Meet Nirali Patel: Home-Finding Team Manager
Behind every fostering journey, there is a dedicated team working to ensure that each step in the process is completed successfully to guarantee the finest outcomes for both foster carers and the children/young people in our care. One essential team is the Home-Finding Team.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Nirali Patel, the Home-Finding Team Manager at Swiis Foster Care, to learn more about her role and the important work her department does.
But first, let’s get to know the person behind the role. Nirali loves spending quality time with family and friends, and in her free time, you’ll often find her at the gym or enjoying a peaceful walk to unwind. In addition to her active lifestyle, she has a hidden talent as she can play the violin! With a passion for both her work and her personal interests, Nirali brings a blend of dedication and energy to her role at Swiis.
Now, let’s dive deeper into her experiences and insights as the Home-Finding Team Manager, as she shares more about her responsibilities and what makes her team such a vital part of the fostering process.
Your Role at Swiis Foster Care
What is your job title and how long have you worked for Swiis?
“I am the Home-Finding Team Manager and have worked in various roles at Swiis since joining in 2018.”
What motivated you to work in foster care?
“My professional career has been across the educational and social care sector for 20 years. I feel extremely passionate about providing better opportunities for children and young people, who have not had the ability of a positive upbringing. The highest reward for me is being a contributing factor in changing their lives and ensuring they are aided to build a better life as they enter the foster care system.”
What does your role as Home-Finding Team Manager entail?
“The key aspect of my role is to ensure the safe and secure matching of all children and young people with our foster carers. I endeavour to ensure once children are with our carers they thrive and settle in a warm and loving environment.”
What does a day in your role look like?
“I manage all home-finding team members and ensure all policies and procedures are followed correctly. I also work closely with social work teams to ensure arrangement stability.”
Where does your department fit in the fostering process?
“After a foster carer has been approved, we assess their requirements as well as the needs of the foster arrangement and match them accordingly.”
Fostering Insights
How does your team determine the best match between a foster child/young person and a foster carer?
“Our team thoroughly assesses the unique needs of each child/young person and carefully considers the skills and strengths of our available foster carers. If any gaps are identified and we believe the match would be beneficial for the child or young person, our training team will ensure the foster carers receive specific training needed to provide the best possible support”.
How does the Home-Finding Team work with Local Authorities when receiving a referral for a foster child/young person?
“We are a successful Tier 1 provider across all our local authority (LA) partners. This results in all children’s referrals being sent to Swiis at the point of need. The Home-Finding Team then work extremely closely with each LA to ensure the match is fully explored and any support or changes are put in place before a move to aid long-term stability.”
How do you assist in preparing the new carer for their first arrangement?
“All new foster carers are given exceptional training both pre-and post-approval. Training continues throughout their fostering journey, and we also offer carer support groups, carer buddy systems and the opportunity for a higher level of support from the social work and Stability and Support teams if needed.”
What do you think are the best qualities a foster carer should have?
“Patience, empathy and resilience. I believe these three qualities are key to supporting children and young people entering foster care or moving from various settings whether fostering, family friends/connected members, or residential care.”
Nirali’s insights shed light on the important work she and her team do during the Referral Matching & Arrangement Process, to ensure that every child or young person is placed with the right foster carer, creating a nurturing and supportive environment for all involved. Her commitment to both the foster carers and the children highlights the dedication and passion that drives the entire Swiis team. As we continue to share more stories from the Swiis Team, we hope you feel more connected to the people who make Swiis Foster Care a place where every child’s well-being is at the heart of everything we do.
