What Fostering Support Group does

Fostering Support Group (FSG) is an independent fostering agency established in 1989, registered with Ofsted (rated 'Good') and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CareTech Holdings Limited since December 2010. Headquartered in Shortlands, London, with a satellite office in Kent, the agency provides foster placement services for children and young people referred by UK local authorities across London, Essex, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, North West, West Midlands and East Midlands. Its core offering covers standard fostering placements, specialist parent-and-child fostering, transfer services for carers moving from rival agencies, and a structured 24/7 supervising social worker support model.

The business runs on a managed-services commissioning model in which FSG receives per-placement fees from local authorities under the National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services 2011, with weekly rates starting at £420 (standard) and £760 (enhanced), billed monthly. Carers are recruited through a four-to-five month pipeline (initial enquiry, home visit, three-day Skills to Foster course, BAAF Form F assessment, FSG Fostering Panel approval) supported by dedicated placement teams, TSD/NVQ Level 3 training, an annual Holiday Grant of £400 per child, two weeks paid respite, and a referral incentive scheme. The underlying technology stack is standard — a fostering management platform, CCTV for premises security, Google Analytics for web traffic, and standard cookie compliance — with no proprietary AI or automation layer evident.

FSG operates with a lean team of approximately 10–25 staff including a Registered Manager (Jean Smith), Practice, Assessment and Administration Managers, supervising social workers, marketing/recruitment and business support officers. Customer concentration is entirely in UK local authority social services — a single government buyer segment — and revenue predictability is contingent on LA commissioning budgets and continued Ofsted standing. Growth is operationally driven through geographic widening, new specialist product lines (parent-and-child fostering, transfer services), and ongoing foster carer recruitment rather than capital deployment.

Name

Fostering Support Group

Legal name

Fostering Support Group Ltd

Website

https://fosteringsupportgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fostering Support Group is an Ofsted-rated 'Good' UK independent fostering agency (est. 1989) and CareTech subsidiary that places children with vetted foster carers on behalf of local authorities across London, the South East, and the Midlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foster Care Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Family Advocacy, Parent Training & Support Services (EDAJAKAK)

Keywords

• Independent fostering agency
• Foster placement services
• Local authority fostering
• Parent and child fostering
• Foster carer training

Headquarters

HQ city

Shortlands

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Local Authority Foster Placement Fees: FSG receives fees from local authorities for each foster placement made. These are contracted services under the National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services 2011. The agency operates as a commissioned service provider to local authority social work teams.
2. Foster Carer Allowances Re-distribution: FSG pays foster carers a standard fostering rate starting at £420 (enhanced package at £760), holiday grants of £400 per child annually, two weeks of paid respite per year, referral incentives, and additional payments based on individual child needs. These are costs to FSG but form part of the total commissioned service value.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fostering Support Group is an independent fostering agency that recruits, trains, and supervises foster carers and matches them with children and young people referred by UK local authorities. Its offering includes standard foster placements, specialist parent and child placements, transfer services for foster carers switching agencies, and a full support package (24/7 supervising social workers, TSD/NVQ Level 3 training, financial allowances, holiday grants, respite, and referral incentives).

Product overview

Fostering Support Group (FSG) operates as a single integrated fostering agency rather than a modular platform. The core offering consists of fostering placement services that match children and young people with vetted foster carers across London and South East England. This is complemented by specialized parent and child fostering services, comprehensive training programs (including TSD standards and NVQ Level 3 support), dedicated supervising social worker support with 24/7 availability, competitive financial allowances, and transfer services for foster carers switching agencies. All services are unified under the FSG brand and delivered through the London-based agency, which is part of the CareTech group and registered with Ofsted.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fostering Placement Services Core fostering placement service that matches children and young people with vetted, approved foster carers, providing temporary or long-term care placements commissioned by UK Local Authorities across London, Essex, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, North West, West Midlands, and East Midlands.
• Parent and Child Fostering Specialized fostering service where parents (typically mothers or fathers) come into care with their babies or toddlers to receive guidance and life skills support such as cooking, providing stimulation, and establishing routines in a home environment.
• Transfer Services Agency transfer service allowing existing foster carers from other agencies or local authorities to transfer to FSG, including Form F reassessment, initial training, and panel approval process.
• Training and Support Services Comprehensive training programme including monthly training sessions, Training Support and Development Standards (TSD) completion within 12 months, NVQ Level 3 qualification support, and Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) standards compliance.
• Supervising Social Worker Support Dedicated supervising social worker assigned to each foster carer, providing monthly visits, weekly phone calls, guidance on handling situations, and support during difficult times, with 24/7 out-of-hours availability.
• Financial Support and Allowances Competitive fostering rates starting at £420 standard and £760 for enhanced package, plus tax breaks, benefits compatibility, two weeks paid respite annually, £400 annual Holiday Grant per child, referral incentives, and additional payments based on individual child needs.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Outcomes First Group: UK provider of specialist children's services including foster care and residential placements. Comparable to FSG as a scaled, acquisitive operator in the fostering and children's services space serving local authorities.

Direct peers

• TACT (The Adolescent and Children's Trust): Charitable fostering and adoption agency operating across the UK, recruiting and supporting foster carers for local authority placements. Comparable to FSG in mission, commissioning model, and reliance on Ofsted ratings.
• ISP (Integrated Services Programme): Independent fostering agency providing placements to local authorities in England. Closely comparable to FSG in service portfolio, regulatory framework, and local authority commissioning relationships.
• Compass Fostering: UK independent fostering agency providing foster placements to local authorities across multiple English regions. Directly comparable to FSG in service model, target customer (local authorities), and reliance on Ofsted-registered status.
• Beacon Fostering: Independent fostering agency serving local authorities across multiple UK regions with standard, parent and child, and specialist placements. Comparable to FSG in service mix and Ofsted-regulated delivery.
• Five Rivers Child Care: Independent fostering agency placing children with foster carers across England. Closely comparable to FSG in core service offering, local authority commissioning model, and Ofsted-regulated placement delivery.
• Polaris Community Services: Independent fostering and children's services agency operating in England. Comparable to FSG in fostering focus, local authority client base, and regulated delivery model.
• National Fostering Agency (NFA): One of the UK's longest-established independent fostering agencies, providing foster placements to local authorities nationwide. Comparable to FSG in scale, geographic spread, and service mix including parent and child placements.
• Excel Fostering: Independent fostering agency providing local authority-commissioned placements across England. Comparable to FSG in target customer, service offering, and Ofsted oversight.

Broad incumbents

• CareTech Holdings: FSG's parent company and a diversified UK care services group providing fostering, residential, and specialist children's services. Comparable as the parent platform and as a broader operator offering overlapping services to the same local authority commissioning base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FSG_fostering
• Facebookfacebook.com/fsgfostering
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fostering-support-group

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Fostering Support Group