What Fair Ways does

Fair Ways is a UK-registered children's services charity operating as Fair Ways Community Benefit Society (regulated by the FCA) and owned by the Fair Ways Foundation. Founded in 2002 as a fostering agency in Southampton and headquartered in Portsmouth, the organisation delivers a continuum of services — fostering, residential children's homes, specialist education (Fair Ways School for SEMH students and GLADE School for ASC students), residential family centre assessments, supported living, contact services, and crisis intervention — to looked-after children, care leavers, and their families across the South of England and Wales. It cares for over 450 children and young people each year and employs more than 350 staff.

The organisation's core intellectual property is clinical and pedagogical rather than software-based: the proprietary RiiSE (Relationship-Inspired Ideas for Support Environments) trauma-informed training programme and a Therapeutic Education Model supported by an in-house clinical hub offering occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, music therapy, and play therapy. Operational technology is conventional (website enquiries, referral portals, content marketing channels) with no disclosed AI or platform-based products.

Revenue is generated primarily through Local Authority commissioning for residential placements, education places, and family assessments, supplemented by fostering allowances (paid fortnightly to self-employed carers) and unit-priced contact services (e.g., £95 referral fee plus £37-£79 per hour). The customer base is structurally concentrated in UK public-sector commissioners, while end beneficiaries are distributed across hundreds of looked-after children. The organisation holds multiple Outstanding Ofsted ratings and sector-specific accreditations (NAS, ADHD Foundation), and operates a community ecosystem via The Fairer Fostering Partnership and 100+ Fostering Friendly Employer signatories.

Name

Fair Ways

Legal name

Fair Ways Community Benefit Society

Website

https://fairways.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Fair Ways is a UK children's services charity (FCA-regulated Community Benefit Society) that delivers fostering, residential care, specialist education, family assessments, and supported living to over 450 looked-after children annually across the South of England and Wales, primarily commissioned by Local Authorities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Social Care Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241), Child Care Services (62441), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Transition & School-Readiness Support for Special Needs Children (HSAAAIAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral Support & Positive Behavior Intervention Childcare (HSAAAIAF), Autism (ASD) Support Childcare (HSAAAIAA), Down Syndrome & Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Childcare (HSAAAIAC), Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

Keywords

• Fostering services
• Children's residential care
• Special education
• Family support services
• Social care charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Portsmouth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Fostering Allowances: Payments to foster carers comprising Maintenance (covering cost of looking after child/young person) and Reward (in recognition of foster carer's skills). Carers are self-employed and receive fortnightly payments.
2. Children's Residential Services: Revenue from Local Authorities for providing residential care homes for Looked After Children aged 6-18 years. Includes children's homes, crisis intervention, and supported living services.
3. Education Services: Funded education services for students with SEMH difficulties and ASC, provided through Fair Ways School and GLADE School for students aged 11-19.
4. Contact Services: Fees for supervised and supported contact services for families. Pricing includes referral fees and hourly rates for contact sessions.
5. Residential Family Centre Assessments: Residential and community-based parenting assessments providing evidence-based conclusive judgements for Local Authorities, used in HM Courts proceedings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Fair Ways is a UK children's services charity operating as a Community Benefit Society that delivers fostering placements, specialist schools for students with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs and Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC), Ofsted-regulated children's homes, supported living, residential family centre assessments, and supervised contact services. Services are commissioned primarily by Local Authorities across the south of England and Wales, with self-employed foster carers also recruited directly. The organization operates from a network of homes, schools, and centres delivering a continuum of care from fostering through to supported living for looked after children and young people.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fair Ways Fostering Recruits and supports self-employed foster carers who provide short-term, long-term, emergency, respite, parental, and specialist fostering placements for Looked After Children aged across the UK, with 24/7 support, training, and allowances.
• Fair Ways School Specialist school in Hampshire (Swanwick and Fort Wallington sites) for students aged 11-19 with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties who have not succeeded in mainstream education, offering tailored academic and therapeutic packages.
• GLADE School Autism-specialist school in Totton and Eastleigh for students aged 11-19 with Autistic Spectrum Condition, providing sensory support, social skills development, and transition planning.
• Children's Homes (Residential) Ofsted-regulated residential children's homes (including Manor Farm Cottage, Portchester, Garden House, All Seasons, Ty Rhos, Birch Grove, Ty Cribyn) providing year-round care for Looked After Children aged 6-18 with social, emotional and behavioural needs.
• Supported Living Supported living service for young people preparing for independent living, with Brunel View in Bristol being the first in the South West.
• Staying Close Staying Close programme supporting young people transitioning from residential care to independence in their home communities.
• Residential Family Centre Ofsted Outstanding residential and community-based parenting assessment services providing evidence-based conclusive judgements for Local Authorities, used in HM Courts proceedings for permanency planning.
• Contact Service Supervised and supported contact services for separated families, including handover and travel services, accredited by the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC).
• Crisis Intervention Wales Crisis intervention homes in Wales (Ty Rhos, Birch Grove) offering short-stay placements for children in crisis combined with outdoor activities programme.
• Fair Ways Therapeutic Centre / The Hub Clinical hub providing specialist mental health assessments, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, music therapy, and play therapy integrated across all Fair Ways services.
• Fair Ways Outdoor Adventures Outdoor holidays and adventure programmes for service users and leadership development courses, including Outward Bound activities in the Brecon Beacons.
• Secure Escort Service Safe transport service for young people throughout the UK, including the Travel Service for transporting children to and from contact sessions.
• Training Centre Approved City & Guilds and Gateway Training Centre providing educational qualifications and the award-winning RiiSE trauma-informed training programme for staff and partner organisations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 450 children and young people cared for each year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Madlug C.I.CminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership for Corporate Social Responsibility initiative 'Giving Something Back' providing bags for care leavers moving into independent accommodation.
• The Fairer Fostering PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA group of charitable and not-for-profit fostering agencies across the UK whose members look after over 2,000 children in care. The partnership believes surpluses should be reinvested into children's services and that excessive profit has no place in care of vulnerable children.
• The Fostering NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational foster care organization. Fair Ways pays for approved foster carers membership to The Fostering Network who provide support, regular newsletters, and access to independent advice and representation.
• NACCC (National Association of Child Contact Centres)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK charity ensuring children maintain safe, meaningful relationships with both parents after separation. NACCC provides accredited spaces, training, and standards for contact centres supporting over 20,000 children annually.
• CAFCASS (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment body supporting children, young people and families in the family justice system. Fair Ways provides contact services that may be referenced in court proceedings.
• HM Courts and Tribunals ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment body. Fair Ways parenting assessments provide credible, factual evidence that can be used in HM Courts for permanency planning decisions.
• Portsmouth City CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner for Phoenix Journey walking trail project at Hilsea Lines. Part of Portsmouth's 100-year city celebrations in 2026.
• MountjoyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business partner for Phoenix Journey project, supporting the community initiative celebrating care-experienced people.
• Gunwharf QuaysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRetail partner hosting Phoenix installations and live carving events for community awareness project.
• City & GuildscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved City & Guilds and Gateway Training Centre providing educational qualifications and training for young people in care.
• Fostering Friendly Employers (100+ signed)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 100 local businesses signed up to Fostering Friendly Charter including Shaping Portsmouth, Mountjoy, Citrus Services, Motiv8, Village Hotels, Specsavers, and many more. These employers support foster carers in their workforce.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves18 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cambian Group: Large, PE-backed specialist provider of residential and education services for children with complex needs, including autism and SEMH. Comparable to Fair Ways' specialist schools and residential homes, but as a for-profit incumbent with broader national footprint.
• Priory Group: Major UK provider of specialist education, residential, and mental health services for children and young people. Overlaps with Fair Ways' residential and education services, with greater scale and a wider service portfolio.

Direct peers

• TACT (The Adolescent and Children's Trust): UK fostering and adoption charity providing fostering, residential, and education services. Closely comparable to Fair Ways' fostering franchise and the residential children's home portfolio.
• Hillcrest Children's Services: UK-based provider of residential, fostering, and education services for children and young people. Comparable integrated service model and Local Authority commissioning dependency to Fair Ways.
• Five Rivers Child Care: Independent fostering and children's services provider offering fostering, residential, and education services. Highly comparable operating model to Fair Ways, including therapy-led, trauma-informed practice.
• Barnardo's: The UK's largest children's charity, providing fostering, residential care, education, and family services across all four nations. Directly comparable to Fair Ways across the full service continuum, with significantly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Action for Children: Major UK children's charity providing fostering, residential, and family support services. Comparable to Fair Ways in mission, service breadth, and Local Authority commissioning model.
• National Fostering Group: One of the UK's largest independent fostering agencies, operating across multiple regions. Closely comparable to Fair Ways' fostering services, with a similar reliance on Local Authority placements and a focus on complex-need carers.
• Kisimul Group: Specialist provider of residential and education services for children and young people with autism, learning disabilities, and complex needs. Directly comparable to Fair Ways' GLADE School and SEMH residential offerings.

Regional players

• Compass Children's Homes: Children's residential services provider operating across the UK. Comparable to Fair Ways' residential portfolio, with overlapping Local Authority customer base but a less integrated fostering/education continuum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fair Ways