Take the Step
Make a Difference
Foster
Dear Reader,
Welcome to Mulberry Foster Care, where we look after you, so you can look after the young people in your care. As Directors
of Mulberry Foster Care we are pleased to extend a warm invitation to explore the opportunities we offer in providing stable
and nurturing homes for children in need.
For over 7 years, Mulberry Foster Care has been at the forefront of fostering, continually evolving and growing. In September
2022, our commitment to excellence was recognised when we achieved an Outstanding rating in all areas by Ofsted—a
testament to our unwavering dedication and the exceptional quality of care provided by our foster families and staff.
At Mulberry, we pride ourselves on being a Therapeutic Fostering Agency, offering a comprehensive range of support services
to meet the unique needs of each child in our care. From access to in-house systemic family therapy and play therapy to
equine therapy, adventure plus, mentoring, and more, we strive to create a holistic environment where children can thrive and
overcome challenges.
Our journey towards providing therapeutic care is ongoing, and we are excited to continue expanding our services and
expertise in this vital area. We believe in the transformative power of therapy and are committed to ensuring that every child
placed with us has the opportunity to heal, grow, and flourish.
As you navigate through our eBrochure, we encourage you to learn more about Mulberry Foster Care, our values, and the
impact we make on the lives of children and families.
Join us in our mission to create brighter futures and lasting connections for those in need.
Shaun Burnett & Andrew Robinson
Directors, Mulberry Foster Care
What is fostering?
When children are not able to live with their own families, the
Local Authority has a responsibility to ensure they have a saf
e place to live; fostering is when a child or young person is car
ed for by somebody in a family home as opposed to a resident
ial or children’s home.
This could be with one or more adults, birth children, other
foster children or family pets. The intention is to help childre
n feel ‘at home’ and provide them with a nurturing, family fe
el style of care. Each individual child and young person will h
ave different needs and issues due to their experiences so a
wide range of families are needed to help with those needs.
Children and young people may have suffered neglect
physical, emotional or sexual abuse; some children may hav
e parents who have passed away and some may ha
ve behaviours that are difficult to manage. What all these child
ren and young have in common is that they are not able to
live with their families. To meet the demands of looking after
these children and young people, there are different ty
pes of fostering placements available.
Types of foster care
EMERGENCY
SHORT TERM
PARENT AND
CHILD
SIBLING
PLACEMENTS
CHILDREN
WITH
DISABILITIES
Emergency
foster care plays
a critical role in
providing
immediate
support and
stability to
children who are
facing urgent
and unforeseen
circumstances.
Short-term
foster
placements are
essential for
providing
temporary care
to children who
require support
for a period
ranging from a
few weeks to
several months
well-being and
stability.
Parent and child
placements in
foster care
involve providing
support and
guidance to both
a parent and
their child within
a foster family
setting.
Sibling placements
in foster care are a
vital aspect of
ensuring the
emotional well-
being and stability
of children in care.
The importance of
maintaining sibling
bonds cannot be
overstated.
Children with
disabilitie
s represent a diver
se and vibrant part
of our commun
ity, each posse
ssing unique stre
ngths, abiliti
es, and perspect
ives. In foster c
are, it's es
sential to re
cognise and acc
ommodate the spec
ific needs of
children wit
h disabilities, en
suring that they re
ceive the sup
port and resources necessary to thrive.
LONG TERM
Long-term foster
placements
provide stability,
security, and
permanency to
children who are
unable to return
to their birth
families or be
adopted.
Can I foster?
Mulberry Foster Care is an inclusive agency which means
we welcome applications from people regardless of their race,
religion, sexual orientation or disability status, however, there are
a few minimum requirements that everyone must meet.
Be over the age of 21
Have a suitable spare room for a foster child
Have the right to live and work in the UK
Demonstrate a commitment to working with young people
Be flexible with your employment or current routines to
facilitate fostering
Possess the ability to work collaboratively with professionals
Be honest and able to communicate effectively with you
r social worker and team
Demonstrate patience and resilience
Commit to working in partnership with a child’s birth family
Be able to facilitate contact arrangements for a child in your
care
Attend professional meetings around the child in your care
Attend ongoing training, learning, and events at our office .
Your journey into fostering
INITIAL
ENQUIRY
APPLICATION
FORM
INITIAL HOME
VISIT
SKILLS TO
FOSTER
ASSESSMENT
All applicants
start thei
r journey with
a phone call w
ith one of fanta
stic recrui
tment leads.
We will then send
out an applicatio
n form via emai
l. Once this
has been compl
eted and return
ed to us, we will l
et you know if y
ou have been succe
ssful in moving
on to the next stage.
A Supervising
Social Worker wil
l come and me
et with you at h
ome to discuss
your application.
This is a fan
tastic opportun
ity for you to
ask any further
questions a
nd for our asses
sor to make a d
etermination
as to whether y
ou are able
to progress to fostering.
At the
conclusion o
f the initial ho
me meeting, we w
ill inform yo
u as to whether
your applicati
on can prog
ress to assess
ment. I
f you are succe
ssful, you will
be invited t
o ‘Skills to
Foster’.
This train
ing provides an
overview of th
e role of being a Foster Carer.
The assessment
process is i
n depth a
nd challenging.
The process invo
lves one o
f our ass
essors meeti
ng wit
h you as appl
icants at h
ome over
a number of se
ssions. This will
all culminate in
a report being
prepared called a Form F.
PANEL
This is made up
of at least
6 panel membe
rs who hav
e a wealt
h of experi
ence, including p
olice, health vi
sitors, teachers ,
current fost
er carers am
ongst many others
. They w
ill have the o
pportunity to re
ad your report
and would th
en meet
with you and yo
ur assessor to ask any questions.
AGENCY
DECISION MAKER
Whilst a panel
make th
e recommendati
on, the fin
al decision lies w
ith our ADM
who has a weal
th of experience
within Chi
ldren’s servic
es. They will con
sider all of th
e evidence includ
ing minutes fro
m your Panel
to make their
recommendation.
Once you are
approved as
a Foster Care
r, the real w
ork can begi
n in ter
ms of finding a
child for
you to provid
e a home for.
MATCHING
Why Mulberry Foster Care?
Commitment to
Excellence
We are proud to be an
Ofsted-rated
Outstanding agency,
recognised for our
exceptional standards
of care and
commitment to
continuous
improvement.
When you join Mulberry
Foster Care, you become
part of a supportive and
inclusive community of
foster carers, staff, and
professionals dedicated to
making a positive
difference in the lives of
children and families.
Supportive
Community
Transparent
Communication
We believe in open and
transparen
t communication, ensuri
ng that our foster carers f
eel valued, respected,
and supported every st
ep of the way. Our ded
icated team is always av
ailable to provide g
uidance, assistance, and
advocacy whenever needed.
Fulfiling Rewards
Fostering with Mulberry
Foster Care is a
rewarding and fulfilling
experience. By opening
your heart and home to
a child in need, you
have the opportunity to
make a meaningful
difference in their life,
providing them with
love, stability, and hope
for the future.
Personalised
Training and
Development
We offer ongoing training,
learning, and development
opportunities to equip our
foster carers with the
knowledge, skills, and
resources they need to
succeed in their role and
make a lasting impact on
the lives of children.
Theraputic
Approach
As a therapeutic fostering
agency, we prioritize th
e emotional well-being a
nd development of every child
in our care. Through acces
s to in-house systemic f
amily therapy, play therapy,
equine therapy, adventur
e plus, mentoring, a
nd other specialized ser
vices, we provide com
prehensive support tailored
to meet the unique needs of each child.
Generous
Allowance
In-depth matching
process
Once you are approved as
a Foster Carer, the work wil
l begin in terms of finding
a child to join you. As
an agency, we plac
e no pressure on our care
rs to accept a placement
as it has to be ri
ght for everyone in order
for the placement to be su
ccessful. Potential m
atches are filtered by o
ur team and you are on
ly presented with placem
ents we think could work
for you. This proces
s has proven to mi
nimise placement breakdowns.
We understand that
fostering is a significant
commitment, which is
why we offer generous
allowances to our foster
carers. These
allowances are
designed to cover the
cost of caring for a
child, including food,
clothing, and other
essentials, ensuring that
our foster families can
provide a high standard
of care without financial
strain.
Therapeutic Fostering
At the core of our therapeutic approach is the Systemic Training and support
on offer to all Supervising Social Workers and Carers.This will include Mental
Health Training, Impact of Trauma, and training to support children’s
development.
All Carers are required to attend all 3 parts of the RAFT Training which is
developed and delivered by Shakira Maknoon. Various Workshops are on offer
throughout the year, for all carers to help continue their understanding and
embodiment of RAFT in their nurturing parenting of the children in their care.
What is RAFT?
RAFT stands for Relational, Actions, Feelings & Thoughts. The training offered is
an integrative of therapeutic systemic approaches. It also links in with concepts
from interpersonal neurobiology, mentalization, cognitive theory, all of which
have provided the theoretical underpinning behind the training and
communication concepts and skills taught. Nurturing parenting concepts are
further developed in RAFT training which helps others to apply theory into day-
day practice given communications with another.
Aims of RAFT training:
To increase self-regulation and to help develop/maintain a nurturing learning
environment. To help staff have an increased awareness of the impact of their
own emotional and communicative responses on others. To help staff co-
regulate children by using skills to conduct what interpersonal neurobiology
calls integrative actions/responses to reduce distress, increase engagement,
understanding and learning which is achieved through a staff member’s use of
communication.
Mulberry
Therapeutic
Fostering
Support from our in
house systemic family
therapist
Use of our brand
new sensory room
Ongoing therapeutic
training
Trained social
workers
Access to play therapy,
equine therapy, mentoring
, adventure plus and more
Financial Support
As a Foster Carer we appreciate the costs of looking after children in your
home along with the additional responsibilities you will be taking on as a Foste
r Carer. As such we strike to look after you so you can look after the children
In your care. This also includes the financial support you will receive thro
ugh Mulberry Foster Carer.
Mulberry Foster Care pay our carers on a monthly basis. Your allowance
consists of the following:
A weekly placement allowance of at least £400 per child
A Holiday allowance paid monthly throughout the year
A Christmas and Birthday allowance of £150 per child
Your allowance as a Foster Carer varies due to the needs of the child placed
with you but you could receive as much as £1000 per week. Further, after you
r first year as a Foster Carer with Mulberry Foster Care and a successful annu
al review, you will receive a 10% increase in your allowance.
Along with the regular financial support you will also benefit from:
Membership to a Fostering Support Service
Multiple events run throughout the year
Regular competitions with fun prizes
Gifts and giveaways throughout the year
We will do whatever we can do to make your life easier and to show our
appreciation for your hard work as a carer.
Training
Continuous development and training as a foster carer is essential
and integral to your fostering journey. Your introduction to ou
r training program begins with the mandatory course, ‘Skills to Foster
’, which takes place over a day at our office. This session offer
s a comprehensive overview of fostering, allowing you to mak
e an informed decision regarding your application continua
tion. Throughout your assessment process, you'll engage in various
online training modules, offering valuable insights into your role as a
foster carer.
Upon approval, you'll benefit from regular training sessions
facilitated by our in-house systemic family therapist. Additionally
, external providers will deliver specialised training sessions on topi
cs such as Safeguarding, Paediatric First Aid, and Child Sex
ual Exploitation, among others. As a foster carer, your training re
gime will comprise a blend of face-to-face sessions at our state-of-th
e-art training center and remote training courses. Attendance at
these sessions is crucial for new foster carers, and we strongly en
courage all applicants to prioritise participation in their decision to ap
ply with us.
Are you ready to take the step, make a difference and foster?
On behalf of the entire Mulberry Team, thank you so much
for expressing an interest in Fostering. There is a critica
l shortage of loving, stable and supportive homes for you
ng people and we are happy to raise awareness of this.
If you are ready to take the step and foster, please contact enquiries@mulberryfostercare.co.uk or speak with a member of the team on 01989 550955
If you are ready to take the step and foster, plea
se contact enquiries@mulberryfoster
care.co.uk or speak with a member of the team on 01989 550955
If you would like to find out more about us, please head
over to our website www.mulberryfostercare.co.uk and our social media channels @MulberryFosterCare If you would like to find out more a
bout us, please head over to our website www.mulberryfostercare.co.uk and our social media channels @MulberryFosterCare