Useful resources
Organisations, support services, and reading we recommend to our carers and to people thinking about fostering. All external links open in a new tab.
For foster carers
Memberships and bodies that support carers across the UK.
Foster Talk
Independent advice and support, legal expenses and insurance. Membership included with Embrace.
The Fostering Network
UK's leading fostering charity. Best practice, research, news and advocacy for foster carers.
HMRC foster carer tax relief
Official government guidance on the tax relief scheme that applies to most foster carer income.
CHARMS recording system
How daily recordings work at Embrace, with the link to the CHARMS portal for existing carers.
Medical advice & sector statistics
Health guidance around fostering medicals, plus the national data behind the need for carers.
Orr Medical Advice Hub
Guides on fostering medicals, what assessors look at (smoking, vaping, weight, alcohol), kinship care and placement types. Written by fostering medical advisers.
DfE: children looked after in England
The official annual statistics on children in care, foster placements and adoptions. The source behind the figures on our homepage.
CoramBAAF statistics
Detailed England fostering and adoption data compiled by CoramBAAF, including placement types and Special Guardianship figures.
Therapeutic practice
Reading, training and theory underpinning our approach.
DDP Network
Dyadic Developmental Practice resources, training and practitioners. The home of Dan Hughes's framework.
Dan Hughes
Books, papers and recordings from the founder of DDP. A great starting point if PACE is new to you.
Beacon House resources
Free downloadable diagrams on attachment, trauma, dissociation and the developing brain. Brilliant for understanding.
TACT Fostering podcast
Conversations with carers, professionals and care-experienced young people. Excellent CPD listening.
Support for children & young people
Services children can access directly, or that carers can use with them.
Childline (0800 1111)
Free 24-hour helpline and online chat for children and young people in the UK.
Become Charity
Advocacy and advice for care-experienced young people. Care Advice Line 0800 023 2033.
YoungMinds
Mental health support for young people and parents. Parents helpline 0808 802 5544.
Kooth
Free, confidential online mental wellbeing community for young people aged 11-25.
Regulation & safeguarding
Official bodies and statutory guidance.
Our Ofsted report
Read Embrace's full Ofsted inspection report on the official Ofsted website.
National Minimum Standards
Statutory guidance for fostering services in England. The framework Ofsted inspects against.
NSPCC
Children's charity with safeguarding resources, training and a 24/7 helpline (0808 800 5000).
GOV.UK safeguarding
Official safeguarding guidance, regulations and policy from the Department for Education.
Got a resource we should add?
If you know of something useful that should be on this page, let us know. We update it regularly.