Young person's guide & resources
Useful resources
Who are Orange Grove?
We are Orange Grove – an independent fostering agency who supports foster parents to care for children and young people all over the UK. We have a team of staff who work with the local authorities to make sure that our foster parents do the best job they can and that the young people living with them are well looked after so they can reach their full potential.
Who are foster parents?
Foster parents are people who look after children and young people that come to live with them when they cannot live with their own birth family. A young person may come into care for many reasons and they may stay with their foster parents for any amount of time, from a few nights to months or even years.
Foster parents may be young or old, single or married, gay or straight, and they may or may not have children of their own. When you are looked after, your foster parent will care for you as part of the family and make sure that you are kept safe and healthy, supported with things like education, hobbies and interests, and will make sure you’re listened to and that decisions are made in your best
interests.
What does a social worker do?
A social worker is there to help people. There are social workers who support adults and families who are having a difficult time, social workers who help care for people who have health issues or disabilities, and there are social workers who help children and young people in foster care.
You will have a social worker from the local authority, whose job it is to support you, check how things are going and inform you of any plans that might affect you. To help support you and your foster parent, you will also have an Orange Grove social worker. The Orange Grove social worker will work with the local authority to help you stay safe and make sure you are well looked after by your foster family.
Your social workers are there for YOU, so you can always contact them if you have any worries or you need help with something.