June is LGBT Pride Month and TACT is very proud of its LGBT foster carers, so we are sharing stories of how they have transformed the lives of children and young people in their care. Today is the turn of Rob and Bob who became instant foster dads of three when they began fostering young siblings – 2 little boys and their sister. While it was a steep learning curve for them all, they soon settled into happy family life. It has been such a successful placement that the children are now with them permanently and will remain until adulthood. Read their story here Please follow our news section and twitter page as we bring you these stories throughout June. Source: www.tactcare.org.uk TACT and Research in Practice have developed three linked surveys – for young people in care, carers and birth families – to explore their experiences of life at home during lockdown. The surveys aim to explore how people have spent their time, experiences of home schooling and relationships with social care over the lockdown period. The findings will be used to inform practice as we move towards exiting lockdown, so that we can learn the lessons of the past three months and retain anything that carers, birth families and young people in care found beneficial, and address that which was problematic. The survey will run from 9-21 June and all responses will be anonymous: Survey for young people. Survey for carers. Survey for birth families. Please share widely with children in care social work teams, local authority foster carers, independent foster care providers, residential care homes, special guardianship teams, special guardians themselves and birth parent networks. The more widely the surveys are shared the more robust picture it will give of life in care under lockdown to allow learning for the future. Source: www.researchinpractice.org.uk Industry News: MPs vote against scrapping controversial relaxation of children in care duties10/6/2020
Children's minister says regulations relieving councils of certain duties during coronavirus being used 'infrequently' and there are 'no plans' to extend their use beyond September deadline MPs have voted against a move to scrap contentious changes to legislation governing councils’ responsibilities to children in care. A motion, led by the shadow education secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, to annul a statutory instrument relaxing a range of duties safeguarding children and young people was defeated on 10 June by 260 votes to 123. The amendments to regulations, justified by the government as providing important flexibility during the coronavirus crisis, were introduced in late April and enacted without sitting before Parliament for the customary 21 days. Opponents, who include the Children’s Commissioner for England, Labour, significant numbers of children’s charities and the British Association of Social Workers England, argue the changes are unnecessary and may do harm to children, while some organisations claim they could pave the way for permanent weakening of children’s rights. The children’s rights charity, Article 39, launched a judicial review this month seeking to quash the statutory instrument. On 11 June the charity said the government had been given until 22 June to respond. “Judge granted our application to seek a quick response,” a statement from Article 39 on Twitter said. “This means we should hear in about a fortnight whether we have permission and a costs-capping order.” ‘No social worker would put children in harm this way’ During the debate preceding the vote on the motion, the children’s minister, Vicky Ford, failed to answer questions posed by Labour’s Emma Lewell-Buck, the former shadow children’s minister and an ex-social worker, around which local authorities had made use of the new flexibilities. Lewell-Buck, the MP for South Shields, said she could not “imagine a single social worker, having been one myself, who would allow any child that they work with to be put at harm in this way”. She reiterated the concerns of many opposed to the statutory instrument, that the changes it introduces mirror measures to deregulate children’s social care former Conservative administrations tried and failed to introduce under the Children and Social Work Act 2017. Ford claimed the decision to introduce the amendments had been influenced by conversations with social workers who had said the system was faced with unprecedented stresses. She said the government needed to respond to “the risk that local authorities may be unable to respond to significant pressures posed by Covid-19”, namely the combination of staff absences and an expected spike in demand as lockdown lifts. Measures being used ‘infrequently’ Ford said the urgency of the situation had reduced the government’s ability to consult fully on the changes – a key bone of contention, with organisations including the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) saying they have not had active input. She did not address questions posed by Lewell-Buck requesting more detail about the process leading to the drafting of the statutory instrument, and stressed that primary legislation had not been amended. But Ford said the government was surveying local authorities monthly as to whether they were making use of it, and talking with other parties such as children’s charities in order to assess the impact of any such use. She said the legislative changes were being used “infrequently” and that there were “no plans” to extend them beyond their planned 25 September expiry date, as is provided for by the statutory instrument. “If there is a need to extend these flexibilities this will be on a case-by-case basis and subject to full Parliamentary process,” Ford said, adding that she would report back to the Commons before the summer recess. ‘Picking up where the last government left off’ In the wake of the vote, the Article 39 director Carolyne Willow said it was “deeply frustrating” that Ford had used much of her speech to talk broadly about her department’s policy and actions in the face of Covid-19. “This was the opportunity for the minister to give precise information about why her department considered the global pandemic warranted a behind-closed-doors review of all children’s social care legislation, and why each of the safeguards had to be deleted or weakened,” Willow said. “There was no such explanation – the repeated references to flexibilities, and the emphasis on primary legislation being untouched, is picking up where the government left off with the exemption clauses of 2016/17,” she added. “That was when the Department for Education first sought to distinguish between core safeguarding duties, and other legal protections.” Willow said the government was drawing a “false distinction” that showed a lack of understanding of the law and how children’s social work has evolved since the 1940s. ‘Deeply disappointing’ Meanwhile Katharine Sacks-Jones, the chief executive of the Become charity for children in care and care leavers, said it was a “real concern” that the government was sticking with the legislative changes. “Its’s vital they tell us more about what monitoring is taking place so that we can understand the impact they’re having on the safety and wellbeing of young people across the country,” Sacks-Jones said Ben Twomey, the head of policy at the National Youth Advisory Service (NYAS) said: “We are deeply disappointed by the result of today’s vote in parliament, but want to thank the MPs who stood up today in defence of children’s rights. “We will continue campaigning until this legislation is withdrawn and rights are restored to the children we work with,” Twomey added. “Statutory instrument 445 will remain under review until late September, during which time we urge the government to withdraw it at the earliest opportunity.” Source: www.communitycare.co.uk Action for Children has announced that its interim Chief Executive Melanie Armstrong is to remain as CEO of the charity until December 2021. She was appointed in March following the departure of Julie Bentley for personal reasons. Recruitment for a permanent CEO was put on hold recently as the UK was hit by the pandemic and the country was placed in lockdown. Action for Children Chair of Trustees, Sarika Patel said: “The country has been through the biggest crisis of our generation yet despite that we have continued to operate the majority of our services across the UK supporting the children, young people and families who have needed our help most. Melanie has been steering our organisation through these difficult times and is the best person to lead us out of this emergency. The Trustees and I agree that now is a time for continuity, stability and leadership and I have asked Melanie to prepare Action for Children for a post Covid era”. Melanie Armstrong said : “My immediate mission will be to drive forward our response to the pandemic. We have had to react quickly to safely deliver the majority of our services throughout this emergency and I am immensely proud of the commitment and creativity our teams have shown. The Covid crisis is hitting all charities hard and my aim will be for Action for Children to emerge stronger so we can continue to reach the children, young people and families who need us more than ever”. Before she was appointed interim CEO in March of this year, Melanie Armstrong was the Interim Managing Director of Corporate Shared Services at Action for Children until December 2019. She has previously held senior roles in both the commercial and not for profit sectors. Source: www.actionforchildren.org.uk As we all know, family life over the past few months has been challenging. Everyone has had to alter the way they approach life and everyday tasks such as work, play and communication. Ever-changing rules and regulations from the government have inevitably caused stress and confusion, with a sense of having to ‘cope’ under such bizarre circumstances. Many companies and organisations have either ground to a temporary halt, or are existing using limited resources. Many people are still currently working remotely, where possible, with no date yet on the horizon as to when society will return to relative normality. So where does fostering fit in with the current pandemic? Well, fostering doesn’t just stop. It can’t. It’s not a ‘nice to have’, or an activity that can be resumed at a later date. Foster carers are, in effect, Key Workers – providing an essential care service in a variety of situations. They are also amazing, highly skilled and highly adaptable people who make a difference to children’s lives every single day. All of the foster carers here at The Foster Care Co-operative are wonderful, but we have a few specific ‘shout-outs’ to these incredible people: Laura & Glenn are currently home-schooling six children, three of which are children in care. Dawn has also home schooled and kept her 4 young people busy with home activities. Jane & Chris have worked closely with their local school to maintain the education of a child placed with them. They are currently home-schooling this young person, and are using their skills to help maintain the placement. Two couples, Keith & Tracy and Lisa & Wayne, accepted newly fostered children into their homes during lockdown. They have worked closely with local authorities to ensure smooth transitions for the children, and have supported contact between the children and their parents via Zoom conference calling. Marie has managed to complete essential training online. This is just a snapshot of achievements, of our foster carers adapting to a temporary new way of life in order to continue to provide care, guidance and education to vulnerable young people. Thank you to the daughters and sons of our foster carers, who have had to share the care and guidance they get from their parents with other young people in their home, more than ever before.
And thank you to the young people we provide care for, who have shown time and time again how adaptable they are in such unusual circumstances. Circumstances that were already unusual for them from the outset. Fostering doesn’t stop. If you feel that you could make a difference to a child’s life, why not make a no-obligation enquiry here. Source: www.fostercarecooperative.co.uk Location: Walsall Salary: £33 p/h for initial visits and £27 p/h for support, supervision of foster carers and placements £1,900 + VAT per completed Form F Assessment Closing Date: 23/06/2020 Interview Date: 30/06/2020 Hours: Variable Self-Employed Sessional Social Workers - Fostering
TACT is the UK’s largest specialist charity provider of fostering services. Our core work involves providing high quality and well supported fostering or adoptive families for children and young people in the care of local authorities. Working in partnership with local authorities from our offices across England, Wales and Scotland, we are dedicated to providing creative, effective and outcome-focused services. We also campaign on behalf of children and young people in care, carers and adoptive families and are a leading voice in the sector. Our vision is to provide better lives for our children and young people. Our West Midlands Area Team are seeking self-employed social workers to support fostering in Dudley, Sandwell, Wolverhampton, West Bromwich, Kidderminster, Coventry and Warwickshire. The team require a number of workers to cover Form F Assessments and / or a variety of other duties. Successful applicants will be specifically located in these areas or within a 20 - 25 mile radius. Self-Employed Sessional Social Worker duties may include:
Self-Employed Sessional Social Worker - Fostering - Rates of Pay
Please see the Self-Employed Sessional Social Worker Job Information Pack for a full breakdown of the role and rates. Closing Date - Midnight 23rd June 2020 Interview Date - 30th June 2020 (via Skype) Safeguarding is everyone’s business and TACT believe that only the people with the right skills and values should work in social work. As part of TACT’s commitment to safeguarding, we properly examine the skills, experience, qualifications and values of potential staff in relation to our work with vulnerable young children. We use rigorous and consistent recruitment approaches to help safeguard TACT’s young people. All our staff are expected to work in line with TACT’s safeguarding policies. TACT does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them. Full details and application documents here Circa: £33,000 pro rata plus £700 per annum on call allowance Department/Division: England North Area: North West England Contract Type: Permanent Part Time Closing Date:19 June 2020 The role
We are looking for a Fostering Social Worker to join our small developing Fostering Service located in the North West (Greater Manchester) area. The role includes recruiting and assessing new applicants as well as supporting a caseload of foster carers. This role will be mainly Monday to Friday during the day but there will be some flexibility required to meet the needs of the service. There is also an on-call rota which you will be required to undertake. The 3 days of this role can be discussed at interview stage but we do require each Wednesday to be a working day. We promote and support agile working with all our Fostering Social Workers to enable you to work with a manageable caseload. Fostering experience and knowledge of fostering regulations is essential for this position. Part of the role is to develop and manage multi agency partnerships. This position also requires a good understanding of attachment and developmental trauma and a therapeutic parenting approach (Parenting with PACE). Our team consists of Admin Support, Social Worker, and a Young Person's Worker. We also work in partnership with Changing Minds UK Psychology Service who support our therapeutic work with children and young people. This service provides ongoing psychological consultation, training and guidance for the staff team and foster carers with the aim on ensuring a Therapeutic and evidence informed framework is utilised to support the young people, foster carers and staff. What we do... We recruit and assess new applicants and we provide professional supervision and developmental support, including advice and guidance to fostering families and colleagues from other agencies where appropriate. The successful applicant will be part of an enthusiastic fostering team. You will be expected to uphold the core values and beliefs of the organisation, ensuring that children, young people and foster carers receive a high-quality service and that commissioners' expectations and contractual requirements are met. This will be instilled through effective day to day delivery of a high-quality fostering service. What will you need?
What are the rewards?
Action for Children does what's right, does what's needed and does what works for children across the UK. Every year, our team changes the lives of 301,000 children, young people and their families – but for every child who needs help to get help, there's plenty more to do. That's where you come in. If you really want to make a difference and be a part of an amazing team, don't hesitate, apply now! This is a current and live role and we shall be progressing as normal with our recruitment for this position. To comply with social distancing, we intend to interview remotely for the time being. Details will be discussed with applicants who progress to interview stage. For more information on this opportunity please contact recruitmentservice@actionforchildren.org.uk reference number 3726 Full details and application documents here For quite a while now here at Team Fostering, we’ve been considering our impact on the wider world, especially with consideration to environmental issues; a concern close to the hearts of many of the young people we work with. We asked Non-Executive Director Walter Young to discuss the changes we are making as an agency to respond to this. “Team Fostering’s purpose and values have always been summed up in four words: Putting children’s futures first. Over the years we’ve become increasingly aware that the one thing that is putting children’s futures at risk more than anything else is climate change. Global warming is already affecting our environment, health, food supply, economy and security. If we do not take action, the effects will be far worse in the future. What can one organisation do about this? The Directors of Team Fostering have listened to the views of children and young people via the Eco Task Force, as well as suggestions and actions from employees and others. We have explored what changes could make the most difference in the shortest time, and whilst the challenge still feels overwhelming, we believe that we can at least ensure that the agency operates on a carbon-neutral basis. For example, one of the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis has been to make every meeting a virtual one, using video conferencing instead of meeting face-to-face. We’ve learned that it’s often possible to share information and make decisions without travelling to attend a meeting. In the future, we will cut our carbon footprint by making much more use of virtual meetings. Over the next few months, it is our intention to go through everything we have learned from the current crisis and work out how we can use that learning to make Team Fostering a better and more environmentally efficient organisation. As well as reducing our carbon impact by burning less fossil fuel, we can mitigate it by supporting the creation of forests in the UK. We are investing in this financially in partnership with Forest Carbon, an organisation that has already planted 7 million trees in the UK, in woodlands independently audited and certified under the UK Woodland Carbon Code. By supporting the creating of UK woodlands, we are helping to capture CO2 as well as delivering other benefits for biodiversity, landscape, flood management, water quality and recreation. We are currently creating our next 3-year strategic plan, which will cover the period 2021-2024. One of Team Fostering’s strategic objectives will be about ensuring an effective response to climate change, particularly reducing our output of greenhouse gases. This will lead to further initiatives and changes in our behaviour that we cannot necessarily predict today. Our approach to this needs to be about continuous improvement, not just a one-off change. Everyone can do their bit in trying to reduce the impact of climate change. Rather than feeling helpless or hoping someone else will sort it out, we believe that even the efforts of one organisation are worthwhile and will make a difference." To help Team Fostering continue making a difference to the lives of many more young people, you can contact us in the following ways: send an online enquiry by clicking here call us on 0800 292 2003 email us via info@teamfostering.co.uk Zoom, the teleconferencing company, have recently reported that profits are soaring as workers across the world are conducting their meetings and briefings using the online tool. The Covid-19 pandemic, as we are all aware, has resulted in social-distancing, working from home where possible, with rules and guidance from the government changing week-by-week. It’s therefore hardly surprising that organisations on a global scale have embraced the technology, meaning that you can look your colleagues in the eye (or at least in the general direction of the eye, due to the camera position!) rather than settling for the traditional telephone conference call arrangements. It’s a way of establishing a consistent communication tool that is inclusive of those still working in an office environment, and those working remotely. Never has this technology been more useful than in the fostering sector. In times of crisis, such as the current pandemic, fostering doesn’t stop – and the need for new foster carers is just as great. Maybe even greater. Here at The Foster Care Co-operative (FCC), the Zoom technology has played a huge part – and has helped us continue to operate as normal. While FCC has three main offices in Worcestershire, Cardiff and Greater Manchester, the majority of our social worker staff teams have always worked remotely – enabling us to cover wide areas of England and Wales. Even outside of the current pandemic, this video conferencing technology has proven useful. But we’ve gone much further than that. We’ve been able to facilitate virtual foster carer support groups, involving our foster carers and social workers. These support groups are a chance for foster carers to share their thoughts and experiences with other carers, as well as FCC staff. During one such session, one of our student placement social workers was able to deliver some training she had prepared on gang culture. She was able to screen-share her electronic presentation with the other participants using the Zoom facility, making the training just as engaging and interactive as if the participants were sat in the same room. Elsewhere, we are able to continue to recruit new foster carers, replacing the traditional initial social worker visit to the applicant’s home with a virtual visit. Meetings between applicants and the social workers conducting their assessments can also continue in this way – as well as panel meetings that have the final say on foster carer approval. All can be achieved virtually using this technology.
Of course once lockdown has ended, and we all go back to relative normality, those traditional face-to-face meetings and visits will be resumed. But we’re so proud of our staff, foster carers and the children they support for the adjustments they have made during these challenging times, along with the embracement of teleconferencing technology as a communication tool. This has not only enabled foster carer recruitment to continue, but has ensured that we can continue to provide care and support to our foster carers, children and staff. Source: www.fostercarecooperative.co.uk |
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