The Fostering Network
The Fostering Network is the UK’s leading fostering charity, dedicated to championing fostering and making foster care the very best it can be. It brings together and supports everyone who is involved in the lives of fostered children, including families and the services that work with them.
We were brought on board to oversee the redesign and rebuild of The Fostering Network website and membership system. They had a dated site and wanted to showcase their work better and increase user engagement with enhanced content features. As a membership organisation, they also wanted to provide greater value for existing members and increase success in recruiting new members.
Over the time working with The Fostering Network we have provided ongoing strategic support, Drupal maintenance, UX and design services, and multiple major Drupal upgrades. We’ve also worked in partnership with technical teams on the client side and with their third party CRM providers to ensure that the site integration is fully functional, providing enhanced front end features for user, streamlining works flows for the clients admin staff and reducing ongoing costs.
The client’s primary objectives included:
- Enhanced user engagement
Creating a compelling and personalised user journey, where content is surfaced based on a user’s profile and past browsing history, enabling users to find an continuous stream of interesting and relevant information - Personalised content delivery
Implementing differential data display options based on user types (such as logged-in member / non-member) and presenting personalised data according to each user’s preferences and previous site usage - Digital transformation of publications
Replacing the charity’s previous PDF download version of their prestigious printed magazine with a customised, glossy, online version, where users can digitally flip through pages in the same way they would a normal magazine - Seamless CRM integration
Rebuilding the website in Drupal 8 and shifting the CRM to MS Dynamics, ensuring updated database details – including member subscriptions, foster carer details, fostering agency records and other vital information – integrated seamlessly with the new site
Personalised user experience and system integrations
We collaborated closely with The Fostering Network team and their CRM suppliers to develop a Drupal website that offers an engaging and personalised user journey for members. The site dynamically displays content based on user profiles and past interactions, enhancing engagement and relevance. Differential data display options cater to various user types, such as logged-in members and non-members. The site also simplifies and reduces friction in the membership sign-up and renewal process, enabling a wide range of member types to sign-up and manage their accounts via the website whilst data is kept in sync automatically with the client’s CRM and other back-office systems.
The integration with MS Dynamics CRM was meticulously planned to ensure seamless data flow. We liaised with the third-party CRM provider to synchronize member subscriptions, foster carer details, and agency records, ensuring data integrity and consistency across platforms.
Recognizing the importance of their printed magazine, we also provided the client with an innovative digital makeover improving the PDF version by replacing it with a site based online version, allowing users to digitally flip through pages, enhancing the reading experience. While the full publication remains exclusive to members, snippets are accessible to site visitors, promoting membership benefits.
Project achievements
The revamped website led to significant improvements:
- Membership purchases increased by 58%
- Traffic to the login page rose by 38%
- Average page loading time decreased by 45%
Our work with The Fostering Network includes ongoing on-demand support, Drupal security and maintenance services, CMS upgrades, CRM integration and data management and testing, back-office process flow improvements, and discrete feature enhancements and design improvements.
“We’re delighted with the new look and functionality of our website. Every month thousands of people come to our site and it’s vital that they have a positive user experience and can navigate their way around easily. The new structure of our site is proving to be really effective.”
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Let’s create something brilliant together
For over 20 years we’ve specialised in designing and developing bespoke public and internal facing systems for our clients. Our expertise includes custom LMS platforms, CRM development, grant application tooling, integrations with third-party tools, user experience design, accessibility compliance and long-term support. We deliver robust, secure systems that handle complex requirements while remaining flexible for growth and innovation. Call us now on 020 8747 3274 or send us a message to get going.
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