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About Us

Next Step was started in 1988 as a specialised resource for looking after children and young people who would need to spend some part of their formative years in care. Sometimes the requirement for being in foster care would only be for one or two days, or even for just one night. In other cases, the fostering relationship might last for many years, on occasion up to the point a young person reaches adulthood.

Today, Next Step cares for the changing needs of all the children whose interests it looks after. Next Step regards itself as operating in a unique field. On the one hand it is essential that anyone involved professionally in foster caring has an altruistic, compassionate perspective towards their work. Fostering is essentially a 24 hour a day job. On the other hand, any fostering agency also needs to function in a way that meets the needs of all the parties who have an interest in its activities: in particular, Looked After children, birth children, foster carers, Local Authority clients and of course its staff.

We recruit, train and assess fostering families who are then presented to our fostering panel. Once a fostering family is approved it is allocated a 'Link Worker' from the Agency. This is a professional who has social work experience in the childcare area and who supports fostering families through the fostering process.

The Agency offers the facility for groups of carers to come together to discuss issues which impact on their work. There are also a variety of core training modules provided by the Agency as well as individually tailored courses to ensure carers receive appropriate training and support. These range over many different issues likely to confront fostering families

The Agency also encourages foster carers to regard fostering as a profession and to consider seeking qualification for NVQ Level III, and the Foundation Degree in Social Care.

We at Next Step are proud of our relations with our Local Authority colleagues. Like all fostering agencies, we are subject to regular inspections and work hard to maintain our very high standards.

Next Step Fostering's primary objective is to provide an unprecedented level and quality of care. Next Step is regulated by ofsted and is a member of the Pan London Consortium.

Additional services

Contact with birth parents — the Agency provides both supervised and unsupervised contact, depending on the nature of the case. Reports can    be prepared if requested.

Psychiatric or psychological assessments can be requested through local resources or next step if needed.  Therapy and counselling is offered by experienced and qualified professionals available if required. 

Malti disciplinary assessments for court or PLO process can also be requested.

Services provided to Local Authorities

Fully assessed and trained foster carers

High-level 24-hour support for all foster carers and families

Experienced and qualified social workers to oversee all childcare practice

Monthly report to social worker

Reports prepared for meetings as required

Regular liaison between Link Workers and the allocated social Worker

Additional social care tasks offered to a local Authority if necessary these can include statutory duties, supervised and assessed Contacts and direct work with children and young people

Assessments can also be arranged for children who are subject to court proceedings

People

Agencies do not consist of mission statements, brochures, buildings, resources or even of their list of clients. An Agency's real existence is vested in the people who are part of it.

The Registered Manager of Next Step Fostering is Lesley Ward, a qualified Social Worker with an Executive Diploma in Business Management and a background in fostering. Lesley manages the social work aspect of the Agency, including Foster Carers, Link Workers and Children's Placements. She also holds a quality assurance role.

“The aim my colleagues and I share at Next Step Fostering is to provide a balance between our personal and professional commitment to fostering and ensuring that each Looked After child receives the highest level of care and services they rightly deserve. This ensures that we provide the widest range of services and activities for foster carers, Looked After children and birth children while also complying with all Government regulations.”

Ian Dixon is the Responsible Individual and Service Manager at Next Step Fostering. He has more than 25 years experience in social work and holds a Diploma in Advanced Social Work. Ian is responsible for operational and service developments at Next Step.