Foster care resources

ISP Knowledge Hub

Our fostering experts bring together their knowledge, advice and insights to help foster parents achieve extraordinary outcomes for the young people in their care.

Bringing you advice from our expert team of therapists, social workers, and education specialists. Explore articles on a wide range of topics including trauma, attachment, complex needs, education, identity, and more.

Explore our categories

Trauma

Discover how difficult early experiences such as abuse and neglect can affect a child, and the ways in which you can help them heal from past trauma.

Jump back to the top

foster children with childhood trauma

What is trauma?

This guide helps you understand what we mean by 'trauma' and how it may affect a child in your care.

Read More
Impact of early childhood trauma and abuse

The impact of trauma

Discover the impact of early childhood trauma, and what it means for young people in foster care.

Read More
trauma in childhood

Trauma and the brain

Learn about the profound impact that childhood trauma can have on brain development.

Read More
How Your Childhood Impacts Your Attachment Style

Trauma and attachment

Explore how a child's relationship with primary caregivers and those crucial early interactions can shape their attachment style.

Read More
healing from childhood trauma

Healing from trauma

Explore the strategies and therapeutic perspectives you need to help children recover from trauma.

Read More
Childhood Trauma

Trauma Hub

Our therapeutic team share their knowledge and insights on trauma and recovery.

Visit trauma hub

Therapeutic parenting

Discover the latest evidence-based parenting strategies designed to build healing relationships with young people in care.

Jump back to the top

Secure Base Model in Foster Care

Secure Base Model Explained

Explore the benefits of the Secure Base model and how it helps children in care feel safe and secure.

Read More
pace therapeutic parenting in foster care

PACE Parenting

Learn how to use the PACE approach in daily interactions to build a connection and diffuse difficult situations.

Read More
what is therapeutic foster care

What is therapeutic fostering?

Discover more about therapeutic fostering and how it helps children in care to heal from complex trauma.

Read More

Complex needs

Around 7 out of 10 young people in care will have complex needs, including physical or learning disabilities, sensory impairments, or mental health disorders. This series provides expert advice to help children with complex needs thrive in your care.

Jump back to the top

Foster Child With Complex Needs

What are complex needs?

This guide will help you understand complex needs and how to support the young person in your care.

Read More

Fostering a child with autism

With the right know-how, you can help a child with autism flourish and reach their full potential.

Read More

Autism YouTube Series

In this series, ISP Therapist Marnie shares lots of practical advice for caring for a young person with autism.

Read More

Do you foster children with Autism?

Download our Guide to Autism for expert guidance, tips and strategies on how to provide the best care for autistic children both at home and in their education.

DOWNLOAD GUIDE

Education

We provide expert advice on the many ways you can support a child at school, as well as some of the challenges you may face, such as school refusal and exclusions.

Jump back to the top

Foster Child At School

How to help your child at school

Our experts provide their advice on ways to help the young person in your care thrive at school.

Read More

Education, Health & Care Plans

Everything you need to know about EHCPs including who's eligible, what the plan covers and how to apply.

Read More

Special education needs

This guide will help you understand special educational needs and how to support the young person in your care.

Read More

My child won't go to school

We explore some of the reasons why a child may refuse to go to school and what you can do to help.

Read More

My child's been excluded

Here's what you need to do if a child in your care has been excluded from school.

Read More
How To Support A Childs Transition To School

Help a child go back to school

Many children in care will miss parts of their education. Here's how you can support their transition back into school.

Read More

SEND resources

Discover resources to help children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Read More

Importance of identity

When a child comes into foster care they often feel a huge sense of loss - not only the loss of the people around them but their identity too. This series looks at how foster parents can support a child who may have a different racial, cultural or religious background to them.

Jump back to the top

Identity Formation

Understanding identity

We explore the role of race, ethnicity and culture in identity formation, and how being in foster care may impact that.

Read More
supporting a teenager who is exploring their gender identity

Supporting Teenager With Gender Identity

Lucy shares her journey fostering a young person who was exploring their gender identity, and provides some useful advice.

Read More
Equality And Diversity In Children

Supporting children from different backgrounds

Practical ways to meet both the physical and emotional needs of a child from a different racial or cultural background.

Read More
Diversity Fostering

Why representation matters

We explain why diversity is important for all children, not just those from minority backgrounds.

Read More

Already fostering?

Whether things aren’t working out with your current agency or you want to hear about the fantastic work we do at ISP using therapeutic fostering, we’d love to hear from you.

Get in touch today and our fostering experts will be on hand to answer your questions.

ENQUIRE NOW

  • Call
  • Home
  • Visit