Client
Foster for East Midlands is a UK government-funded fostering hub responsible for recruiting foster carers across four councils: Derby, Nottingham, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire. The programme brings together multiple authorities under a single recruitment initiative, each with distinct priorities, targets, and operational needs.
Goal
To increase foster carer enquiries across a highly regulated sector while balancing the needs of four councils, maintaining strict compliance with government policies and GDPR, and delivering consistent performance across digital and offline channels.
Action
ForgeBrand partnered closely with Foster for East Midlands to design and deliver a holistic, regulation-compliant marketing strategy tailored to the complexities of public sector fostering recruitment.
We worked directly with council web teams to optimise the Foster for East Midlands website, improving usability, accessibility, and clarity of calls to action to encourage foster carer enquiries.
Paid advertising campaigns were planned, launched, and optimised across Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and TikTok to reach prospective carers efficiently. Campaigns were closely monitored and refined to balance performance with platform policy constraints and safeguarding requirements.
We supported recruitment teams by strengthening lead generation processes and optimising elements of the sales and enquiry journey, improving follow-up and communication with prospective carers.
An organic social media strategy was developed to build local awareness and trust, supported by third-party agencies delivering network marketing, influencer activity, user-generated content, display, and PR campaigns.
ForgeBrand also managed digital promotion for online and in-person recruitment events, using paid media to drive consistent sign-ups and attendance. Alongside this, we implemented a structured SEO strategy to improve organic search visibility and ensure the service was discoverable by individuals actively seeking fostering opportunities.
Throughout delivery, we navigated complex regulatory challenges, including GDPR compliance and paid media platform verification and policy issues, resolving blocks quickly and implementing compliant workarounds to maintain campaign momentum.
Result
Foster for East Midlands saw a significant increase in foster carer enquiries, aligning with annual recruitment and budget targets across all four councils. Despite operating within a tightly regulated environment, campaigns remained effective, adaptable, and performance-led.
All digital content and media were delivered in a fully accessible and compliant manner, ensuring adherence to government standards while still driving meaningful engagement. The partnership established a scalable, compliant marketing framework capable of supporting long-term foster carer recruitment across multiple local authorities.