The Fostering Support Task Group (FSTG) is a group of Royal Greenwich foster carers who provide additional support to other carers. This could be aiding at times of crisis or providing some extra help to facilitate a child placement with a Royal Greenwich carer, rather than an independent agency.

Usually, foster carers would turn to their own support network as a first port of call, but sometimes this is not possible.

Examples of some tasks that might be carried out by the FSTG include:

• providing an escort or transport to school or contact with family
• supervising family contact in place of the child’s foster carer, where it has been agreed with the child’s social worker and fostering leaders
• undertaking activities with a child to provide respite opportunities to their foster carer or to supplement the child’s activity needs
• providing childcare to allow the child’s foster carer to attend agreed training, personal development or other activities.

The FTSG scheme does not include overnight stays and the level of support offered forms part of an agreed plan between the foster parent, their supervising social worker and the child’s social worker. Final decision on whether the FTSG is appropriate is agreed between the fostering service, supervising social worker and team leader.