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Katie Hooper delivered the presentation at the 2014 Out of Home Care Summit. The 2014 Out of Home Care Summit featured highly interactive sessions and a series of four half-day targeted streams covering the current, topical issues in Out of Home Care across Australia. Showcasing innovative solutions and viable strategies, the Summit focused on the highly practical nature of affecting change within the sector. For more information about the event, please visit: http://www.informa.com.au/outofhome14
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@vicfostercareFoster Care (Victoria)
KATIE HOOPER
Foster Care Association of Victoria
Creating a sustainable carer pool
@vicfostercareFoster Care (Victoria)
Foster Care Association of Victoria
• Information – via our newsletter, info sheets, website and through training sessions we facilitate.
• Support – via our telephone services (CISS) which offers information, listening and advice navigating the system.
• Advocacy – with the system, government, speaking at conferences and submitting responses to papers.
We are the voice of Foster Carers in Victoria. We provide information, support and advocacy
@vicfostercareFoster Care (Victoria)
Foster carer recruitment
What the essential attributes of a carer are…
What the profile of a current carer is…
Where the opportunities are by the way of current enquirers…
What the key motivations are of carers….
@vicfostercareFoster Care (Victoria)
Through interviewing current carers and Victorian CSO’s, SIG note that the essential person attributes include a person who is caring, committed and resilient. CSO staff also identified “willing to learn” as important.
Essential attributes
@vicfostercareFoster Care (Victoria)
Profile of the majority of current carers in Victoria
• Predominantly female
• 35+ years of age
• Married or in a relationship
• Employed full time, with some household duties
• Annual household income upwards of $76,000 (44%) or less than $40,000 (26%)
@vicfostercareFoster Care (Victoria)
Profile of the current enquirers
• Larger proportion of males making enquiries about Foster Care
• Slightly younger people (more than 18-34 years)
• More in employment
• Wealthier
@vicfostercareFoster Care (Victoria)
Both reports found motivation to be a carer was re: focus on children
• “that foster care has a positive impact on children”
• “that being a foster career gives something back to the community
Both reports note a wide variety of ways people heard about Foster Care
• Word of mouth is still very popular
• Internet is now a common medium
Reason Vic Carers leave
• Dissatisfied with the system
• Financial pressure
@vicfostercareFoster Care (Victoria)
RetentionSatisfaction and Creating a sustainable carer pool
@vicfostercareFoster Care (Victoria)
Comprehensive framework is one that includes the
following 4 components:
1. A clear and timely Pre accreditation training and assessment package
2. A clear information pack on accreditation
3. A well articulation framework of support and planning during placement
4. Annual carer review
@vicfostercareFoster Care (Victoria)
Information pack on accreditation
Includes three documents:
1. Welcome pack
2. A contract, service agreement or position description
3. Manual
@vicfostercareFoster Care (Victoria)
During a placement there should be support and
planning offered. This comes in 4 categories:
1. Catch ups – this could be via phone, text, email or in person. 2. Formal Supervision – this would normally be a face to face meeting. It is
an opportunity to reflect on the caring experience and the carers developmental needs.
3. Care Team Meetings – Care Teams are led by the Foster Care agency and the Care Team processes specifically focus on ensuring that the child’s day-to-day care needs are met.
4. Case Planning – processes are a sub-set of the overall Child Protection related Case Planning and Case Management processes.
@vicfostercareFoster Care (Victoria)
Values
Honesty, trust and respect create the foundation for building competency, confidence and resilience in carers; they are the values that strengthen the carer's capacity to care well.
@vicfostercareFoster Care (Victoria)
Other things to think about...
Financial Support
Therapeutic Support
Comprehensive training strategy
@vicfostercareFoster Care (Victoria)
KATIE HOOPER
Foster Care Association of Victoria
www.fcav.org.au