Fostering in the North West
When you join Foster Care Associates North West you will be joining an experienced, connected, knowledgeable and inclusive fostering provider in the North West who has been Ofsted rated ‘Good’
Welcome to Foster Care Associates North West
Welcome to the FCA North West page. Each year, we receive thousands of referrals from local authorities of children and young people who are desperately looking for a home. We are reaching out to potential foster parents to come forward to help provide a stable and safe living environment for children and young people who need foster care in North West England.
When you foster with FCA North West you will part of our family of foster parents in the North West and will have access to all the resources and support you’d expect from a large independent fostering agency.
Our recent Ofsted report stated that “our foster carers work in partnership with other professionals and children speak positively about their relationships with their foster carers. They say that they feel safe and feel very much a part of the family."
Across the North West our teams cover:
- Greater Manchester team– all Greater Manchester metropolitan borough council areas, including Oldham, Rochdale, Middleton, Ashton under Lyne, Stockport, Salford, Manchester, Tameside, Wigan.
- Chorley team – Chorley, Bolton, Sefton, East Lancashire, West Lancashire and South Lancashire.
- Lancaster team – Fylde/Wyre, North Preston, Lancaster, Cumbria.
- Liverpool team – Liverpool, all Metropolitan Borough Council areas in Merseyside and East Cheshire.
By Phone
One of our team is available to talk to you over the phone to answer any of your fostering queries.
By Email
One of our team is available to talk to you over the phone to answer any of your fostering queries.
Visit an office
Foster Care Associates, Suites 1&3 Windsor House, Foxhole Road, Ackhurst Park, Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 1NY
Benefits of working with FCA
24/7 advice service
Excellent ongoing training
Access to your local fostering team
Competitive payments
Local support groups
Local social activities and events
Meet foster parent Colin from Merseyside who has been fostering for 17 years
Colin, a FCA foster parent from the North West shares his fostering highlights and advice for anyone who is considering fostering.
“The best thing about fostering is the little moments.”
How do Foster Care Associates offer support in the North West?
It’s our enthusiasm and determination to succeed that makes fostering with Foster Care Associates North West such a rewarding experience. Our skilled team of fostering professionals and social workers are committed to create the best possible place to be a foster parent or child or young person who is in care. From monthly foster parent support groups to activities and events, you’ll be instantly welcomed into the fostering family and well looked after too. We make sure you never feel alone through out your fostering journey.
- 24/7 local support: including monthly support groups local support groups, therapeutic groups.
- Team Parenting: a regional and national network of childcare experts who may work with each child or young person to look after every single area of their well-being.
- Training and Development.
- Independent advice with a FREE membership to FosterTalk.
- A comprehensive events and activities calendar.
- Online support: Access to a portal to read about everything that is happening at Foster Care Associates, plus access to discounts to a range of sites.
- Foster Carer Appreciation Day.
Here to support you
We are absolutely committed to supporting you 24/7 day and night and when you join FCA North West you are joining an Ofsted rated ‘Good’ fostering provider.
Our team is fantastic, we pride ourselves on providing the highest level of local support. We are passionate about shaping the future lives of children in our care, we are truly committed to achieving excellent outcomes, to ‘hearing’ the voice of the child, speaking their language, keeping them safe, developing for them.
Here at FCA North West our foster parents have monthly supervisions and weekly support calls. We have monthly support groups as well as a support group specifically for newly approved foster parents, a foster parent therapy support group and parent and child support group. We want to ensure we have measures in place so you never feel alone. Our comprehensive training and development programme enables you to access training both face to face and online.
Having fun
It’s important to us all that together our children, young people and fostering families have a lot of fun, as childhood should be fun.
So we make sure there is lots available for children and young people of all ages such as; day trips to theme parks, the zoo, swimming and clubs to join. Plus our own 5k fun run, a regional fun day, Film School and Radio School for young people to learn recording skills and the Duke of Edinburgh awards. Also we have our own North West Eco project, with themes, activities and collectable badges for those taking part.
Participation of children and young people is at the forefront of our service delivery, helping to capture their views and experiences in order to ensure that their safety and emotional well-being is promoted. Here at FCA North West, we have regular participation meetings and we have a central young person’s participation group with young people assisting in preparing for large and small events and becoming `staff’ for the day with specific roles allocated to them.
We love to get together to recognise the achievements of our foster parents and young people and celebrate with our achievements awards. We also recognise and acknowledge foster parent long service awards.
Looking to foster in the North West?
Hi there, I’m Sarah. It’s my job to help people just like you decide if fostering is right for you and help you feel informed and ready to take the next step.
I’d love to come out to meet you and tell you more. It’s nothing to be worried about, it’s just an informal chat in the comfort of your own home for me to find out more about you and to tell you how fostering would fit into your life and the fantastic support, training and benefits FCA will offer you.
Ofsted report
Statement of Purpose
Foster parent satisfaction survey
One of the UK’s largest leading communities of children’s service providers
We know what it takes to reach the pinnacle of success in regards to delivering the best outcomes for children and young people across our community. 100% of all FCA, and the wider Polaris services are now Good or Outstanding.
We have achieved this by listening to our staff, foster families and children. If you want to join an organisation that takes pride in striving for excellence then contact our team today.
I've always found the support and training on offer to be second to none. My experience has always been that I feel that I am being listened to and that my opinions are heard and, wherever possible, actioned upon. I have, in the main, had children in placement who have complex needs and the Team Parenting support from in the North West has been invaluable. Children are experts at throwing curve balls, FCA are great at supporting foster parents to catch them.
Find your next fostering event...
If you’re already a foster parent find out how to transfer to us
Welcome from Janet Mardell, Registered Manager
Here at FCA North West I am proud that we are a proactive and innovative region. Our foster families really are at the heart of everything we do and we are always looking at new initiatives to engage with them and develop the local services we offer. I am delighted to have a team of fostering professionals who are skilled, experienced and incredibly well-informed. We have a lot of drive, energy and ambition to provide the best possible outcomes for the children and young people in our care and support our foster parents too.
The range of activities and events we deliver are extremely popular whether it’s ice skating, football school, outdoor pursuits at our annual fun day or Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, everyone is encouraged to take part (including me!). Last year we launched and started our Eco Project and our Eco Council which has been extremely successful, and as a result, we have had lots of fostering families take part. We also undertook our first environmental audit; and have definitive areas to develop for the coming year.
So you know when you foster with FCA North West you will part of our family and have access to all the resources and support you’d expect from a fostering provider rated Good by Ofsted.
Meet the North West team
Mark Cartridge
Responsible Individual
Clare Wrightson
Referrals Manager
Jane Hillary
Fostering Service Manager
Janet Mardell
Registered Manager
Sarah Jones
Foster Parent Recruitment Co-ordinator
Andrew Sofield
Fostering Service Manager
Victoria McGlory
Fostering Service Manager for Liverpool
Meet the North West Foster Parent Reps...
Debbie
Libby
Michelle
