All aspects of the fostering and adoption of children and young people in Swindon are arranged through the Family Placement Team of Swindon Children Services.

Swindon Children Services strongly believes in the value of family life. Without doubt, most children thrive best in the care of their own birth families, and where families are having problems we will do all we can to support parents in the continuing care for their children. When this is not possible the Family Placement Team are instrumental in matching the needs of the children with the abilities and skills of prospective foster carers and adopters that are based in and around the Swindon area.

The Family Placement Team

Within the Family Placement Team are a number of experienced social workers known as family placement officers. Family placement officers are involved in all aspects of the care and well-being of children at the times when it is not possible for their birth parents to look after them.

Broadly speaking, this falls into three main areas of care:

• Adoption
• Fostering
• Respite Care

Family Placement Officers

As you might expect, the primary role of the family placement officers is to ensure that the children's needs are catered for. To achieve this, the family placement officers work with all applicants to prepare an assessment report which is submitted to the fostering or adoption panel. It is the panel that ultimately decides whether individual applications may be approved.

After approvals are granted, the family placement officers act as a support worker to the carer. The child also has a separate social worker whose role is to ensure the child's ongoing well-being.

Research strongly suggests that carers gain considerable support from having the continuity of a family placement officer to provide advice and guidance when it is required. Carers are highly likely to need this support in order to fulfil this interesting and at times, demanding role.