Best Practice Engagement Project (BPEP)

Foster Care Communication and
Recruitment Strategy

In June 2006 the Victorian Government approved one-off funding of $500,000 to develop a Foster Care Communication and Recruitment Strategy for Victoria. The funding is held by The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare; decisions on expenditure are guided by a Reference Group (FCCRS) that includes The Centre, the Foster Care Association of Victoria, other sector stakeholders and DHS.

The following links will provide you with more information in relation to:

• Foster Care Communication and Recruitment Strategy (FCCRS)

• Best Practice Engagement Project (BPEP)

• BPEP Process and Timeline

• BPEP Project Logic

• Breakthrough Series Collaborative (BSC)

 

The FCCRS

The Centre is currently developing a Foster Care Communication and Recruitment Strategy (FCCRS) for Victoria to strengthen our approach to carer recruitment and retention and stem the shortage in foster carers across Victoria.  The FCCRS Reference Group consists of CSO representatives, regional and head office DHS staff, foster carers and Centre staff.

The objectives of the FCCRS are:

• To develop a foster care communication and recruitment strategy in Victoria that can be used over the next 3-5 years and that provides a positive image of being a foster carer and contributes to an increase in the number of foster carers and improved retention of current carers. This could include a recognisable/ branded campaign.
• To engage all Victorian foster care services in the implementation of recruitment and retention strategies.

Preliminary research as been undertaken to provide a basis from which to develop the most appropriate strategy to address challenges around recruitment and retention of foster carers in Victoria. This strategy is likely to include a mix of activities including the development of new promotional materials, and practice improvement strategies for the sector.

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The BPEP

A key initiative of the Foster Care Communication and Recruitment Strategy is the Best Practice Engagement Project (BPEP). The BPEP is a 12 month project which aims to engage CSOs around good recruitment practice. The key learnings from the preliminary research will provide a basis for the BPEP.

The objectives of the BPEP are:

• To assist foster care services in identifying and testing new ideas for good recruitment and/ or retention practice at and 'on the ground' level within dedicated teams.
• Evaluate the impact of those practices on the recruitment or retention issue being addressed. Successful strategies will be documented and shared with services across Victoria.
• Encourage a culture of continuous quality improvement. 
• Provide a way for the FCCRS to gain feedback on other outputs of the strategy.
  

The BPEP will be facilitated through a series of statewide and regional forums, to be attended by a mixture of CSO representatives (workers, managers and foster carers) and DHS regional representatives. Each forum will provide the opportunity for participating teams to share information and learnings about their own practice innovations.  

By the end of the project we will have identified and tested a range of effective recruitment and retention practices that are well documented in a "toolkit" and able to be replicated across other CSOs in the sector.  As such, the long term outcome for the project will be increased use of effective practice to recruit and retain foster carers.

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