Michael from the West Midlands is looking after his first young person as a foster carer. He has shared his experiences from his initial weeks as a carer and the training and support he’s received to get his fostering journey started. Why did you decide to become a foster carer? We had seen various documentaries and posters about young people in care and were shocked to see how many still needed foster carers and safe homes. We spoke to some couples local to us who foster with the Local Authority to get an insight into what it would be like. Then we chose St Christopher’s as my cousin has fostered with them for a number of years and recommended we give it a try. Once we were approved we were so scared but excited at the same time. Sitting waiting for the phone to ring with news of our first young person was nerve-wracking, but we’ve landed on our feet. Who lives in your household at the moment? Right now we are looking after an 11 year old boy who is on the autistic spectrum. It’s our first placement so it’s all new to us! We have our moments but mostly it’s great. He is currently waiting for a school place so our priority is to get him back into education. He has met my extended family and now recognises people when we’re out in our local community, so he’s settling in well. We’ve opened up an ISA account for him and sorted out his weekly pocket money. We’ve also registered him at a GP surgery, dentist and opticians – everything that any parent would do. We also have a 32 year old son who no longer lives at home. We told about our decision before we started going through the application process. He gets on well with our foster child and they’ve been getting closer as they spend time together. What is the training and support like? Everything that I’ve done so far has been good. The first thing we did was some introductory training as part of the application process – it opens your eyes and makes you think about what it will really be like as a carer. We were under no illusions though and knew it would be a challenge as the young people are in care for particular reasons. Since then I’ve done a first aid course and started the new social pedagogy training. There are also monthly support groups for the foster carers. It’s a mixture of people every month so there is always different people you can talk to about their fostering journeys. They tell you everything straight so you can properly compare your experiences. We’ve mainly spoken to other carers with just one foster child, but I really admire all the carers looking after two, three or four young people. Do you have any stand out moments from fostering? Well, we haven’t been doing it very long but my favourite things so far are when we can just go out for the day and have a good laugh together. It’s worthwhile to see him smiling and everyone at St Christopher’s is so supportive and comments on how well we are doing. We’re looking forward to what other experiences come our way! Are you thinking about fostering? Have a chat with St Christopher's today on 0800 234 6282 or fill in an enquiry form to request a callback. Source: http://www.stchris.org.uk FFP Member News: TACT - Fostering means everything to me, it can be hard work but it’s so rewarding9/5/2017
I always knew I would embrace fostering disabled children because my son had been born with severe disabilities. Sadly he died when he was just six, leaving a huge gap in my life. My fostering journey started more than 25 years ago, when my first husband and I worked as child minders. We began offering respite to children with special needs and we so enjoyed having the children in our home. Despite having four children of our own, the house always seemed so empty when the children in our care returned to their families. So we started fostering. With such a large family, people could not understand how we were also able to also look after a disabled foster child. Fortunately, our social worker had four children herself and was very supportive, believing we could do it. Our first placement was an eight-year-old girl with severe learning and physical disabilities, and no speech. We were told she would not live to adulthood, so we thought long and hard before she joined our family, knowing that we would ultimately be putting our family through loss in the not so far future. She was beautiful and made people smile. When she died at the age of 24 it broke our hearts, but it helped that we have such wonderful memories of her. Our second placement was a boy aged seven with epilepsy and cerebral palsy. We had befriended his family when he was just 5 and when he went into care at the age of seven he came to live with us. Twenty years on, he still lives with us. He is happy but still needs a lot of support with his disability. Sharing a home with children with disabilities has helped our birth children to develop into adults who have a loving and accepting approach to disabled people. We are so proud that they have all gone on to become support workers helping young people with disabilities in need of support. Two of my children are our back up foster carers, so that our foster children can remain in their home whenever my husband Neville and I need a break. After my husband and I divorced I was a single carer for a few years, before getting married to Neville seven years ago. He has taken to fostering so well. We faced our biggest challenge in 2012 when I was diagnosed with cancer. I couldn’t bear the thought of the children moving out. We dealt with the questions asked by the children. I was extremely unwell and had very intensive treatment, but throughout all my bad days Neville supported me with keeping the children at home. Our TACT and local authority social workers were fantastic, trusting and supporting us to maintain stable family life during a very difficult situation. I am in remission now thank goodness. Kassie joined our family when she was eight and our house was starting to struggle for bedrooms. Attics were converted and extensions were added to accommodate our large family. We built a cabin for our birth daughter and converted our garage for our birth son to live in. Our new girl was very different to fostering boys with learning disabilities but we loved having her with us. She left at 16 to live with her boyfriend, but we remained close. Two years ago I had the pleasure of walking her down the aisle, a very proud day for me. Neville and I are Nana and Grandpa to their two boys. Next, a four-year-old boy with learning disabilities and autism joined our family. We were only meant to have him for a weekend, but when he held my hand on the way home from school my heart melted. So he stayed. He is now 19 and we are supporting him through transition to college where he will be working towards achieving independence and life skills. Another young boy with learning disabilities joined the family when he was eight and left two years ago when he was 18. He is still very much part of our family spending weekends, Christmas and holidays with us. Finally, a 15-year-old girl joined the family last year. She is very bubbly and its very refreshing to have a girl in our home again. As you can tell, fostering means everything to me. We have a large loving family and it can be hard work, but so very rewarding. We have always known a busy house full of toys, noise and love. My children call me Earth Mother. To anyone interested in offering a disabled child a place in their home I say give it a try there is no skill just caring and being there for them. Lynda TACT Foster Carer Source: https://www.tactcare.org.uk FFP Member News: Community Foster Care - Ben says life – and foster care - is what you make of it8/5/2017
Ben Sheridan was 13 when he was placed into care. He had been living with his nan in Cheltenham who could no longer care for him because of illness. “I was told I’d be going into care for a short period,” said Ben, now 20. “It was a bit daunting. I had no idea what it would be like. But my social worker explained it was only for 28 days to begin with, then it would all be evaluated. So I thought I might as well roll with the punches.” Punches were not what came his way. The first foster carers to welcome Ben into their home were Steve and Wendy Impey who have been carers with Community Foster Care for almost 20 years and have looked after more than 15 children. Ben’s 28-day trial period came and went. And seven years later, he is still with Mr and Mrs Impey, living independently in their annexe and making his own way in the world. “When I first arrived, Wendy was in the kitchen and Steve was at work. Their son was 22 and living in the annexe which is now my own home. There was another cared-for child on the computer in the living room. It was like walking into an everyday household. “I moved my stuff into my own room, and that was it. “For the first two weeks I spent most of my time on my games console. I didn’t know anyone in Gloucester - it was the school holidays and my school was in Cheltenham. “It was another cared-for child who dragged me out and helped me get to know people. He was 16. Now he’s 23 and like my big brother. It was through him that I made the best mates that I’ve still got today. “When my nan got ill, I realised that everything was about to change. I had to grow up a bit quicker than most to handle the process better but it was ok. It was just circumstances - and how you handle those circumstances is what makes you the person you are. “At the end of that first month, I was asked if I wanted to stay. I liked how things were going so I thought ‘why spoil a good thing?’ “My home with Steve and Wendy became a permanent placement. And from then on I had a pathway plan - there were meetings every six months with social workers and Community Foster Care to make sure everyone was happy.”
At 18, Ben had left school with six GCSEs and was no longer part of the care system. He moved into supported lodging (the annexe) and spent two years at Hartpury College studying for an outdoor adventure diploma. He now has a full-time job at McDonald’s in Eastern Avenue and is a firm fixture in the Impeys’ extended family which includes two grown-up sons, two other cared-for children, Barney the dog and Skye the budgie. Being gloomy is not part of Ben’s make-up – far from it. “Being in foster care has allowed me to grow into the person I am today. What you get out of life depends on what you put in, and I’m a firm believer that if you want something, you have to earn it,” he said. “I’ve tried to handle every situation as it comes. I’ve never felt the need to kick off. “The Impeys are brilliant people. What has always stuck with me is Steve saying that if you want something, you have to work for it. Life doesn’t land on a plate.” His advice to any child coming into care is plain: “Always have an open mind and try to be flexible. “It’s a natural reaction to think things are going to be bad. You wonder whether your carers will like you, and whether you’ll like them. But everyone I’ve met along the way has been there to support me. “I’ll stay in touch with Wendy and Steve for the rest of my life. I can never forget them. It’s a relationship for life.” Source: http://www.communityfostercare.co.uk FFP Member News: Community Foster Care - Ryan reckons he’s hit the jackpot with his foster carers8/5/2017
Ryan Aves reckons he ‘hit the jackpot’ when he walked through the door of Ana and Haydn Price. “They’re the best thing that could have happened to me,” said the 18-year-old who was placed into care at the age of 10 along with his younger brother when they both needed a foster home. The pair arrived at the Prices’ home in Hucclecote via a placement with Community Foster Care. “I’d had two foster homes in six months. Then one day my social worker picked me up from school and said I was going to a new placement. It was scary and the nerves kicked in – I was afraid of everything,” said Ryan, now 6ft 4in tall and a towering version of his 10-year-old self. “I wasn’t very well-behaved, especially in supermarkets. I had eczema. I didn’t wash. I got bullied at school. All I wanted to eat was chips and takeaways.
“I was afraid of the dark, of falling down the stairs, of falling up the stairs. I followed Haydn everywhere because I thought he might leave me. I used to wander around the house at night, just worried. “After about five weeks I began to sleep properly and woke up one morning thinking ‘I could get used to this’. “I started to try different foods and took small steps every day. It got better and better. “Now I think my life here has been absolutely fantastic – I got very lucky. “I’ve been looked after by nice carers – they are the best ever. I’m not saying that I don’t love my mum, but after eight years with Haydn and Ana, they are the best thing that happened to me.” When Ryan’s 18th birthday came along in November 2016, and after much discussion with Haydn, Ana and Community Foster Care, he opted to stay with the Prices on the Staying Put scheme which enables cared-for children to remain with their long-term carers on an independent living basis. Now he is studying for GCSEs at Gloucestershire College. He gets up at 6am each day to muck out the family horse Henry, before cycling from Hucclecote to Cheltenham and back. He has no doubt that fostering transformed his life. Not only is he settled and happy, he has a wide support network made up of Ana and Haydn’s relatives, the team at Community Foster Care, and friends made at CFC’s regular social events for foster families and children. He sits on CFC’s Student Forum which acts as a sounding board for cared-for children. “From the moment I came into care, I’ve had the best two people in the world to look after me. I’ve been able to do anything - climb trees, go cycling, running, playing golf. “I’ve had my ups and downs, but these two have turned me round and put me on the right road.” His message to other children who face the fears that entering the care system inevitably bring is simple: “Don’t be nervous. Relax. You will be loved. You will be happy.” Source: http://www.communityfostercare.co.uk The BBC came to Team Fostering's Sheffield office in January 2017 to film part of a documentary about care leavers. They wanted to film Scott King, who himself is a former looked after young person, as he delivered his 'Child's World' training to our carers and staff. Child's World is Scott's personal narrative about his time growing up in care. Watch the full documentary here Source: http://www.teamfostering.co.uk An article has been published in the Guardian newspaper talking about our work with unaccompanied asylum seeking children and how we support them to settle into life in the UK. The journalist first came to visit a 16+ service to talk to staff about the activities we plan for both UASC and young people from the UK so they can get to know each other. Young people then shared their stories of living with St Christopher's too and talked about bonding through cooking meals from their own cultures for one another. She then went to watch one of the St Christopher's All Blacks football games. The team is made up of young people from all over the world who have bonded through their love of the sport. The article is available in print and online by clicking here. Source: http://www.stchris.org.uk FtSE Member News: TACT support Jessica Kingsley Publishers with book to demystify fostering12/4/2017
Jessica Kingsley is publishing a "much-needed" new book for Foster Care Fortnight, to "demystify the experience for potential new foster parents". Supported by TACT, a fostering and adoption charity, and to be accompanied by a wide marketing and publicity campaign, Welcome to Fostering will publish at the start of Foster Care Fortnight on 8th May. Featuring a foreword by Lorraine Pascale, who draws on her own experiences of being fostered as a child, the book is edited by Andy Elvin, c.e.o. of TACT, and Martin Barrow, formerly news editor of The Times and an experienced foster carer himself. According to the publisher, Welcome to Fostering is the "first book to explain what fostering is really like" and combines advice from veteran foster carers and professionals with the real-life experiences of foster children. The book will answer questions such as: 'What are the challenges and rewards? Is fostering really for me?' Commissioning editor Steve Jones said: “I’m thrilled that Welcome to Fostering will be launching during Foster Care Fortnight. The fortnight helps to highlight the awe-inspiring work that foster carers do, and this book is an ideal introduction for anyone contemplating fostering, and is a fabulous addition to our range of titles supporting adoptive parents and foster carers.” Source: http://www.thebookseller.com The brand new Director of Children's Services at the Department for Education visited two of our services in West London on Thursday, April 6 to meet young people and hear about their experiences of children's social care. Phil Townsend, Director of Operations, acted as a tour guide for the day. Young people who were around the homes on the day had thought in advance about what questions they wanted to ask the government representative and what experiences they wanted to talk about with her. The guest started her day at a Safe Steps children's home for girls at risk of exploitation. Social Pedagogy Trainer Nicola Boyce provided an overview of our services and model of care, before Manager Parveen Banga explained about the Safe Steps models and our experiences of being part of the DfE Innovation Programme. Amelia, a young person who used to live in the home, also came back to talk about her experiences of St Christopher's and how much of a difference we made to her life. Later in the afternoon the Director visited a 16+ service in West London. Manager Chardelle Margerison and Life-Skills and Participation Co-ordinator Alex Jones introduced the home and explained how we have developed our practice to support young people in their transitions from children's homes to supported housing to living independently. This included talking about a project where young people identified what they think is important for these moves and delivered training to managers of children's homes and 16+ services on making transitions easier. Young people provided the Director with a tour of the two buildings and again shared their experiences of living with St Christopher's and being supported to move to independent accommodation. Our guest really enjoyed the day and particularly highlighted how impressed she was with the way we focus on building relationships. She said it was rewarding to see staff and young people together as you could really see how they had bonded and built strong relationships. *Names of young people have been changed Source: http://www.stchris.org.uk At The CFT we pride ourselves on having some of the best Foster Carers in the country… and we are absolutely thrilled when our Carers are recognised by outside parties for their hard work and contributions to fostering. In March 2017, we were notified that our Foster Carers, Clare & Mike Eynon – had been shortlisted to be finalists for the ‘Fostering Contribution of the Year’ award, awarded by Towergate Insurance. Clare & Mike were invited to attend the awards ceremony at The Dorchester in London on March 23rd 2017, along with the registered manager for their CFT fostering region, Jayne Figgett. The Towergate awards are an opportunity for people from all across the care community to come together and celebrate the very in care excellence. Towergate Insurance present a number of different awards to people from all areas of the care sector, including Therapists, Volunteers, Education Workers and Young People. Clare and Mike had been shortlisted to receive the award in the ‘Fostering contribution of the year’ category due to their continued outstanding commitment to fostering, including their devotion to young parents who need support in learning how to care for their children and become well equipped parents. In addition to this, they were also recognised for their strength and dedication to fostering following a tragic experience in which a young child placed with them sadly passed away due to severe disability and illness.
Unfortunately, Clare & Mike were not chosen as the winners of this category, however were still given an honourable mention, as well as receiving a certificate and some Red Letter Days vouchers in recognition of their nomination – an excellent achievement in itself! Source: http://thecft.org.uk Another two fostering households have been approved recently, bringing the total number of fostering households to 14. Gary Cox, Founder of Young People at Heart, said that he was delighted that both households were immigrants to the UK some years ago and, while they were fluent in English, their home languages were Portugese and Spanish respectively, and he felt their experience of moving to the UK and learning a new language and culture could benefit young people in care, whether they were new to the UK or separated from their family. He also felt the potential benefit of Spanish or Portugese speaking young people being able to converse in their own language, or young people and carers finding English as a common second language, could greatly benefit the young person in care. Gary added that he wanted Young People at Heart to continue to embrace diversity and he encouraged new or existing foster carers from all backgrounds to consider joining the Young People at Heart family. As a not-for-profit organisation, outcomes for young people are paramount and the appointment of our Education advisor was having an immediate benefit for foster carers and young people. He hoped more foster carers would enquire about joining the organisation, either through the web page contact form or via the telephone numbers provided. Source: http://www.youngpeopleatheart.org |
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