Useful Links

The Fostering Network is the UK’s leading fostering charity. By working with foster families, and the services that support them, they help everyone who is fostered to achieve the very best they can.

The Fostering Network is also a big voice in foster care, and has been influencing policy and campaigning for improvements for nearly 40 years. They work with key decision makers such as Government Ministers, civil servants and elected representatives in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to put into place policies that are best for fostered children and foster families.

As an Essex County Council Foster carer you are automatically a member of the Fostering Network with your subscription fee paid for by ECC.

For more information visit The Fostering Network.

Thinking of retiring? This might be useful TFN Retired Foster Carer Membership Leaflet

Cafcass stands for Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.

Every year Cafcass helps over 140,000 children and young people who are going through care or adoption proceedings, or whose parents have separated and are unable to agree about future arrangements for their children. Cafcass is the voice of children in the family courts and helps to ensure that children’s welfare is put first during proceedings.

For more information visit cafcass.gov.uk.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) works across the UK tackling child sex abuse and providing advice for parents, young people and children about internet safety and online safety. They protect children from harm online and offline, directly through NCA led operations and in partnership with local and international agencies.

They also run a site called ThinkuKnow, which contains lots of good tips on teaching online safety to your children. There also some videos to use.

For more information visit ceop.police.uk.

Run with the backing of Essex County Council, The Local Offer will:

• Give you information about education, health and care services.
• Give you information about leisure activities and support groups.
• Hold all the information in one place.
• Be clear, comprehensive and accessible.
• Make service provision more responsive to local needs and aspirations.
• Be developed and reviewed with the service providers and service users.

The Local Offer is for:

• Children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Children and young people from birth to 25 years.
• Their parents and carers.
• Practitioners and professionals.

For more information visit essexlocaloffer.org.uk.

Counselling Directory may be of interest to you. On the website is a dedicated resource of support and advice on both Adoption and Fostering which can be found here: counselling-directory.org.uk/adoption

Counselling Directory was set up by a team who know how difficult it can be to find support. Through our own experiences of mental health issues, we have learnt how important having relevant information is and how the right support can help transform lives. Our team is passionate about counselling and we want to promote the huge benefits talk therapy can have.

Here is a list of useful acronyms and abbreviations that you'll come across in your fostering career.

For the course schedule and to register for training please Login to MyEssex website