LGBT foster carers and adopters join Barnardo’s in urging people to welcome a child into their life during awareness week

This week Barnardo’s is proud to support New Family Social as it urges more LGBT+ people and couples to consider fostering or adoption.

This year the theme for  LGBT+ Fostering and Adoption Week, which runs from 4th to 10th March, is ‘7 days to love’. In support of the awareness week, some of Barnardo’s LGBT+ foster carers and adopters have spoken out to encourage others to consider fostering and adoption.

One such couple is George and Martin Lusty, from London. They adopted two little boys when they were three and four in July 2014 and say it has “tipped our lives upside down – in a good way!”

George said: “It’s possibly the biggest challenge you will ever undertake but it’s so worth it. We have two cheeky, kind, inquisitive boys who are the centre of our lives. One is incredibly sharp and he loves music. His brother is more reflective, loves the natural world and can gasp at the beauty of the everyday. We are so pleased we adopted two brothers – they are an incredible duo with a fierce loyalty to each other and such a strong bond.” 

George said he would strongly urge any LGBT+ person or couple who is thinking of adopting to take that first step and contact Barnardo’s.

He said: “This is the most life changing decision you can make and to be honest you do have to make a leap of faith. I’d say contact Barnardo’s and look on websites like New Family Social to make contact with other adoptive parents, it’s so helpful to talk to people who are going through the process.”

Sue Mason and her partner Fay Munson, from Essex, have been permanent foster carers for Andrea, who has cerebral palsy, since she was 2 and a half.

Fay said: “So many children are in need of good homes and we really wanted to help make a difference to a child’s life”.

Sue added: “The first two months were challenging – nothing can prepare you for becoming a parent - but fostering Andrea is extremely rewarding for us as a family.  Andrea has made a huge difference to our lives and has given us so much.  We couldn’t imagine life without her.

“Andrea has made such amazing progress from the little girl who first came to live with us.  She continuously amazes us with how far she has come. Despite her disabilities Andrea has a thirst for life and has a fantastic sense of humour, she loves Disney, pirates, lions, and her iPad!” 

The couple also said they would encourage anyone thinking about fostering to get in touch with Barnardo’s to find out more.

Sue said: “I would advise anyone considering fostering or adoption to follow their heart.  It has been the most rewarding thing Fay and I have ever done and we have also got back so much in return.  I would say be brave and go for it”.
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Barnardo’s has more than 100 years of experience at finding families for children, offering support and training for both foster carers and adopters  from the first point of enquiry and beyond. 

Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan is proud to support LGBT+ Adoption and Fostering Week.

He said: “At Barnardo’s we find loving families for vulnerable children in communities across the UK, and we give foster carers and adopters the training and support they need.

"Fostering and adoption can be a challenge but it’s also incredibly rewarding and gives children the love, care and life skills they need to build better and brighter futures.

“I would urge anyone from the LGBT community who is considering becoming a foster carer or adopter to get in touch to find out more. Incredible things happen when you believe in children.” 

To find out more about fostering and adoption visit www.barnardos.org.uk/fosteringandadoption

Source:
www.barnardos.org.uk

Olympians Daley Thompson CBE and Snowy Brooks joined Barnardo’s Vice President Baroness Floella Benjamin and more than 20 runners for a training session preparing them for the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon.
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The event at Battersea Park’s Millennium Arena, was held by Barnardo’s to thank participating runners for their support, offer fundraising advice and give them a chance to meet their fellow Barnardo’s teammates before the big race on April 28th.

The runners were put through their paces with Olympians Daley and Snowy while Baroness Benjamin gave a motivational speech and essential running advice and tips.

Double Olympic gold medallist Daley said:

"The training day showcased the runners’ spirit and determination to raise money for the vulnerable children and young people our services support, which will stand them in good stead on the day of the London Marathon.

Barnardo’s is a wonderful charity to raise money for and I wish every single runner good luck on the day. We know you can do it."

Former Barnardo’s boy Snowy, who represented Barbados in the 1972 Olympics in the decathlon, said:

"The London Marathon is a mental and physical test of endurance. To achieve it they will not only be taking part in an incredible event but raising money for a brilliant charity.

“I was really impressed by the runners taking part, they all did really well and I send them best wishes for the big day."

Actress and Barnardo’s Vice President Baroness Floella Benjamin, who has run 10 London Marathons for the children’s charity, said:

"The runners have a big challenge ahead of them but with every mile they conquer and every pound they raise they will be making a huge difference to the lives of some of the most vulnerable children in the UK.

We will all be cheering you on – good luck, we know you will be brilliant and keep smiling because winners smile."

One of the amazing runners to take part in the training day was Pauline Jones who lives in Greenwich. Pauline signed up for the London Marathon after her church raised money for Barnardo’s at Christmas with a series of carol concerts.

Pauline, 70, said:

“At the time I was increasing my own running distance which was just for personal enjoyment, but I thought maybe I could turn that into further fundraising for Barnardo’s.

I had learnt a little bit more about what the charity does these days to support children and young people and I was really impressed and inspired.

This will be my first marathon. I have always loved running outside and if running is your thing and you find it really enjoyable then you should definitely give it a go.

At the end of the day, it’s not about completing the race in the shortest possible time; it’s about reaching the finish line. I have been able to increase my distance by exploring the Thames path in both directions from where I live in Greenwich. Slowly but steadily my training is coming along."

With last year’s race raising £295,000 the charity is hopeful that as many people as possible will dig deep and donate to help vulnerable children across the UK.  

Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said:

"I would like to say good luck and a huge thank you to everyone running the London Marathon for Barnardo’s.

The funds you raise will go towards our frontline services, which support some of the most vulnerable children and families across the UK. We couldn’t do this vital work without the generosity of supporters like you."

Source:
www.barnardos.org.uk

​More children are being taken into care with fewer foster carers to look after them, says Barnardo’s as it launches its 10th annual fostering campaign fronted by TOWIE’s Lydia Bright and Debbie Douglas.

The number of children in care in England has risen by 27 per cent in the last 10 years, says the UK’s leading children’s charity as it urgently appeals for more people to consider fostering as part of its Barnardo’s Fostering Week 2019, which launches on January 21st.

In the past decade, Barnardo’s foster carers have looked after thousands of children, giving them the best chance to have a happier and positive future. However, the charity is concerned there are not enough suitable foster families to take care of the increasing numbers of vulnerable children in care.

Increasing child poverty, a lack of early intervention and support for families before they reach crisis point, and a heightened awareness of abuse and neglect are among the complex reasons more and more children and young people are being taken into care.

But figures from Ofsted show that the number of approved carers has dropped by 950 in just one year. If these trends continue it will become even more difficult to find good foster placements for vulnerable children.

Now, Barnardo’s is celebrating ten years since its first UK fostering campaign and the charity’s foster carers have welcomed vulnerable children into their families more than 8,288 times across the UK.

The charity’s celebrity fostering ambassadors Lydia Bright and Debbie Douglas are fronting this year’s campaign calling for more people to step forward to take on this rewarding role to ensure that vulnerable children have a loving family to support them when they need it.

The mother and daughter from TV’s TOWIE have been a fostering family for more than 25 years for more than 250 children.

Debbie said: “Having a safe and caring family is so important when you are growing up. With so many more children coming into care, it’s so crucial that more people become foster carers. Knowing you can provide that loving family for a child when they need it most is so rewarding and can really help to transform their lives – and yours.”

Lydia added: “We have loved having foster children as part of our family; it is incredible to see the difference having a caring, supportive family can make. We are proud to play a part in helping them to have a happy childhood and positive future.”

Barnardo’s chief executive Javed Khan said: “As the number of children in care continues to rise, we need more foster carers than ever before. At Barnardo’s we find loving families for vulnerable children in communities across the UK, and we give foster carers the training and support they need.

“Being a foster carer can be a challenge but it’s also incredibly rewarding and gives children the love, care and life skills they need to build better and brighter futures.

“I want to thank all of our amazing foster carers for helping us transform children’s lives. And I would urge anyone considering becoming a foster carer to get in touch to find out more. Incredible things happen when you believe in children.”

In England, on 31 March 2008, there were 59,370 children in care – 70 per cent of which were in foster care . By 31 March 2018, it had increased to 75,420– up by 27 per cent in a decade and with 73 per cent of those children living in foster care at that time.    The number of children in foster care itself has increased by 31.4 per cent in a decade.

In contrast, the number of approved foster carers is decreasing, with the latest available figures from Ofsted showing that in England, as of 31 March 2017, this number reduced to 61,415, compared with 62,365 in March 2016.   The reasons behind the decrease are complex and can include birth children living at home for longer and rising house prices meaning that prospective carers do not have the required spare room; and older foster carers are reaching retirement age while younger families are becoming increasingly responsible for their own parents care as they get older.

A continuation of these trends will mean it will become more difficult to find the best foster carers for vulnerable children when they most need a loving family. Carers need to have the right training and skills, live in the right location and be available at the right time for a child who is disabled, are siblings, older children, or from a religious or minority ethnic background.

This could mean children have to wait longer before finding the best match or that they may need to be moved to a different family several times because the most appropriate carer is not available, which can have a negative impact on a child.

One Barnardo’s carer who knows the difference a safe and stable foster family can make to a child’s life is Helen Elward, 62, from Rugby, who has provided specialist foster care for almost 40 children in the last eight years. They are often some of the most vulnerable in the care system - on bail or remand, or affected by child sexual exploitation - and stay with Helen for anything from a few days to several months.

Helen said: “Young people sometimes feel society has given up on them, so they give up on themselves. It’s amazing to see the difference you can make in such a short space of time.

“We can help them to completely transform their lives. They can talk about their problems if they want to, and we try to build their self-confidence and enable them to be the person they can be.

“They’ve gone on to university, established their own businesses and started families. Sometimes they just need someone to believe in them – perhaps they’ve never had that before.”

Source:
www.barnardos.org.uk

Barnardo's is pleased to hear the announcement in the Budget from Chancellor Philip Hammond that £84m will be invested over five years to expand programmes for children in care.

Barnardo’s Chief Executive, Javed Khan said:

"Children’s services are reaching breaking point, so we welcome this much needed cash injection in today’s Budget.  

But children and families desperately need support much earlier – to prevent them going into the care system.

We are working with government, local authorities and others to develop long-term strategic partnerships around the country, co-designing and co-delivering services, so that young people get the help they need when they need it."

www.barnardos.org.uk

Barnardo’s has signed up to the new Care Leaver Covenant launched today (Friday 26 October) to highlight its commitment to creating more opportunities for young people leaving the care system.

By signing the Covenant, Barnardo’s promises to offer activities such as volunteering and work experience, including providing opportunities across our network of more than 700 high street shops.

In 2017-18, Barnardo’s supported 3,200 young people leaving the care system. This included access to appropriate accommodation, specialist mental health & wellbeing services, and help with employment training and skills. The UK’s oldest and largest children’s charity has been helping young people who couldn’t live with their birth families for 152 years, and this work remains a key priority under its ambitious 10 year strategy.

Young people leaving care are likely to have experienced early trauma, neglect or abuse. In England, the latest figures show they are far less likely to achieve positive outcomes than those who have not been in care. 40% of care leavers aged 19-21 are not in education, employment or training (EET)*, compared to just 13% of all young people of the same age**.

The Covenant, unveiled by Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi MP, is a promise made by private, public and voluntary organisations to help care leavers aged 16-25 to transition successfully into adulthood. It will act as a ‘kite mark’ for organisations wanting to promote their offer to this group of young people.

Barnardo’s Chief Executive, Javed Khan said:

"Sadly young people leaving care often struggle to gain good qualifications and get their foot on the career ladder.

That’s why Barnardo’s is committed to offering high quality work placements as well as specialist advice and support.

We believe that all young people deserve the opportunity to follow their dreams. That’s why our ambition is for care leavers to have the same life chances as other young people, including access to employment, education and training."

More than 40,000 children leave the care system each year. Most were taken into care as a result of abuse or neglect. When they reach adulthood, many care leavers are poorly prepared for independence, lacking the financial skills, emotional confidence or family network to form the self-reliance needed to make their way in life.

Some care leavers also face additional challenges. In 2017-18, 26% of care leavers supported by Barnardo’s reported having a disability. In addition, 26% of female care leavers and 11 per cent of male care leavers that we supported were young parents.

Source:
www.barnardos.org.uk

Location: Salford Children's Rights Service
Contract type: Fixed term
Hours: 37
Salary: £17,308.63 - £24,013.66
Closing Date: 28 August 2018

Children's Right's Worker
This is a generic role in use throughout the organisation. However, you are employed to work in the North West and you will initially be based in Barnardo's Salford Childrens Rights Service.

History of Service
In December 2014, the service started supporting children and young people in Salford. This project worker post will join an established team.

Objectives of Service
The service supports Looked after Children and Young People and those leaving care, age 8 years to 18 years, and up to 21 years, for those young people with special educational needs or a disability (SEND)
The service provides an advocacy service, an independent visitor service and supports the Children in Care Council and other significant participatory opportunities.

The service supports:
Looked after children
Young people leaving care
Children and young people on a Child Protection Plan
Children and young people on a Child In Need plan
When completing your application form please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification and Job Description. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described. 
  
About Barnardo's
At Barnardo's we believe in children – no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role.
Barnardo's is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce for staff and volunteers. We actively encourage applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and male candidates as they are under-represented within Barnardo's.
Our basis and values

More information and application documents here
 

​Following the release of the Children's Commissioner's Stability Index, Barnardo's has issued the following statement:
Barnardo’s Chief Executive, Javed Khan said:

"Barnardo’s knows that children who benefit from our loving, stable foster placements have often come from deeply troubled backgrounds and many have suffered neglect and physical or sexual abuse.

The number of looked after children has increased steadily over recent years and our research indicates that the complexity of cases of children in care has also risen.

Sixteen per cent of children referred to us have issues related to child sexual exploitation, 17% were unaccompanied asylum seekers or had been trafficked and 6% indicated harmful sexual behaviour.

It is essential that resources are there to support the foster carers who look after these vulnerable young people to help them avoid multiple placements. It’s also crucial that they are matched with the right family to avoid further instability.

Ongoing professional guidance must be made available as even the most motivated and resilient foster carers need the appropriate support package to help them through challenging circumstances.

As an independent fostering provider Barnardo’s recruits, trains and supports foster carers to care for some of the most vulnerable children."

Source:
www.barnardos.org.uk

​Barnardo’s is partnering with the CareTech Foundation on a £1 million project to develop a ground-breaking digital resource to support young people leaving care.

Such young people face a variety of challenges as they transition into adulthood, including feeling lonely and finding it hard to make a home for themselves. It is all too easy for them to become isolated and find difficulty accessing available opportunities.

In partnership with the app developer FutureGov and with the support of the CareTech Foundation, Barnardo’s is developing a UK-wide innovative digital resource focused on the needs of care leavers.

It will feature content on:

• ​Information and advice on living independently such as what to wear for work, how to cook for themselves and what support they are entitled to;
• Convenient access to, and reminders about, their Care Leaver Pathway Plan;
• The ability to check in quickly and conveniently with support workers rather than making phone calls or having face-to-face meetings;
• Access to tools to complete tasks as an adult, including collecting benefits, applying for a council house and keeping receipts.

Javed Khan, Barnardo’s Chief Executive, said:

"We are extremely excited about this partnership with the newly formed CareTech Foundation and their support of our work with young people leaving care.

Barnardo’s has been keeping children safe, supporting them with an education and helping them to achieve their dreams for more than 150 years. Care leavers remain some of the most vulnerable young people in our society with figures showing 40 per cent aged 19-21 are not in education, training or employment.

Barnardo’s hopes to design an app that will help young people to access information in a way that truly works for them, providing immediate access to helpful information and producing data that will help us to evaluate how digital resources can reduce crisis points among young people.

Barnardo’s ambition is to be a digital leader in the sector and so we embrace technology’s potential to drive new ways of delivering better outcomes for more children.  We are therefore grateful to the CareTech Foundation for part-funding this innovative project and would urge other funders to come forward to help us improve outcomes for young people leaving care."

The project is expected to last between three and four years. Around 1,000 care leavers will benefit from the digital resource each year, with scope for many more to be supported.

Barnardo’s hopes and expects the new resource will lead to the following outcomes:

• Care leavers reporting improved self-confidence in seeking solutions and problem-solving;
• Care leavers reporting improved access, support and self-reliance to access help;
• Young people and professionals reporting a reduction in crisis management at critical stress points;
• An improvement in the uptake of Employment & Training opportunities, budgeting and financial management skills and support services.

As part of the partnership, CareTech staff and service users will be directly involved in the testing and development of the new digital resources.  The Foundation will also give opportunities to CareTech staff to volunteer with Barnardo’s.

The CareTech Foundation is donating £300,000 towards the project and hopes other philanthropic organisations will join them to make the project a success.

Source:
www.barnardos.org.uk

Barnardo’s has responded to an independent review of the fostering system in England which makes recommendations to the government about improving foster care.

The review by Sir Martin Narey and Mark Owers, published by the Department of Education today, makes 36 recommendations following a consultation in April and June 2017.

Barnardo’s Chief Executive, Javed Khan said:​

"We are pleased the report highlights the positive and important role of independent foster agencies, (IFAs), like Barnardo’s in placing vulnerable children in loving stable families.

It’s vital these children have the right foster carer to help them recover from trauma and go on to lead positive futures. This, rather than cost, should always be the primary consideration when placing a child.

While we welcome the idea of a national register of foster carers, we urge the government to consider how IFAs like Barnardo’s can be fully involved in ensuring that the right number of carers with the right skills are on it.

We work with authorities to meet the care needs of vulnerable children, which includes providing support for families so that children can remain with their birth families.

We look forward to working closely with national and local Government on improving foster care for England’s most vulnerable young people, including siblings and disabled children, who are among the harder children to place."

Source:
www.barnardos.org.uk