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What is Support Work?

We at Mosaic know that support is vital for a good outcome in fostering and it is something which we prioritise. We do this in numerous ways but one way which we are especially proud of is that each of our young people has their own dedicated support worker with a plan unique to them, to enable them to flourish and achieve their full potential. At Mosaic, we not only focus on challenges our young people may face but also on things which they are really good at! We look to develop these skills so that they can feel valued and accomplished through our support sessions.

To do this, each young person has a designated support worker and they will have regular sessions with them in accordance with their strengths and needs. These sessions and what happens in them are reviewed and adapted where needed.

What will your child do during support work?

As with everything, we use our SMILE model to help guide us to make decisions about what types of activities we do during our support sessions. From activities like bowling, ice skating and sports to more 'life-based' skills such as crossing the road safely, travelling on public transport or cooking, we aim to develop your child's skills to help them later in life.

The sessions will aim to build confidence with independence, build resilience, give opportunities to practice social skills, be an ear or have a bit of fun when things are feeling heavy.

Will my young person know the person providing support work?

Part of the role of the support worker is to build a good relationship with the young person. They have also been trained in line with our SMILE model and so will be therapeutically informed when interacting with your young person. As with everything we do, the support worker is dedicated and committed to the safety and welfare of the young person whilst engaging with them in an appropriate, healthy and fun way. One of our values is to be child focused and by building on the young person's skills, attributes and interests in a safe way, we are able to uphold this value.

Having another adult interested and invested in your young person, gives them another opportunity to feel comfortable around adults and may open them up to talking through things they may find difficult to speak about. Giving them the confidence and a safe space to air their feelings further helps us to support their emotional development and build trust with adults. It also is another opportunity for us to guide them in navigating their feelings.

Comprehensive evidence-based reports are produced from our support work and your support worker will also attend meetings with the team around the child to offer any insights they may have and comment on their evidence of progression.

How do we train our support workers?

All of our support workers have specialised training and qualifications in relevant fields to enable them to best support you and your young person.

Who pays for the support work activities?

The foster parent is responsible for the expenses associated with the young person. You do not pay for the support worker's activity as they will claim back their own costs directly with Mosaic via a monthly expense form.

What is 'contact' and how does this fit in with support work?

With some of our young people, they will have something called 'contact'. This is where they will have pre-planned, approved time with their birth families. The support worker can also be used to accommodate these contact sessions and each has had training on what this entails and how to create working relationships with birth families.

During the contact sessions, the support worker will have your young person's best interest in mind and will form a report on how things have gone.

Want to learn more about exactly what contact is and how it may affect you, take a look at the fostering network's handle tool regarding contact in foster care.

Mosaic Foster Care is a Private Ltd Company (reg no 07133494) providing fostering placements for children and young people to age 18.
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