.”

More information

For more information, visit the Fostering pages of our website. You can also contact the Family Placement Team on 01896 662799 or follow them on Facebook at: @ScottishBordersFosteringandAdoption

Fostercare Fortnight is The Fostering Network's annual campaign to raise the profile of fostering and show how foster care transforms lives. More information is available on their website.