Introducing Flourish Fostering
We’re a forward-thinking, innovative and highly experienced team that trains, supervises and supports the very best quality foster families in providing a safe, therapeutic environment in which children and young people can move beyond their trauma and flourish in their relational, social, emotional and educational development.
Flourish is an exceptionally friendly and personable organisation with a unique approach, just how fostering used to be. We take pride in ensuring a team approach, where our Foster Parents are supported to become part of our ‘family’, striving to create a caring fostering community where we all work together to ensure children’s needs are met.
Our innovative and specialist therapeutic approach is supported by our team of experts who have between them worked in fostering for many decades, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge including:
Commitment
At Flourish Fostering, we work tirelessly to provide whatever the child needs to help them recover from the past and face the future with confidence.
As a therapeutic service, we train and supervise the very best quality foster families in providing a safe, therapeutic environment in which children and young people can feel secure and thrive.
Flourish was created so that children who live with our foster families can flourish in their own unique way, developing confidence, social skills, friendships and opportunities in education for lifelong health and wellbeing.
Building Brighter Futures Together
Flourish has developed an innovative ‘therapeutic model of fostering’ based on many years of experience and research into what really works for children and young people with traumatised life experiences.
Our mission is to provide professional therapeutic fostering services which set the gold standard in achieving quality outcomes for each child and young person we care for.
Our Values
Our values guide everyone in Flourish to help children and young people who have been significantly harmed (those who have experienced the trauma of abuse, neglect, and/or multiple family placement breakdowns) to recover from their early experiences of significant loss and thrive in a safe and trauma-informed environment.
We understand how important it is for our team to nurture a warm but professional relationship with Foster Parents and create an environment in which high support and high challenge can be tolerated. This is achieved by providing structured processes for Social Worker and Foster Parent supervision. We take pride in best practice and investment in the training and professional development of all of our Foster Parents and staff.
Helping Children Recover
We help children and young people who have been significantly harmed to recover from their early traumatic experiences of loss and thrive in a safe and trauma-informed environment.
Highly Supported Therapeutic Environment
We nurture a warm but professional relationship with Foster Parents and create an environment in which high support and high challenge can be tolerated.
Foster Parent Best Practice and Development
We take great pride in being at the cutting edge of innovative best practice, and we invest significantly in the training and professional development of Foster Parents and staff.
Support and Guidance
Flourish understands that fostering is often fun and incredibly rewarding; we recognise that it can also be complex and demanding.
We believe that all children deserve to live in a friendly, safe and stable home; that’s why our dedicated fostering team are committed to ensuring that our Foster Parents are trained and supported to the highest possible standard in order for them not to feel overwhelmed and to fully meet the needs of the children and young people placed in their care.
Training and Development
Our Foster Parents have access to innovative training of a high therapeutic standard so they can understand the emotional and behavioural world of the children in their care, how their past experiences have impacted upon them, and know how to intervene. At Flourish we do not knowingly leave anybody behind; we tailor learning to suit individual needs, whether you prefer to complete a short course in a few hours or take a few months to gain a formal qualification.
Our comprehensive training programme covers all the essentials Foster Parents need to meet fostering standards, such as first aid, health and safety, attachment theory, fostering regulations and law. In addition, our innovative therapeutic training includes how to look behind the behaviour and understand the issues for the child, barriers to attachment, and our flagship Level 5 Diploma course in Applied Therapeutic Practice.
Expertise, Values & Experience
In partnership with Antser, we combine best practice with innovation and new, emerging technologies to lead the way; providing our Foster Parents with the opportunity to ‘look’ through the eyes of the child and experience their world in virtual reality. This enables a deep level of understanding and consequently better outcomes for our children and young people. We pride ourselves in the way we reimagine the approach to training and we have accolades from numerous Foster Parents who have astounded themselves by their achievement of truly impressive levels of knowledge.
This commitment to training for both staff and foster families ensures that we can place a wide range of children with varying and bespoke needs. We pride ourselves in our flexibility and will always go the extra mile to support a child and their foster family in whatever way is needed.
Our People
The Flourish team of staff and Foster Parents is like one big family where everyone knows each other by first name and where we are all here to support each other, especially those joining us at their start of their fostering journey.
Our team organises lots of activities throughout the year for families, children and young people to take part in which helps to build positive experiences for everyone. Find out more about what makes our fostering family so unique and special and such a rewarding place to work.
The Cedars
Our head office is located in Snodland, Kent. The Cedars is a Grade II listed building, a beautiful property where our southern-based Foster Parents attend for training and to meet with members of our team.
Built in the late 1800s, the three-story yellow and red brick stoned dressed building oozes character and serenity. The property has abundant vehicle parking to the rear and plenty of outside space where events for Foster Parents and children and young people are held throughout the calendar year.
The Old Chapel
Our northern office if located in Stockport Greater Manchester in a recently refurbished chapel. This amazing location provides our northern-based Foster Parents with a wonderful meeting space to network with our fostering team as well as undertaking training and attending events that are run throughout the year.
We offer support for Foster Parents who are unable to attend The Cedars or The Old Chapel. At Flourish our support for Foster Parents is provided by our fostering family where you’ll be part of an expert team of professionals who work together to improve the quality of life of children.
You’ll become a valued member of an extended family of Foster Parents in your area and will have the opportunity to be mentored, to mingle and make new friends at local events, and forge supportive relationships with others who understand what it’s like to be a Foster Parent.
When you foster with Flourish, we’re with you all the way, wherever you are. Our support extends far beyond The Cedars head office, with events and support for Foster Parents and families throughout the UK.
Professionalism, Care and Expertise
We offer the same standard of support and opportunities for Foster Parents and children who do not live close to The Cedars or to The Old Chapel, and we carefully source local meeting venues that are convenient for travel with the benefit of having a pleasing environment.
You’ll become a valued member of a community of foster families and staff in your area and will have the opportunity to be mentored, to mingle and make new friends at local events, and forge supportive relationships with others who understand what it’s like to be a Foster Parent.
When you foster with Flourish, we’re with you all the way.
Inspection Results
Ofsted is the Government department responsible for inspecting a range of educational institutions and care provisions, including schools, creches, educational facilities and fostering organisations.
The latest Full Inspection Report (June 2021) found that the overall experiences and progress of children and young people is outstanding.
South: You can find our Ofsted ratings and inspection reports on the Ofsted website.
North: You can find our Ofsted ratings and inspection reports on the Ofsted Website.
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Contact Details
Office Hours
9:00am – 5:00pm
Flourish Fostering (South), The Cedars,
Holborough Road, Snodland Kent ME6 5PL
Telephone
0808 129 5311
Office Hours
9:00am – 5:00pm
57A Buxton Road, Stockport SK2 6NB
Telephone
0161 249 9420
For general enquiries, please fill out the form below. We’ll respond as soon as possible.