Pyramid Care Fostering Service offer a high level of support to foster carers. The support is flexible, creative and will vary day to day, placement by placement.
Supervising Social Worker - you will have a supervising social worker, who will telephone you on a regular basis, and visit you monthly for support and formal supervision. You will be able to contact them directly by telephone or e-mail during standard office hours.
Link Worker - you will have a link worker who will contact you on a regular basis and discuss all levels of support for either you as a family or for children in placement. Again you will be able to contact them directly by telephone or e-mail during standard office hours.
Out of hours Support Line - fostering is a 24/7 job, therefore Pyramid Care CIC Fostering Services ensure that they are able to respond to this by being contactable 24/7. An out of hours support line will get you directly through to a member of the team who can help.
Regular Forums and Networking - you will have the opportunity to meet with other foster carers and network with each other. The combination of this and your support or social worker means that you can really reflect on the complexities of your work.
Social Events - we arrange social events from time to time where you will be able to socialise with other carers in a relaxed environment.
Skills Development Training - we offer a number of training workshops to help develop your skills as a foster carer. The workshops will bring practical knowledge together with expertise and theoretical knowledge or understanding about the subject.
Psychological Support and Family Counselling - occasionally a carer or foster family may need more objective professional support. We can arrange for you to have sessions with qualified counsellors or discussions with our psychologist, if we all agree this would be beneficial to you and your family.
Respite Provision - we offer 14 days respite care per year to enable carers to ‘re-charge’ their batteries, and retain the energy and physical and emotional well being that is essential in providing quality foster care. Some families have specially assessed and approved members of their own family and friends network who move into their home to care for the foster children. Other foster children may stay with an alternative Pyramid Care foster family whilst their own take a break. Some foster carers choose to provide an activity holiday for their foster child, and this provides the family with a break as well as a holiday experience for the child.
Support Supervision - as well as formal supervision, we offer monthly support calls with an independent social worker who will relay any issues or concerns directly to us. This will enable us to ensure that we are meeting your needs as a foster carer, and that you are happy with the service you receive.
Professional Development - each year we will hold a review for you as a foster carer. The purpose of this review is to confirm your ongoing support, ability and enthusiasm to foster. Your skills and ongoing training needs will also be assessed and highlighted.