Supported Fostering Services

Supported Fostering Services Charitable Trust (SFS) is a charity providing foster care and associated services for looked after children and young people. It has four offices across London, Kent and Cardiff.
History
SFS was set up in 1994 as a not-for-profit company. It was reconstituted as a charity in 2001 with the objectives of providing the highest standards of foster care for vulnerable children and young people and ensuring surplus income was reinvested in resources for carers and children. Carer involvement was secured by two elected representatives on the Trustee Board.
Instead of moving children and young people considerable distances to Kent, local authorities began to respond to their duty under the Children Act 1989 to provide placements close to the children’s homes by gradually seeking local carers. As a result of this shift in fostering practice, SFS opened offices in New Southgate, North London and then in Lewisham, South London. This is in keeping with a policy of providing professional social work support that is easy accessible for carers living locally.
A fourth office in Cardiff was opened in 2005.
As well as the foster placement itself, SFS has always provided a range of child centred services. Research indicates that this network of support and intervention geared towards meeting the assessed needs of the child gives the placement a better chance of success. Services include play therapy, a child psychologist, contact with birth families and education support.
SFS is a member of the Fostering Network and the British Association for Adoption and Fostering, where the Director of Care is a trustee, and was a founder member of Fostering Through Social Enterprise, a group of charities, not-for-profit and co-operative independent fostering providers.
In 2005 the partnership between SFS and the London Borough of Lewisham was praised as an innovative example of good practice in child centred commissioning.

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