SURREY County Council has received the Fostering Friendly Employer of the Year Award at The Fostering Network’s Fostering Excellence Awards.

According to Kevin Williams, chief executive of The Fostering Network, Surrey County Council understands its responsibilities as corporate parents for all children living in foster care across the county.

And it see its children as an asset for the future and believes in investing not only in them, but in those who care for them. That is what inspired those at the council to become Fostering Friendly employers.

The Surrey Fostering Team worked alongside its Human Resources team to develop a range of policies that would benefit Surrey County Council workers who had chosen to foster alongside their work.

Mr Williams added: “These policies include flexibility so that staff could really be there for the children they foster, no matter when a meeting was scheduled, and this additional support is part of ensuring that they are at the forefront of foster carer satisfaction and retention.

“They believe in leading from the front and they hope that their example will encourage others in Surrey, and across the country, to put children in care first and consider becoming Fostering Friendly employers.”

To find out more about fostering in Surrey, visit www.surreycc.gov.uk/fos

tering, email fostering.re

[email protected] or call 0800 0969 626. Details of upcoming fostering recruitment events are here.