LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Alpha Plus are able to provide the following types of placement:

Bridging Short Term Parent and Child Emergency Long Term

The primary aims and objectives of the agency are:

To provide a high quality service for looked after children and young people of all ages whose needs have been assessed by the responsible local authority as being best met by placement with foster carers.
To ensure children and young people are only placed with carers who have been recruited, assessed, approved and reviewed in accordance with statutory regulation and national standards and guidance.
To support, supervise and provide on-going training to carers so that they are able to provide a comprehensive service that addresses the physical, emotional, educational and health needs of the children and young people placed with them.
To promote positively the concept of fostering.
To bring together carers who will support, educate and inform each other and who will work in partnership with all relevant professionals and families involved in the child’s life.

Alpha Plus Panel

Prospective carer's assessments are presented to our foster panel. The panel, in accordance with fostering regulations comprises of experienced professionals who meet regularly to consider all issues relating to the approval and review of our carers. Foster carers and prospective foster carers are encouraged to attend meetings of our fostering panel when their fostering status is being considered. We believe it is important that foster carers take part in and feel part of the fostering panel's work to ensure that their views and wishes are fully considered before the panel makes recommendations.

Services to carers

Before beginning the formal assessment, all prospective carers receive a brochure explaining what is involved in the fostering task, what will be expected of them and information about the assessment, approval and review process. We then arrange a home visit to discuss the process in the more detail. A copy of the written information provided to carers is available on request.

Our carers are assessed and approved, in line with statutory regulations.
Once approved, our carers are visited on at least a monthly basis.
Comprehensive training programmes are available for all the agency’s carers, based on their identified needs.
The Agency runs groups for long and short term carers which both meet twice a year.
The agency has a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week telephone support line which is staffed by experienced Social Workers.
During the year, we also organise social events/outings for carers, their children and children in placement.