About Fostering

Our dedicated and expert team

Dedicated to Providing Stability and Security

At New Chapters we are proud to have foster carers and staff who have been with us for several years, providing much needed stability and security to vulnerable children.

Always Here to Support You

We pride ourselves on being a close-knit team, and our dedicated staff team is available 24/7, 365 days a year to provide support.

Why Foster With
New Chapters Fostercare?

Exceptional
Support

Our dedicated team is available 24/7, 365 days a year, ensuring you always have the support you need. We offer regular training and reflective sessions to help you thrive as a foster carer.

Therapeutic
Approach

We utilise the PACE parenting model (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy) to create a supportive environment. This approach is part of our Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) method, helping children feel safe and understood.

Community and
Recognition

We pride ourselves on being a close-knit community of carers and staff. Recognised twice by Ofsted as an outstanding agency, we ensure your voice is heard and your needs are met with personalised services.

Our Family

Craig Walton

Strategic Director
“Having worked in child protection and in foster care for a number of years I have seen first-hand how quality care can move children on to recovery and help them sustain positive relationships in all areas of their lives. Recruiting and supporting foster carers, with the skills and attributes to provide this quality care, is really motivational and an area of work which brings immense satisfaction.”

Martin George

Director & Responsible Individual
“I am a self-motivated and dynamic social work senior manager, with several years frontline operational experience in children’s social care, supported by a comprehensive knowledge of the residential childcare sector.

I am a believer that looked after children deserve the adults responsible for their care are trustworthy, respectful and understand how to respond to their individual needs.

We are committed to establishing a fostering agency that is genuinely therapeutic and focused on the benefits that a safe and stable family environment can provide. Our shared skills, experience and passion is the foundation on which we aim to build the best possible fostering agency where carers and staff feel valued and children are allowed to be children.”

Rosie Cavalot

Director & Head of Therapy
“I believe that, when offered the right environment and right level of support, any child or young person has the potential to thrive and achieve their own goals. I have worked with children and young people of all ages for over ten years, including work in a nursery setting, a residential school, as a family support worker for fostering families and more recently as a counsellor for young people in a charitable organisation. I am excited about the potential for New Chapters Fostercare as I strongly believe in the ethos we have as an agency.

I have a proven track record in the field and have worked in the private sector for a number of years. I supported my last agency to obtain an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating and have significant experience in developing a therapeutically minded family support service.”

Claire Upcott

Registered Manager
“I qualified as a social worker in 2010 and have spent majority of my social work career working as a children’s social worker. I am passionate about supporting children and young people with ensuring that they have every opportunity available to them to enable them to achieve their goals and aspirations.

With the ever changing systems that children in care are exposed to they require someone fighting their corner to give them a chance of having a family life. In my role as Registered Manager I can support the New Chapters team and wider foster carer group with providing this to our children.”

Sara Dowding

Senior Practitioner
“As a qualified Social worker I have worked within residential services for children and young people, in the Shropshire area, pre and post qualifying, before moving to a children and families social work team in Shrewsbury.

My first post in fostering was as a Supervising Social Worker where I provided support to foster carers and their families. During this time I also served as a fostering panel member for the Local Authority.

Having moved on to an independent fostering agency I continued as a Supervising Social Worker and then as Senior Practitioner, deputising for the Registered Manager, supervising Family Support Workers and Social Workers within the team and served as a fostering panel member for a further five years.”

Debbie Borley

Administrator
I joined New Chapters Fostercare as an Administrator in December 2022. Although this is my first time working in the foster care environment, I have a good administrative foundation with many transferable skills from my previous employment in insurance. The decision to change my career after 30 years was not taken lightly, and I feel privileged to have joined such a committed and child-focused team set on helping young people. The culture and ethos of New Chapters Fostercare is what enticed me as they are hardworking, caring and passionate about placing looked after children in a safe and secure family home, using their therapeutic approach.

As part of my administrative role, I will be working with the team to ensure the smooth running of the office, and to be on hand to support carers and staff with their enquiries.

Andrea Southall

Supervising Social Worker
“I qualified as a social worker in 2012 having spent the majority of my previous working career in banking. My decision to change my career path was something I had considered for a while but due to personal commitments was unable to fulfil until this time.

I have worked as a supervising social worker for 2 IFA’s now and enjoy the opportunity of meeting and supporting committed foster carers and helping the young people placed with them develop their full potential.”

Sarah Richards

Family Support Worker
“I began working for New Chapters Fostercare in April 2016. Although this is my first time working in the fostering field I brought with me many transferable skills from my previous experience. My background is in youth work and post 16 learning support. I have over 10 years’ experience both club based and detached youth work and 7 years’ experience of working with SEN and difficult to engage 16 to 19 year olds in a further education setting.

In my role as FSW I carry out consultations with young people and organise activities. Young people are referred to me when they need a little extra support, this can be in a variety of areas. I always try to tailor my involvement to meet their individual needs.

Another important aspect of my role is welcoming young people into the New Chapters family. This initial welcome visit followed by a ‘getting to know you session’ sets the tone for the young person’s experience with New Chapters and communicates to them that they matter, they will be accepted and supported on their journey towards adulthood and independence.”

Karen Phillips

Family Support Worker
I have recently joined New Chapters after 19 years of working with children and young people aged between 8 – 18. This has been within residential settings, youth clubs and in schools. The majority of the young people I have worked with have experienced trauma relating to CSE, County Lines and sexual harmful behaviour. Building relationships with young people has been a key skill within my previous roles and so working for an agency focused on relationships based on attachment theory is hugely transferable. My years of experience in engaging children and young people in activities and consultations are invaluable when planning the events held for the families at New Chapters.

In my role as Family Support Worker I have an allocation of families. This is to promote consistency for both foster carers and the children. The Family Support Worker service offers ad hoc support and more focused sessions to ensure we are meeting individual needs alongside events throughout the year for the whole family. A big part of this is being a ‘listening ear’ for all family members.

Claire Farr

Supervising Social Worker
I qualified as a Social Worker in 2000. Since qualifying I have practised in a number of frontline Social Work teams.

These include; Youth Offending, Disabled Children’s Team, Leaving Care and more recently within Behaviour Support and advice.

I am passionate and pro-active in meeting the emotional and Mental Heath needs of children and young people. As a Youth Mental Health First Aider and training facilitator for Mental Health First Aid I am confident in identifying signs of Mental Health. I am confident in guiding towards the support children/young people need to recover.

I enjoy working with children and young people creatively and in a holistic manner that places their current and future needs in focus and in partnership with carers.

I believe that New Chapters are committed to establishing a foster agency that is therapeutic and focused on the benefits of a safe and stable family environment. This allows children to be children; they can thrive and reach their full potential and identified goals.

Michelle

Supervising Social Worker
Since qualifying as a Social Worker, I have spent most of my career as the child’s Social Worker. I started my journey as an Early Help Social Worker, supporting children and families in their homes with prevention work, early years support and accessing other services. I then moved in to a S47 Child Protection Team where I worked closely with the Police trying to safeguard children, then into the Single Assessment Team where we supported children and families on S47 and S17 plans. I have supported children through proceedings, from the initial ICO, and continued to support the children once the final Care Order was granted. I have previously worked as a Supervising Social Worker, which provided me with another aspect of the child’s journey. This has given me a well-rounded understanding that I am able to use within my practice.

I am driven to create and sustain positive changes for children, I believe strongly in supporting their voice and advocating for them. I will continue to do this in my role at New Chapters Fostercare, through the foster carers I support.

I am pleased to be working for New Chapters Fostercare, which is a therapeutic fostering agency. I feel my values and ethics are matched in theirs, and together we can help children to achieve to the best of their ability.

Megan Roberts

Placement & Administrative Officer
My passion has always been to help support young people, and I feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such a positive, committed team. I have previously worked in a primary school setting as a teaching assistant, and I am now excited to help support you on your journey to becoming a foster carer. I will ensure all the necessary procedures will take place, then will work closely with you to find an amazing young person to join your family!

Become a Foster Carer

Becoming a foster carer with New Chapters Fostercare is a rewarding journey. We value our foster carers and offer generous allowances, respite, and special events to show our appreciation. Whether you're just starting to explore fostering or looking to transfer from another agency, we are here to support you every step of the way.

Looking to Transfer?

Becoming a foster carer with New Chapters Fostercare is a rewarding journey. We value our foster carers and offer generous allowances, respite, and special events to show our appreciation. Whether you're just starting to explore fostering or looking to transfer from another agency, we are here to support you every step of the way.

Community Voices

Andy
Director - Smash Life
Joe
Founder - BrightStar Boxing
Michelle & Tone
Foster Carer
Janette & Peter
Foster Carer
Rob
Director - RGT Training & Consultancy LTD
Derrick Rayner
Shades Training
Julie
Foster Carer
Rachael
Foster Carer
Francesca
NewStart Networks
Pat & Mike
Foster Carers

Join Our Family

Ready to make a difference?
Contact us today to learn more about becoming a foster carer with New Chapters. Our friendly team is here to answer any questions and help you take the first step towards changing a child's life.

Your data will be used in accordance with our Privacy Notice

Button