A Peterborough care leaver hopes to help fellow foster children after finding work with a charity which supported her through childhood. Mum Laura (20) is working with The Adolescent and Children’s Trust (TACT) which runs Peterborough City Council’s new Permanency Service, which includes fostering and adoption. Here in this first person piece, she explains how her life has been transformed: I am 20 years old and I live in Peterborough. I went into care, along with my older sisters, shortly after I was born due to fact that our mother and father both had drug and alcohol problems and neglected us.

I don’t have any real memory of my first foster placement as I was so young, but at 10 months old I was adopted by a couple, who, when I was two, split up, and I remained with my adoptive mother. Unfortunately, our relationship started to break down because she was alcohol dependent and abusive, and that, coupled with discovering that I was pregnant with my daughter Naomi, led me to going back into care when I was 16. When I returned to care I was referred to TACT. The plan was for me to go into a mother and baby placement, so I could be assessed for my parenting skills and then move on to independent living. However, my first two mother and baby placements broke down, and at first I thought it was the fault of the carers, but I realise now it was because I just didn’t want to have an assessment to prove I’m a good mum.

My social worker and independent reviewing officer realised the root of the problem and they arranged for me to return to my favourite TACT foster carers Kris and Dave, without having to be subjected to a parenting assessment. I loved it at Kris and Dave’s. I felt part of the family, they looked after me and supported me. I remember Kris threw me a little baby shower and I was so overwhelmed I cried. I used to love the little things like sitting and watching TV dramas with Kris and we’d talk loads, or when Dave would make me belly laugh. My daughter Naomi used to find Dave’s silly faces funny too. In the summer they took me and my foster sister to loads of places like London and Hunstanton. They always treated us well and made us laugh and comforted us when we needed to be, and we had the best meals! Going into care in my teens was at times stressful and emotional, but overall it was actually a positive experience. It gave me a voice for the first time. I felt valued and respected - what I had to say mattered.

Instead of my life being in the professionals’ hands it was in mine and they helped me along the way. I was taught how to manage my money and budget and I was given advice about education and my options as well as how to deal with my relationships.

Through TACT I was also given therapy to help me deal with the past which was amazing and super helpful. Eventually, at the age of 17, I was ready to move on to independent living with my daughter Naomi. Leaving Kris and Dave was stressful, but I think moving out of a family home always is. I got my flat very quickly and I loved it, my TACT social workers came with me to view it and sign the contract, and Kris and Dave helped me move in and set up my bills. I was given a grant to furnish my flat which made me feel spoilt, and once I had moved in I felt very grown up. Suddenly I had it all, which I never imagined would be possible when I was living with my adoptive mother. After I moved out I went back to college where I studied health and social care level 3, I didn’t know what I wanted to do but I knew I wanted to help people like me.

One day my personal adviser, Frank, told me about an apprenticeship run by the Rank Foundation group which provides young people with the opportunity to work in a field of their choice and get involved in the community. So I applied, travelled to London for an interview, and very soon after I discovered I was successful. It all happened so fast. And having decided I wanted to use the apprenticeship to work with children in care, TACT Peterborough took me on as an assistant children’s resource worker. I am so excited about the opportunity, and I’m hoping to work with children and young people living in foster care, social workers and foster carers with anything I possibly can, such as speaking on behalf of the person at child care reviews or other appointments and working as an advocate. I am in a good place in my life right now, and I can attribute a lot of that to the opportunities, support, love and stability that I received whilst in foster care. I want to say to Kris and Dave, and indeed all foster carers, keep doing what you’re doing, which isn’t easy so hats off to you guys, and thank you for giving children and young people better futures.

Source:
www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk

We are currently looking for Panel Members with foster care, health and education and childcare law knowledge and experience for our Fostering Panel based in our TACT Yorkshire Office.
The Yorkshire office is based in Leeds and the fostering panel meet at this office on a monthly basis. 

As Panel Member your duties will include:

• Reading the circulated papers carefully before the meeting and to attend the meeting prepared to raise issues and to contribute to the panel discussion.
• Participating in the making of a recommendation, on each case, drawing on both personal and professional knowledge and experience.
• To attend at least 75 per cent of meetings of the panel.
• To be prepared to attend additional panels if possible, if requested.
• To participate, with other panel members, in advising on policy and procedural matters as required.
• To address diversity issues and promote anti-discriminatory practice.
• To safeguard the confidentiality of all panel papers and panel discussions.
• To participate in panel induction and in panel training, which will be at least one day per year.
• To participate constructively in the annual review of their panel membership, if this is an agency requirement.

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We are looking for candidates who have an awareness of safeguarding children and young people, with a keen interest in, and understanding of fostering. The ideal candidate will have good assessment and analytical skills, be willing to share knowledge from their own discipline with a group setting, good communications skills as well as the ability to travel and flexibility to be available at short notice from time to time. 

In line with our values, we expect each panel member to ensure that all decisions are made with regard to the interest of ‘children in care’, foster carers, and the community in which they live.

This is an exciting time to become involved with TACT and we believe there is no better organisation to be involved with for anyone passionate about fostering and adoption services.

A Standard DBS clearance is required for these roles and will be undertaken by TACT on your behalf.  You will be required to have professional membership to a social work body if you are currently a practicing social worker. 

Closing Date: 1st October 2018
Interviews: 15th October 2018 TACT Yorkshire (LS14 6FD) 
TACT reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so we advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment.

Details and application forms here

​Area Manager - South Coast
Location: Christchurch
Closing Date: 02/09/2018
Interview Date: 21/09/2018
Hours: 35 Hours Per Week
​Salary: £49,500 Per Annum + £1,500 Out of hours allowance + excellent benefits

TACT is the UK’s largest specialist charity provider of fostering and adoption 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.

This is a really exciting opportunity. We are looking to recruit a Registered Manager to lead our newly created South Coast fostering service which operates from our office in Christchurch, close to Bournemouth. You will take a key role in applying to Ofsted for registration of the service, and become the Registered Manager.

You will also supervise a small team of Social Workers and an Administrator and support the growth of the service by effective recruitment of carers and building strong relationships with your Local Authority partners. We are looking for someone who is able to inspire others, is passionate and  enthusiastic and committed to the eventual goal of achieving an Outstanding service.

You will be supported both by an experienced team of operational registered managers, excellent support services and a senior leadership team dedicated to taking the organisation forward.

For a full outline of the requirements of the post please see the Job Description and Person Specification.

The successful candidate will need to be DipSW, CSS or CQSW qualified and registered with the HCPC. An enhanced disclosure is also required and will be undertaken by TACT. The post holder will be required to be on an out of hours’ managers rota and you will be paid an allowance of £1,500 per annum once participating in the rota.

TACT offer an excellent benefits package including 31 days paid holiday, flexible working arrangements, group income protection scheme, x10 death in service, stakeholder pension scheme, child care vouchers and fantastic learning and development opportunities. Please see the job information pack for further information.

Closing date: 2nd September 2018
Interviews: 21st September 2018 at TACT South Coast (BH23 6NX)
TACT reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so we advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment.

More information and application documents here

Rebecca and Gareth – TACT Foster Carers since 2014, Wales

Seven years ago, despite only being in our 20’s with two small children, my husband Gareth and I decided we wanted to foster children in care. Some people might have thought we were mad to take on that extra responsibility, but for us it was one of the best, most rewarding things we have done and continue to do, as a family.

We already knew about what was involved with fostering because Gareth’s father was a foster carer for with TACT, so we knew which agency we wanted to contact and what to expect.

When the time came to finally have our first placement – two sisters aged two and six – we felt a little nervous. But we need not have worried. They were with us for two weeks during summer holidays and we had a lovely time together.

We are now long term fostering two boys aged 14 and 17. And because Gareth’s father recently retired as a foster carer after 15 years, we are also caring for his 13 year old former foster daughter.

A house full of teenagers can be challenging, but it’s good fun as there is always something going on. At first we were nervous about caring for teenagers, due to a lack of experience, but we soon found out it’s a great match for us. They are always open to new activities and experiences – we enjoy going rock climbing, go-karting, or just swimming in a leisure centre together.

Our birth children, who are now 8 and 10, also enjoy these family days out and making their older foster siblings feel welcome. I think fostering had made our own children more resilient and accepting of others. Our oldest Ruby was fairly quiet before we started fostering and now she is a confident, funny young girl. Our youngest Georgia has developed her loving, caring side and she always makes sure everyone is involved in activities. For us fostering is not a job. Our foster children are our extended family.

What I love most about fostering is seeing the progress in the children we care for. The change we have witnessed in the 17-year-old boy who has been with us for two years has been such a pleasure to watch. At first there was a lot of anger inside of him. He would go out without telling us where and who he was with, and when he was home, he would argue with us or just slam the door. He was missing time at school and wasn’t really interested in education. However, with time he began to trust us, and now he lets us know every time he goes out, calls us when he is running late, and talks about his friends with us. He is really engaging with college as well. During parents evening his tutor said he couldn’t believe the change in him. He has a built a particularly lovely relationship with Gareth, as before he came to live with us he’d never had a male role model in his life.

Thanks to the flexibility of our jobs, we’ve managed to stay employed while fostering; I work part time as a teaching assistant and Gareth runs a business from home. We appreciate that not many people are able to continue working while fostering, but the flexibility of our jobs means we are always on our toes ready for when times get challenging. However, when they do, I know I have an excellent partner and fantastic support from TACT.

Read more foster carer stories here.

Source:
www.tactcare.org.uk

Joy – TACT Foster Carer since 2012
Wales

My fostering journey started six years ago. I was working as a manager in a fast food restaurant and the company offered staff the opportunity to be seconded to work on a community project of our choice. I decided to work in a pupil referral unit which is for children who are not able to attend mainstream schools due to ill health or behavioural problems. The experience taught me how important strong and stable foundations are for children, and it provoked a desire to help more. One day I was driving to work and a TACT advert came up on the radio. It was like a sign was sent to me. I wrote down their number, gave them a call and started the application process.

The application process took eight months and I found it as thorough as it should be. In the meantime, I completed a teaching assistant course as I expected that children put into my care might need educational support and I wanted to be able to provide it.

When I finally heard I was about to have my first placement, I was over the moon. Two little siblings aged two and five stayed with me for nearly three weeks for a respite placement. I thought they were fantastic but I decided I didn’t want a respite again, I wanted a permanent placement. The children returned to their carers on Friday. On the Monday morning I went back on the register, and by teatime two wonderful children called Elisha, now aged 11, and Ethan now 9, walked into my life. They have been with me for nearly six years and are probably not leaving until they go off to university.

Elisha and Ethan are absolutely wonderful; they achieve everything they put their mind to and I am always 100% behind them. Ethan is two whole years above his age in school, while Elisha is in the last year of primary school but she is doing second year level Maths at a comprehensive school. They are both musically gifted – Ethan plays the cornet, piano and drums, while Elisha plays violin, trumpet and piano and they are both in a youth orchestra. They are also keen mountain walkers – together we have already climbed all the Welsh peaks. Last year we climbed Mount Snowdon and raised over £1100 for TACT, and we are getting ready to climb Ben Nevis this July.

They came to care due to severe neglect and abuse. I believe many siblings in care have learnt to rely on each other due to what they have been through and it would be difficult to separate them. Being together definitely helps Ethan and Elisha to grow.

I am a single foster carer but I have a great support network of my partner and my birth children. They are grown up and left home years ago, but they love to come back and spend time with Ethan and Elisha whom they call their brother and sister. In addition, I always have outstanding support from TACT.

I love everything about fostering. I love being able to help a child and I love the challenges. If anybody ever thinks about fostering, don’t think, do it. If your heart is in it, you can’t go wrong.

​Source:
www.tactcare.org.uk

While growing up our siblings were just as important to us as our parents, so we understand the need for siblings in care to stay together

​My husband Rob and I started to consider fostering once our youngest daughter turned 18. We thought caring for children comes naturally for us and we felt we had done a good job with our three girls. We also have a lovely home, an amazing family and all together a lot to offer.

We looked at different agencies and chose TACT (The Adolescent and Children’s Trust) because we liked the fact they’re a charity. 

The application process took nine months, less than we expected. It was intense, but we understood the reasons for that. We were approved as foster carers in May 2011. Two weeks later we received a phone call about an emergency placement – two little brothers aged two and five. It was quite a shock, but we decided to go ahead, and rushed home from work so we can greet the boys. We were very nervous but within hours it just felt right. What was supposed to be an emergency placement lasted two and a half years. The boys were brilliant. We really felt like we had made positive changes for them and they did the same for us. When they moved on to a different placement we found the separation very difficult at first, but we still keep in touch and we know they are doing really well.

Since then, we have fostered nine other children including two sibling groups. My husband Rob is the youngest of 13 children and I am the youngest of 5, and we both believe that while growing up our siblings were just as important to us as our parents, so we understand the need for siblings in care to stay together. We are currently fostering a girl aged 11 and her 13 year-old twin brothers. When they came to us four months ago the boys wouldn’t say a word. Instead, their much more confident sister would speak on their behalf.  Having the support of each other helped them settle in with us quickly. The boys are still quite shy, but they are much more social and we love to see them laughing and playing together. We often have fun days out and we encourage them to be active. As a result, the boys recently got into fitness and the girl is really into street dancing. We also encouraged our foster daughter to apply for the Blue Peter badge. Her stories were so good that a video clip was shown on the programme. We were all so delighted.

To us, fostering is a way of life rather than a job. We have so many precious memories with all our foster children, such as the first goal our foster son scored when he played football for a local team, teaching two foster children to ride a bike while away on a caravan holiday and many more.

Of course, fostering can be demanding at times, we are human after all, and we do get frustrated sometimes. However, TACT is always there to offer guidance, even in the middle of the night on bank holiday.  And no matter the challenges that come with fostering, the rewards far outweigh them.

Source:
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

TACT is delighted that one of its’ fantastic foster mums – Lisa Gill, has been announced as a runner up for the Sun’s Fabulous Mum of the Year Award.

45 year old Lisa is an Assistant Head Teacher and mother to three children, she has also fostered 10 children with TACT, many of which have special education needs.  And on top of all that,  she has also run six London Marathons, four of which to raise money for TACT.

Lisa said: ”I was delighted and very touched to be nominated for the Fabulous Mum of the year competition. I have been privileged over the years to not only bring up my own children but to play a part in supporting some wonderful individuals through my fostering role with TACT”.

She added: ”I feel it is so important in life to try and do something for others and this is something I try to do daily through my fostering role and in my position as an Assistant Head in a Special School. I am proud to see the children and young people I have supported making their impact on the world. It makes it all worthwhile.”

TACT CEO Andy Elvin said: “TACT is so very proud to have Lisa as one of our foster mum’s. Her selfless dedication to her community is reflected by the fact that she has fostered 10 children and works as an assistant headteacher. As if that wasn’t enough she has run 6 London Marathons!  She really is a fabulous Mum”

Like all our amazing foster carers, Lisa has found fostering to be very rewarding. If you have a spare bedroom and the desire to improve the lives of vulnerable children and young people in care, then please do not hesitate to contact TACT and find out more about fostering.

Our foster carers come from a wide range of backgrounds, cultures and ethnic groups. We believe the most important criteria for becoming a foster carer is your ability to listen and empathise, to provide a stable and loving home and to speak up for the children you care for. Your sexuality, marital status, age and whether you own a home do not determine your suitability as a foster carer therefore will not impact your fostering application.

Source:
www.tactcare.org.uk

Abby and Eira are a same sex couple and TACT foster carers, who last year welcomed into their home a sibling group  – a three-year-old girl, a five-year-old boy, and an eight-year-old boy – and absolutely love it. Abby shared their story with BBC Radio Derby to mark Mother’s Day and LGBT Fostering and Adoption Week.

You can listen to her here

And you can read their blog here
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