We use cookies to ensure our site functions properly and to store limited information about your usage. You may give or withdraw consent at any time. To find out more, read our privacy policy and cookie policy.
Manage Cookies
A cookie is information stored on your computer by a website you visit. Cookies often store your settings for a website, such as your preferred language or location. This allows the site to present you with information customized to fit your needs. As per the GDPR law, companies need to get your explicit approval to collect your data. Some of these cookies are ‘strictly necessary’ to provide the basic functions of the website and can not be turned off, while others if present, have the option of being turned off. Learn more about our Privacy and Cookie policies. These can be managed also from our cookie policy page.
Strictly necessary cookies(always on):
Necessary for enabling core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies. This cannot be turned off. e.g. Sign in, Language
Analytics cookies:
Analytical cookies help us to analyse user behaviour, mainly to see if the users are able to find and act on things that they are looking for. They allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. Tools used: Google Analytics
Share Ready to Welcome sign up on FacebookShare Ready to Welcome sign up on TwitterShare Ready to Welcome sign up on LinkedinEmail Ready to Welcome sign up link
From April 2026, we are launching Ready to Welcome, our emergency foster care scheme. The hope from this initiative is that we will always have a carer ready and waiting to care for our children in an emergency. The arrangement will be for up to 9 days, depending on the day of arrival, and will help to avoid crisis situations. It is also hoped that this will allow time for teams to get to know our children to be able to make better plans for their care.
Please note, you can use the Google Translate function to access this project in a range of different languages. The Google Translate widget can be found at the top left-hand side of the project page, where it sits just above the black West Sussex County Council ribbon.
Survey web browser compatibility
Please use one of the browsers below when completing the survey to ensure it looks and works as it should. These are:
Microsoft Edge version 86 and above
Chrome version 86 and above
Firefox version 78 and above
Safari version 14 and above
From April 2026, we are launching Ready to Welcome, our emergency foster care scheme. The hope from this initiative is that we will always have a carer ready and waiting to care for our children in an emergency. The arrangement will be for up to 9 days, depending on the day of arrival, and will help to avoid crisis situations. It is also hoped that this will allow time for teams to get to know our children to be able to make better plans for their care.
Please note, you can use the Google Translate function to access this project in a range of different languages. The Google Translate widget can be found at the top left-hand side of the project page, where it sits just above the black West Sussex County Council ribbon.
Survey web browser compatibility
Please use one of the browsers below when completing the survey to ensure it looks and works as it should. These are:
Thank you for your interest in our Ready to Welcome emergency bed scheme. A few things you need to know are:
Carers will need to be available from Monday to the following Wednesday (9 nights)
Carers will be paid a retainer of £30 per night. If a child is placed during the 9-day period then the usual remuneration will apply, in addition to the £30 per night which will continue.
Carers will need to be ready and able to take any child from ages 0-18 in this timeframe, unless there is a specific risk which makes this unsafe. Therefore, agreement will need to be made with your Supervising Social Worker (SSW) that this arrangement would be suitable for your family.
A dedicated Child and Family Worker will support this scheme and be available to provide practical support to enable the arrangement to succeed as necessary.
Every Monday, a new carer will be on the rota and therefore there will be a cross over of 2 days to avoid last-minute arrangements in the 9-day period.
The Wednesday is a hard end. Carers will not be asked to extend the arrangement, even though this could create challenges and pressures. We know that for this to succeed the ‘hard end’ must be respected by everyone.
If a carer believes the care arrangement is working for their family and wishes to extend the care period, this can be explored, but this is the only way the arrangement would extend - if it is the carer’s decision.
