All children have identity needs
WHOLE™ creates space to ask questions that help children feel seen, known and understood.
BFCA · Culture, Identity & Belonging
For all children.
Because every child has identity needs.
The WHOLE™ Framework helps services understand identity, culture and belonging as core parts of good care for every child. It gives professionals a practical way to ask the right questions, assess cultural capacity, strengthen placement matching and build accountable support around the whole child.
Developed by the Black Foster Carers Alliance with carers, social workers and care-experienced young people.
8
identity, culture and belonging domains
3
connected tools to guide assessment and matching
1
clear goal: better support for the whole child
Designed for practiceA practical framework for fostering, children's social care and commissioning teams.
Focused on actionTurns identity and belonging gaps into clear plans, ownership and next steps.
Why WHOLE™ exists
Every child brings a history, culture, identity and sense of belonging. Every child has needs in these areas.
WHOLE™ was developed to help professionals make those needs visible, understood and actionable. While it was built in response to gaps affecting Black and global majority children, the framework is designed for all children because every child needs to be known, understood and supported as a whole person.
A shared language for practice
Not another tick-box exercise.
For all children.
The framework is not limited to one group. It supports services to think more completely about every child’s identity and belonging needs.
The framework is not limited to one group. It supports services to think more completely about every child’s identity and belonging needs.
Child-centred.
Starts with the child’s own voice, identity and lived experience.
Starts with the child’s own voice, identity and lived experience.
Evidence-led.
Each judgement is supported by information, not assumption or good intentions.
Each judgement is supported by information, not assumption or good intentions.
Action-focused.
Amber and red ratings trigger a named action, owner and timescale.
Amber and red ratings trigger a named action, owner and timescale.
Support carers before placement
The framework highlights current strengths, development needs and practical support required.
Turn gaps into action
WHOLE™ helps teams move from discussion to a clear, accountable support plan.
The heart of the framework
Eight domains of identity, culture and belonging.
WHOLE™ moves practice beyond ethnicity alone. Every child and every carer is considered across the same eight domains, helping professionals understand the multiple factors that shape a child’s experience and sense of self.
Heritage & Identity
Ancestry, ethnicity, names, family story, mixed heritage and cultural pride.
01Language & Communication
First language, home language, dialect, accent, code-switching and communication style.
02Food & Cultural Practices
Food that means home, celebrations, fasting, rituals, traditions and shared routines.
03Health, Skin & Hair Care
Hair texture, products, styling, skin care, body care and culturally informed health needs.
04Neurodiversity & Learning
ADHD, autism, dyslexia, sensory needs, processing differences and learning support.
05Religion, Faith & Community
Faith practice, festivals, prayer, dietary rules, congregations and community connection.
06Geography & Sense of Place
Neighbourhood, school, family proximity, local networks, belonging and the places that feel like “mine”.
07Sexuality, Gender & Body
Gender expression, sexuality, body awareness, puberty, safety and the language a child uses about themselves.
08How WHOLE™ works
Child first. Carer second. Match third.
Every placement decision sits on three connected tools. Together they make the child’s needs visible, assess the carer’s current capacity and show where support must be built before placement.
GREEN · strength / fully knownAMBER · developing / partialRED · concern / not known
“WHOLE™ helps services move from broad commitment to practical action — so identity, culture and belonging are considered in a way that is meaningful, consistent and accountable.”
01
Child Identity & Belonging Profile
Completed with the child. Eight domains, child voice, evidence, RAG rating and actions.
Before matching begins02
Carer Cultural Capacity Profile
An honest assessment of what the carer can do now, what is developing and where support is required.
Before a placement is proposed03
Placement Compatibility & Bridging Plan
Need meets capacity. Gaps become specific actions with a named owner and timescale.
Before placement is confirmedFrom intention to accountability
Willingness matters. Capability must be built.
WHOLE™ does not label carers as “good” or “bad”. It identifies where knowledge, experience, resources, community links, training or mentoring are needed so support is in place before a child is expected to adapt.
A
Name the gap
Make the missing knowledge or capability visible and specific.
B
Build the bridge
Agree training, resources, mentors, community links and practical support.
C
Track the action
Give every action an owner, a deadline and a review point.
What changes
Benefits for children, carers and services.
01
For children
Identity is affirmed rather than treated as an optional extra. Everyday cultural, relational and belonging needs become part of care planning.
02
For carers
Development needs are made clear before placement, with practical training, mentoring and resources attached to real needs.
03
For services
Teams gain a consistent, auditable approach to cultural capacity, placement compatibility and accountable support planning.
What your service can use WHOLE™ for.
Assessment
Strengthen how social workers understand and document a child’s identity beyond ethnicity alone.
Carer development
Identify cultural strengths, gaps and training needs before they become placement pressures.
Matching
Compare child need with carer capacity across all eight domains and identify where bridging support is required.
Supervision
Use the domains to structure reflective conversations and review progress on identity-related actions.
Placement planning
Translate concerns into specific actions, named owners and review dates.
Quality assurance
Give managers clearer visibility of where identity needs are fully supported and where systemic gaps remain.
FAQ
Common questions from services.
Who is the framework for?
WHOLE™ is designed for all children. It can be used by local authorities, independent fostering agencies, children’s social care teams and fostering services.
Is WHOLE™ only about ethnicity?
No. The framework goes beyond ethnicity alone and explores the wider identity, culture and belonging factors that shape a child’s experience.
Can it support matching decisions?
Yes. WHOLE™ helps compare the child’s needs with the carer’s current capacity and identify any bridging support required before placement.
Can BFCA provide training and implementation support?
Yes. BFCA can discuss demonstration, training, implementation and licensing options with your service.
See WHOLE™ in practice
Help your team ask better questions and build better support for every child.
Book a demonstration for your fostering, children’s social care or commissioning team. We can show the eight-domain assessment, carer cultural capacity profile, compatibility process and bridging plan — and discuss how WHOLE™ could be implemented in your service.
Free WHOLE™ demo
Book a free demo
See how the WHOLE™ Framework brings a child’s identity, their voice and their carer’s support needs together in one place. Tell us a little about you and what you’re interested in, and Rachel will be in touch within 2 working days to find a time.
Opens our short enquiry form in a new tab. It takes about two minutes.