Fostering can be such a rewarding vocation for those who want to give back. But it might surprise you to learn that you don’t have to have experience as a foster parent if you want to change your career to fostering. In fact, chances are that you’ve already got a range of transferable skills from your current role, especially if that’s working as a nurse in the NHS.
Nurses make great foster parents because they’ve got the natural resilience you need to cope with the challenges that fostering throws your way. Caring professions also require a great level of empathy and understanding, which are invaluable skills in something like fostering.
We can teach you everything that you need to know so that you can do a fantastic job. So let’s take a look at why fostering may be the career for you if you want to make a change in profession.
Transferable skills for foster parents
As we’ve briefly discussed above, the likelihood is that you’ll have a range of transferable skills from other jobs or life experience that you’ve gained outside of fostering. These can include:
- Compassion and empathy – this is an essential skill that will come in handy throughout your fostering journey. We encourage taking a trauma-informed approach to fostering and being empathetic towards the children in your care.
- Open and honest communication – clear and honest communication is crucial for building trust with the children in your care. This trust will be important for helping them to work through their trauma.
- Organisational skills – as part of being a foster parent, you’ll need to fill out paperwork and attend meetings relevant to the care of your foster child. The ability to stay organised and on top of things can help you in your role.
- Patience and resilience – fostering can be a challenging job at times, particularly when children are struggling with big emotions. However, this can be a sign that they trust you enough to look after them, so you’ll need the resilience to stick with things if they get tough. Patience will also be key to helping your foster children work through their feelings if they become dysregulated.
- Flexibility and the ability to adapt – another essential skill is the ability to adapt to challenges that come your way and to be flexible when things don’t always go to plan.
- Teamwork – you should never feel like you’re alone when it comes to fostering. You’ll have a dedicated team behind you, including a supervising social worker and a range of educational experts. The ability to work well with your team will be key to ensuring the child in your care has the support they need.
- Problem-solving skills – everyone is different and the same approach won’t always work for every child you welcome into your home. Using problem-solving skills will come in handy when you need to adapt to the unique needs of each child in your care.
How nursing skills help in fostering
One of the professions that lends itself well to fostering is nursing. As a caring profession, this will naturally give you an idea of how to effectively deal with different situations with care and compassion.
Some of the best transferable skills from nursing to fostering include:
- Writing clear and accurate records – as a foster parent, you’ll have to keep honest and thoughtful notes about the individuals in your care.
- Offering non-judgemental support – the children in your care need your help, not judgement. It’s equally important not to criticise the birth parents of your foster children, as no matter what happened in their past, they are still that child’s parents and are likely loved by them very much.
- Dealing with complex situations – a natural resilience to negotiating difficult situations that arise will be key throughout your fostering journey.
- A high level of empathy – caring professions and fostering often work well together because you’ve got to have a level of empathy for the people in your care to do a good job.
- Patience – one of the endlessly useful skills that will come in handy throughout your time in fostering.
- Taking an individual approach – a parenting method that works well for one child won’t necessarily be as helpful for others.
Fostering as a career change
Although you don’t need to have direct experience to make a career change to fostering, each of the transferable skills that we’ve explored above will come in handy if you do want to take the plunge. You also don’t have to be an expert in everything to do with fostering – Fostering People will give you all the training you need to help you on your fostering journey.
Many of our foster parents have changed careers from other professions. There are so many great foster care stories exploring these changes and how skills they’ve learnt from other roles were a benefit to them when it came to fostering.
We’re dedicated to giving you the support you need throughout your fostering journey. This support includes:
- A dedicated supervising social worker with a realistic case load.
- Access to a 24/7 helpline.
- Respite care for up to two weeks a year.
- Membership to Foster Talk.
- A dedicated support group for new foster parents.
- Fun events for all the family.
Can I still work and foster?
Yes, you can still work and foster. In fact, around 40% of foster parents still choose to work alongside their role as a foster parent. The important thing to bear in mind is whether your current role allows you the flexibility you’d need to be there for your foster children if they need you in an emergency.
Many employers are foster-friendly, including some sectors of the NHS, meaning that they understand the needs of fostering and offer you the flexibility that you need to fulfil your role as a foster parent. Some of the benefits of foster-friendly employers include:
- Flexible working – employers are encouraged to offer their staff flexible working hours so that they can accommodate the needs of foster parents. This allows you to attend training, meetings, or other essential appointments relating to fostering.
- Paid leave – foster parents can be entitled to additional paid leave to help them manage their responsibilities effectively. This can be particularly useful when welcoming a new child into your home.
- Supportive HR policies – employers are encouraged to embrace HR policies that support staff and give them the help they need when fostering. Having a sympathetic employer who understands the demands of fostering can make all the difference.
Can NHS staff foster?
Yes, NHS staff can foster, providing your working hours and employer are able to allow you to meet the needs of children in your care. Some of our own foster parents still work in the NHS alongside fostering.
Why nurses make great foster parents
Aside from the breadth of transferable skills available to nurses that we’ve mentioned above, when it comes to fostering, nurses also make great foster carers because they care about the patients under their supervision.
They have a natural empathy and understanding of people’s needs, which is an inherent skill and is difficult to teach. They’re also used to dealing with challenging situations, which lends itself well to fostering. Nurses are one of the many talented individuals who can foster and thrive in this profession.
Want to know more about fostering?
Do you have any transferable skills from working in the NHS or teaching that could help you on your fostering journey? If you’re unsure about how fostering can work for you and your family, or want to know more about why you should foster with us, we’re here to help answer any questions you may have.
Simply fill out an enquiry form or give us a ring on 0800 077 8159 to speak to one of our friendly team members. They can talk to you more about the fostering process and what this could look like for you and your family.
