Proving that two into one does go, the Foster care agency 24 Seven Fostering has just merged with Rainbow Fostering on what is a landmark day for the two companies. Rainbow recently celebrated its 20th anniversary and, adding the ten years experience accrued by 24 Seven, a new organisation has been created: one possessing three decades of expertise providing fostering services to local authorities and communities in London and the regions.

Preparations for the merger have been underway for well over a month. The plans were met with enthusiasm from the staff of both companies. The new organisation will retain the Rainbow name and branding, but there will be a new strategic direction facilitated through the sharing of expertise. Moving forward, this will be rooted in a single vision supporting a commitment to providing the very highest standards in fostering provision.

Charting a new future: adjusting the balance between mainstream and therapeutic foster care provision.

What does the merger signify? It is, above all, a determined step forward designed to harness the energy, talents and experience of two well established and highly regarded agencies. It will now be  possible to concentrate a combined effort into what is the most pressing challenge facing any service provider. And that is to recruit more people willing to respond to the challenge of fostering therapeutically. As part of this, there will be an undertaking to keep our approach fresh and always informed by the latest research.

The recent foster care Stocktake identified that 65% of children coming into care have suffered abuse and/or neglect. This has left many of them traumatised with complex needs arising from their experiences. Once in a placement, their behaviour can be extremely challenging – beyond the abilities of more mainstream Foster Carers to manage. This can result in repeated placement breakdowns which can have severe consequences for the children and foster carers concerned. To address this, Rainbow will now be positioning itself as one of the leading service providers of therapeutic foster care.

And returning to the vision…which is the absolute belief that everyone in the new organisation is inspired by celebration. There will be a commitment to uphold a genuine sense of care for one another and all that we do together in the pursuit of excellence. Our ethos will be to celebrate the talents and enduring dedication of our staff and foster carers. By doing this, the new organisation will be able to proudly celebrate the most important thing of all – the achievements of the children and young people Rainbow care for.

All colleagues know that to be the best, remaining ambitious is essential. And that ambition is kept alive through active participation, the sharing of knowledge and collaborative feedback. To all our partners: we promise a responsive service committed to innovation and best practice at all times. To our foster carers: we promise outstanding opportunities for professional development and personal reward. And to all our children: we promise support in achieving your future ambitions – the brighter they are – the better!

Explore the Rainbow Rewards that we offer

If you are interested in becoming – or are already working as a therapeutic foster carer – please contact us. Also, anyone in a position to refer a therapeutic foster carer to us will be paid a £500 bonus when the person referred has taken on their first placement.

At Rainbow, we are also keen to talk to existing approved foster carers who might be considering transferring – we have in depth expertise which means we make the transfer process simple and trouble free. It’s exactly what you would expect from an agency with three decades of experience. And remember, individuals transferring to Rainbow may also be eligible for a special bonus.

Good news at the end of our new rainbow…we had a special celebration to mark our two companies merging – full of energy and enthusiasm for the challenges that lie ahead. Staff signalled their gratitude for the hard work and efforts over the years of the directors of Rainbow and 24 Seven. It is this sterling work that has now resulted in the formation of an organisation that can only go from strength to strength.

Rainbow fostering: in the news currently –

Foster care ‘Bring them Home’ campaign launched

30th April, 2018

Underlining the difficulties faced by other countries in recruiting foster carers, Racine County in Wisconsin has launched a campaign with two main goals: to recruit new foster carers and encourage back local children placed in foster homes away from the county. This is against a backdrop of what has been described as a (cont)

http://bit.ly/2e8PrIK

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