Book review: What the standards say about…fostering

What the
standards say about fostering

Meral Mehmet, Russell House Publishing

ISBN 1903855470, £15.95

STAR RATING 4/5

The task of the foster carer is not getting any easier. This book
clearly explains what is expected of foster carers and what they
can expect from their agency, writes Ralph Beresford.

Mehmet has considered in detail the requirements of the national
minimum standards for fostering services and the UK national
standards for foster care. She has produced a highly readable
explanation of how the standards affect day-to-day fostering.

Throughout the book helpful “What this means for you” sections
neatly distil best practice from the detail of the standards.
Chapters are short, and focused on such topics as children’s
health, supervision and support, and leaving care. Of particular
interest for many will be the introduction to the new integrated
children’s system documentation.

Quoting from the standards does, of necessity, consume a
considerable portion of this book. As much of this information is
available for free through the internet, it is unfortunate the book
is quite expensive. I hope this will not deter too many people from
purchasing what could be a very popular resource.

Ralph Beresford, a former supervising social worker for a
fostering agency, is business development manager, Northamptonshire
Council