As successful and thriving businesses in Buckinghamshire, we all strive to do our best for our customers, clients and employees. As caring and responsible employers we also want to make sure our business and the way we operate has a positive impact on the wider community.

Did you know there is a simple, low cost way you can support families and children in our local communities? All it involves is signing up to become a Fostering Friendly employer.

Fostering Friendly background

The national Fostering Friendly employer scheme is run by the Fostering Network and encourages businesses and organisations to implement a Fostering Friendly HR policy for staff who currently provide foster care or who may be interested in becoming a foster carer, in addition to their current role. Whether working full-time or part-time, foster carers who have a supportive employer say it makes all the difference to them in being able to balance their work with the role they play in helping to look after a vulnerable child in care.

As an organisation, Buckinghamshire County Council became a Fostering Friendly employer last year. As a corporate parent to the many children and young people in Buckinghamshire who need our help, we are continually looking for local people to become foster carers with us and to support our fostering community. We offer all the ongoing support and training required, but we need the wider Buckinghamshire community to be part of this and to help us raise awareness of the importance of fostering for some of our most vulnerable children. You can get involved by joining other local businesses to become Fostering Friendly.

Minimal commitment for significant outcomes

The commitment on your part is minimal but the benefits to those affected are significant. In addition to creating a Fostering Friendly HR policy, the only other commitment you need to make is to promote fostering to your staff at key times of the year such as during Foster Care Fortnight every May. This can be as simple as including a short article in an internal newsletter, displaying a poster or allowing us to host a drop-in information session for staff in your office.

Adopting a Fostering Friendly approach can have a positive impact on all those involved, from the child in care who is able to live in a stable and loving foster home to the employee who can carry out their dual roles confident in the knowledge that their employer will give them the flexibility and support they need. Additionally, you, the employer can benefit greatly from the positive impact on your staff and the wider benefits that this brings to your reputation in the local community and beyond.

Businesses are signing up to be Fostering Friendly

There are dozens of businesses out there who are already Fostering Friendly employers. This includes Tesco, Boots, British Gas, Sainsbury’s and Asda. One local employer who just signed up is the 4U Team of churches in Marlow. Team Rector Dave Bull explained why they decided to become Fostering Friendly and how simple the process has been: “Last year one of our employees on the church staff team decided to apply to become a foster carer. As a church, we recognise that foster carers make a huge difference to the lives of the children in their care, and we therefore wanted to encourage and support those employees who are, or who wish to become, approved foster carers.”

How to get involved

You can find all the details about the benefits of being a Fostering Friendly employer and how to go about becoming one on our website: www.buckscc.gov.uk/fosteringfriendly.

Alternatively, contact us by email: communications@buckscc.gov.uk.