Impact of c2e on Foster Care Solutions
Foster Care Solutions in South Shields are the first
organisation in the region to have achieved the Committed 2
Equality (c2e) Diversity Assured accreditation with Assessment
North East.
The c2e Diversity Assured award represents a significant
development for Foster Care Solutions. In preparing for the
assessment leading up to Diversity Assured certification, the
organisation undertook a detailed study of all its Policies and
Procedures. Each one was considered individually for its impact on
equality and diversity as values applied to all of our work. This
process entailed giving careful consideration to the meaning and
relevance of equality and diversity in relation to all of our work
activities. As a direct consequence of the learning and
understanding developed through the preparatory stages, the core
values that the Diversity Assured award stand for are now embedded
in the ethos and processes of Foster Care Solutions.
Foster Care Solutions, and Independent Fostering Agency, trains,
supports and supervises foster carers for some of the most
challenging and vulnerable children in the care system. A priority
for the organisation is to ensure, as far as possible, that the
careful matching of a child's individual needs with the
appropriately skilled foster carer leads to positive outcomes for
each child placed in a foster home. Each placement is made in the
recognition of every child as a unique individual with particular
needs and aspirations. An appropriately matched placement
represents an opportunity to redress the inequalities experienced
by all children coming into care. These inequalities potentially
disadvantage foster children at the outset in terms of happiness
and well being, as well as educational attainment or health. The
management and supervision of foster care, uses targets based on
positive outcomes and achievement in order to monitor and support
foster carers and children in their efforts to make good any
developmental deficits. Our ongoing commitment to equality and
diversity ensures that professional practice remains consistent
with the promotion of equality and diversity in the workplace.
Foster Care Solutions has always had clear and robust Policies
and Procedures in the areas of personnel and employment practice.
In particular, C2E accreditation will now ensure a shared
professional responsibility for the quality of relationships based
on respect and tolerance within the workplace. A further
consequence of accreditation is that Foster Care Solutions now has
a designated manager for equality and diversity to ensure that
standards leading to continuing accreditation in future years will
be maintained by Foster Care Solutions.
Local Authorities require Independent Fostering Agencies to
submit tenders in order to become approved providers of foster care
services. The recognition given to our organisation by the
Diversity Assured Award ensures that by meeting the standards of
the Equality Act 2010 Foster Care Solutions remains an innovative,
creative and caring fostering agency whose commitment to equality
and diversity in all our practices has now been accredited.
Chandra Sankarayya
Development Manager
Foster Care Solutions