Fostering works best when carers, children and young people know there are people around them who they can turn to. At The Children’s Family Trust, the Fostering Support Assistant role is part of that wider network of support.
For Emma, the role is about being a familiar and approachable point of contact. She works with foster carers, children, young people, social workers and the wider team, helping people stay connected and making sure support feels easier to access.
Her work can include helping with events, arranging coffee mornings, speaking with carers, spending time with young people, answering questions, and helping families think through any worries or concerns they may have.
One of the strengths of the role is its flexibility. Support does not look the same for every family. For one carer, it might be a phone call. For another, it might be an email, a check-in, or help finding the right person to speak to. For a young person, it might begin with a relaxed conversation before building towards an activity they feel more comfortable with.
Emma spoke about the importance of meeting children and young people where they are. Some may not want to sit down and talk straight away, especially if they feel unsure or guarded. Building trust can take time. A coffee and a chat might slowly become a regular check-in, and from there it might develop into something the young person enjoys, such as going golfing or spending time outside the home.
This gives children and young people another trusted adult who is not their foster carer or social worker. That can be important. Sometimes a young person may speak more freely to someone who feels slightly separate from the day-to-day routines of home or the more formal parts of fostering.
The role can also be practical. Emma gave the example of helping a young person create a chart to keep on top of cleaning their room. It may sound like a small thing, but small issues can become bigger if they cause tension or repeated misunderstandings. In this case, a simple tool helped make expectations clearer and gave the young person something manageable to work with.
For foster carers, Emma can be someone to ask questions, talk things through with, or contact when they are not sure where to go next. The support does not have to wait until something feels serious. Sometimes it is useful just to offload, check something, or get another perspective.
Coffee mornings have also become an important part of the role. These give foster carers a chance to come together, speak openly, share experiences and feel part of a close-knit community. Fostering can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also come with moments that are hard to explain to people outside of it. Having space to talk with others who understand can make a real difference.
Since coming into the role, Emma has helped shape it into something clearer and more visible. While events remain part of what she does, the role now has a stronger focus on direct support, relationship-building and helping carers and children understand what is available to them.
At its heart, the Fostering Support Assistant role is about connection. It helps children and young people feel heard, gives carers another place to turn, and makes the support around fostering families easier to access. Whether through a conversation, a coffee morning, a practical suggestion or a familiar face at an event, the role helps make sure people know they are not on their own.
