Emergency Fostering
What is Emergency Duty Fostering?
Emergency duty fostering is where you look after a child in your own home, usually for one night but at the most for a long weekend.There are lots of different reasons why a child might need to be cared for during the night, but usually it is because of problems at home. A parent may have become ill suddenly, or unable to look after the child because of their own problems. Perhaps the relationship between a teenager and their parents has reached breaking point, or the child may be at risk of abuse.
Whatever the reason, the child is in need of a safe, secure home from home for the night while social workers work with the family to sort out the problem.
What’s the difference between emergency fostering and normal fostering?
The main difference is that emergency fostering is for a very short period, usually just one night until the next morning. The longest a child would ever stay is over a bank holiday weekend. The Emergency Duty Team by its very nature is reacting to incidences outside of normal office hours, so they need their own team of emergency carers to help at these times. It is unlikely that you will be asked to look after a child more than once a month, most likely 8 or 9 times a year.
For more information about the types of fostering please visit our fostering pages.
What help will I receive?
Once you have decided you want to become an emergency carer, you will be given all the training and support you need to do the job. After initial discussions you will attend a training course and undertake the assessment process. When you become an approved carer you will receive a generous financial allowance and expenses.
There will be professional help at hand throughout every placement, at any time of the day or night. Every emergency carer is allocated their own Emergency Duty Team Support Worker.
Who can become an emergency carer?
Anyone can apply to become an emergency carer, whatever their age or situation. We need all types of people so don’t rule yourself out without talking to us first. You will need to have a caring and tolerant nature and to be flexible, ready to respond at short notice during the evening, often late at night. You do need to have a spare room.
How do I apply?
Please contact us via Social Care Direct, our contact centre.A Carer’s Experience
Madge Tilley, has been taking emergency fostering placements for more than 16 years. We asked her to describe the work and why she enjoys doing it.
“My house has always been full of kids and as my own children grew up, I thought I should try fostering. Looking after children on an emergency placement is different from full-time fostering. You haven’t got the attachment or the commitment to a length of time, but it’s just nice to make someone feel wanted even if it’s just for one night. At the moment I take teenage girls, but I used to do young ones. In fact I’ve gone right through the age groups, babies, toddlers, children and teenagers. As an emergency carer, the duty social workers can ring me anytime after 5.30pm or during the weekend. Sometimes it can be in the middle of the night. They tell me a bit about the child’s background and a little about the problem. It could be anything from family problems, absconding, physical, sexual or emotional abuse. They interview the child and then ring me back and give me an approximate time of arrival.
When the child arrives I make sure the kettle’s on. Sometimes they haven’t eaten so I make them a sandwich. Sometimes they need a shower if they’ve been walking the streets, but if it’s late the main thing is to make them feel welcome and then get them off to bed. I always keep a spare dressing gown, pyjamas and toothbrush. The little ones can be very distressed, having been taken away from their own family and not knowing what’s happening. Teenagers can also be stressed, they often think it’s all their fault and feel terribly guilty. Mostly it’s just a matter of reassuring them and making them feel welcome.
I can usually judge on first appearances the best way to be with them. Even the older ones can be very frightened. After all I’m a complete stranger to them, they don’t know what I’m like and I don’t know what they’re like. If it’s late it’s usually a case of something to eat then straight to bed. If it’s earlier in the evening I usually sit and talk with them. I try to have a laugh with the teenagers. I don’t ask them about what’s happened or talk about it unless they want to. I usually talk to them about Coronation Street or Eastenders, or ask them if they have a boyfriend, things like that. If you have other children in the house it helps to break the ice. The next morning I usually get them up about 8 o’clock for some breakfast. The Emergency Duty Team rings and tells me who is coming to collect the child, and at what time, but they always get picked up before 10.00am. If I need to go out earlier for any reason, then they will always accommodate me.
Why do I do it? Well, I’ve always loved being with children. Yes, you have some stressful moments but you have a lot of rewards. It’s very rewarding to get the children back with their parents and see them move on from the problem they had when they came to me. I’ve bumped into many of the children in the town with their parents and they always say “Hiya”. We’ve had some off moments when things don’t go quite the way you’d hoped, then all of a sudden something clicks and it just works. With emergency placements you get a sense of total satisfaction having helped a child. They might start off nervous and frightened, but the next morning they say “Thanks for having me, Madge” and that’s a nice feeling.
I would definitely encourage anyone to think about doing it. You don’t need qualifications and letters after your name, you just need to have a bit of common sense and to be caring. And a sense of humour always comes in handy!”
Madge Tilley August 2003
