We’re delighted to share that Mosaic Foster Care has been named Small Business of the Year in both the Essex and Worcestershire regions. Presented by Business Awards UK, these regional awards recognise our continued growth, innovation and positive impact across the fostering sector. They also reflect our commitment to reaching more children and foster families without losing the personal, therapeutic support that sits at the heart of Mosaic.

This recognition feels particularly meaningful because fostering is rooted in strong local relationships. Foster parents need an agency that understands the communities they live in, works closely with local authorities and responds quickly when support is needed. Winning in both Essex and Worcestershire reflects our ability to work across different regions while continuing to provide the personal, relationship-led support foster families value from a smaller agency.

Why winning Small Business of the Year in Essex and Worcestershire matters

As a fostering agency expands, there is always a risk that caseloads will increase, relationships will become less personal and foster parents will find themselves dealing with different professionals each time they need help.

We’ve taken a deliberately careful approach. Instead of expanding as quickly as possible, we’ve invested in our people, training and therapeutic expertise so that foster parents continue to feel heard, valued and supported.

This is important because fostering is not defined by the straightforward days. The quality of an agency’s support becomes clearest when a child is struggling, a foster parent needs reassurance or a family requires professional guidance quickly. Remaining responsive during those moments has been central to the way we’ve grown Mosaic in both Essex and Worcestershire.

How Mosaic Foster Care has grown without compromising care

Our turnover increased from £2.18 million in 2022 to £3.18 million in 2024 as demand from local authorities continued to rise. We also expanded our team and network of specialist professionals, allowing us to support more complex, long-term foster placements.

However, business growth only matters to us when it makes a difference to the experience of the children and families we work alongside. Our investment in training, careful matching, therapeutic expertise and ongoing support has helped us maintain a 94% placement stability rate. This means more children can remain in secure, long-term homes with foster parents who have the practical and professional support they need to keep going when challenges arise.

How our SMILE framework supports therapeutic foster care

One of the clearest examples of the innovation recognised by the awards is our in-house SMILE framework.

Rather than introducing therapeutic support only when a placement reaches crisis point, we’ve embedded it throughout foster parent training, reflective practice, supervision, matching and everyday care. This helps our foster parents understand what may sit beneath a child’s behaviour and respond with greater confidence, consistency and empathy. It also means children and families can access professional therapeutic input as part of the way we work, rather than being left to wait until a situation has escalated.

Supporting foster families in Essex and Worcestershire

Winning Small Business of the Year in both regions is especially important to us because it reflects the difference our work makes within the communities we serve.

Whether a foster parent is part of our long-established network in Essex or joining our growing community in Worcestershire, our commitment remains the same. We provide careful matching, small caseloads, ongoing professional development and access to therapeutic expertise when it is needed.

We want foster parents to know the people supporting them, feel confident raising concerns and trust that they will not be left to manage complex situations alone. Protecting that personal approach as our reach increases is one of the achievements these regional awards represent.

An award shared by our foster parents and team

These awards may carry our name, but they belong to everyone who makes our work possible.

Our foster parents provide children with the consistency, patience and care they need to begin feeling safe. Our social workers, therapists, youth support workers and wider team work alongside them, sharing knowledge and stepping in with practical or therapeutic support when it matters.

It is their professionalism, compassion and willingness to work together that allow us to support more families without losing sight of the individual child at the centre of every decision.

What comes next for Mosaic Foster Care We’re incredibly proud to have been recognised as Small Business of the Year in Essex and Worcestershire, but our focus remains firmly on the work ahead.

We’ll continue strengthening the support available to foster families, developing our therapeutic practice and helping more children experience the safety and stability of a long-term home.

As we welcome more foster parents in Essex, Worcestershire and the other areas we serve, we’ll remain committed to the principles that have shaped Mosaic from the beginning: careful matching, responsive support, strong relationships and better long-term outcomes for children.

Could you foster with Mosaic in Essex or Worcestershire?

These awards are a proud milestone for everyone at Mosaic, but the real measure of our success will always be the difference we make to children and foster families.

If you’re considering fostering and want to join an agency that combines personal support with professional therapeutic expertise, speak to our team today to learn more about fostering with Mosaic in Essex or Worcestershire.

About Mosaic Foster Care Mosaic Foster Care is an independent fostering agency providing Ofsted Outstanding rated therapeutic foster care across Essex, Suffolk, Bedfordshire including Milton Keynes, Hertfordshire, North Kent, Northamptonshire and Worcestershire. Our mission is to ensure every child in our care thrives in a stable, nurturing home. We achieve this by providing long-term foster placements and by carefully matching children and foster parents. We keep caseloads small and embed in-house professionally delivered therapy and youth support into everyday practice – so no child is ever left waiting for the critical support they need. Foster parents receive more than £700 per week after training and benefit from ongoing professional development, and a community that truly understands the rewards and challenges of fostering.