Has Your Foster Carer Recruiter Left Recently? What Happened to the Recruitment Message They Left Behind?
When an experienced foster carer recruiter leaves a service, the immediate concern is usually operational. Who will respond to the enquiries? Who will run the information events? Who will complete the initial visits? Who will update the database and keep applicants moving? The vacancy is filled, responsibilities are redistributed and recruitment activity continues. But a…
AI and Online Visibility: Can Prospective Foster Carers Find You in the New Search Reality?
If your entire online visibility strategy is still focused on traditional SEO, it is no longer cmplete. For many years, fostering providers have invested in Search Engine Optimisation. They have commissioned keyword research. They have created location pages. They have monitored Google rankings. They have paid agencies to help their websites appear when someone searches…
Retention Is Recruitment: Every Foster Carer You Lose Creates Another Recruitment Target - Some New Solutions?
Foster carer recruitment and foster carer retention are often treated as two separate areas of responsibility. Recruitment teams are expected to generate enquiries, arrange initial visits, secure applications and help create a pipeline of new foster carers. Operational teams are responsible for supporting approved carers, maintaining placements and managing the day-to-day realities of fostering. The…
The “Not Yet” Foster Carer Audience: They Have Not Said No
A prospective foster carer makes an enquiry. They may have been thinking about fostering for months, perhaps years. Something has finally prompted them to take the first step and speak to a fostering service. During that initial conversation, they hear more about fostering than they knew before. That should be positive. But the conversation can…
Foster Carer Recruitment and Assessment: Are Both Teams Having the Same Conversation?
A prospective foster carer can have an excellent experience during the early recruitment stages. They feel welcomed. Someone listens to why they are considering fostering. Their questions are answered clearly. They begin to believe that fostering may be possible for them and their family. Then the conversation changes. They move from recruitment into assessment, and…
The First Foster Carer Conversation: Are You Responding Quickly—or Simply Losing People Faster?
As a senior fostering leader, you may already monitor how quickly prospective foster carers are contacted after making an enquiry. That matters. Someone who has taken the significant step of contacting a fostering service should not be left waiting several days for a response. Interest can fade, circumstances can change, and another provider may respond…