MV's new guide provides a roadmap for establishing a regional fostering recruitment support hub.
As the delivery partner for the Department for Education's Fostering Recruitment and Retention Programme, we've been working with ten local authority clusters to implement a pan-local authority approach to foster carer recruitment.
New recruitment support hubs aim to improve the recruitment journey for prospective foster carers, from initial enquiry through to application, with the overarching goal of increasing the number of approved foster carers for our most vulnerable children.
Drawing upon our experience and insights gained from the programme, this guide captures valuable insights, expertise, and practical tools all in one place. We've distilled valuable lessons learned into an accessible resource, ensuring that local authorities clusters have everything they need to navigate the process of establishing a hub.
The guide includes links to useful resources, tools, and templates throughout and draws on examples from local authority clusters participating in the programme, particularly the North East Pathfinder, which launched their recruitment support hub, Foster with North East, in September 2023.
This guide is designed for:
Local authorities in the process of establishing a hub – to help them navigate the process and understand all key considerations
Local authorities that may want to establish a hub in the future – to understand what is required and the process to get there
The wider local authority and children’s sector – to share learning from the process of setting up hubs, which may be transferrable for other regional working programmes
Download the guide now
Learn more about MV’s work on the Fostering Recruitment and Retention Programme here.
Explore MV's other work in children's services here.