Fostering - Out of hours support

Quick Links

your Lancashire

Out of Hours Help

Advice Line

18.00 to 23.00
Monday to Friday

08.00 to 23.00
Weekends & Bank Holidays

Emergency Duty Team

Emergencies outside office hours:

The Advice Line began in April 2004 and is staffed by 13 Fostering Social Workers and Team Managers on a rota basis between 18.00 and 23.00 from Monday to Friday and from 08.00 to 23.00 during weekends and Bank Holidays.
The purpose of the Advice Line is to provide a non-emergency, out-of-hours support and advice service to approved foster carers and adopters who have a child placed with them but where this is prior to the making of an Adoption Order.
Foster carers should use this service when they are concerned that the matter for which they wish to seek advice/support will not wait until the office is open. Typically, this could be about advice on immediate behaviour management of a child or young person who is looked after by them.

The Advice Line does not cover the remit of the Emergency Duty Team and is intended to supplement the support that foster carers already receive from the Fostering Team. The service is for the purpose of giving advice to foster carers over the telephone and is not intended to be a home visiting service.
The duty worker taking the call will make a record of it at the time and will then enter the details on the foster carer's and child's record on the following working day.
The duty worker will also send copies of the written record to the relevant Fostering Team Manager and to the Foster Panel and Quality Assurance Manager who currently acts as co-ordinator of the Advice Line. Exceptionally, in the event of a child needing to be removed from a placement, or in cases involving safeguarding issues, the duty worker would contact the Emergency Duty Team.
Foster carers who have used the Advice Line have found it helpful. Approved foster carers should not hesitate to make a call if advice is needed about anything that preferably should not wait until the office opens and where the carer would value a discussion with a qualified Social Worker. The duty workers will do their best to advise.
The Advice Line is accessed by dialling the Freephone number is 0800 040 7998.