​Mick has been a foster carer for the Foster Care Co-operative since 2007.  In 2002, he and his partner Sian joined their families together – which in turn guided them towards caring for others.  In 2017, he wrote his first book – ‘Are Difficult Children difficult, or just different? What if we can change to help them’ – on the subject of adapting to the needs of children in care.  We caught up with Mick to find out what inspired him to take time out to write it.

What inspired you to write the book?

My reason for deciding to write a strategic publication on how adults working with or caring for children can change their approach to suit the differing learning and progression needs of a child in their charge, came mainly from a passion for building strategies for young people ‘outside the norm/realms’ of traditional teaching and parenting styles, which clearly cannot work for all.

Who is the book aimed at?

‘Are Difficult Children difficult, or just different? What if we can change to help them’ is aimed at any adult involved with young people who do not present or behave in line with the majority of expected behaviours and traits in children aged between 5 and 16 years old. They are tried and tested example strategies that have evolved in focused programmes for a variety of young people – displaying what could be described by many as ‘difficult’ behaviour traits.  The focus is on the adult changing their approach, in lieu of attempting to change the brain pattern of the ‘difficult child’ – bringing them in line with more traditional methods that quite simply do not work in the long term.

Did you base the advice/guidance purely on your own experiences as a foster carer, or did you draw from other sources?

Having ‘looked after’ the 8 children in our long-term care as a full time Foster Carer (in addition to our five birth children – 13 in all!), I have enjoyed the reparation strategies involving areas of concern, including serious neglect, disorganised/insecure attachment disorders, sexual abuse, domestic violence and special educational needs. I have, over the years, extended my learning to become better qualified in understanding the traits and behaviours that are caused by Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), Autism, Asperger’s and the Human Brain. I have been directly involved in the organisation of conferences for Foster Carers, Adopters, Care and Medical Professionals, and have presented workshops on FASD, Complex Educational Needs & introducing strategies for children with behavioural issues. I regularly present the three day ‘Skills to Foster’ programme that is a mandatory part of the selection process for prospective Foster Carers and my role is very much to allow them to gain the ‘reality’, whilst they work alongside qualified Social Workers learning the legislation and logistics of the task.

Two of our birth children (the oldest girl & youngest boy) along with two of our Fostered children have forged their pathways to attend University, whilst we have adult children currently serving as a Police Intelligence Officer, a Lance Corporal Paratrooper in the British Army (II Para), an RGN Nurse in ICU, a part-time removals man, a Call Centre operative and the Director of a Construction Company. We currently look after three children aged 12, 13 & 17 on behalf of their parents and the Local Authority, whom are all in Long Term Permanent placements here that commenced, 7 (the two youngest siblings) and 9 years ago respectively – all have a very different background story with extremely differing needs, behaviours, complexities, diagnoses and educational capabilities. As a running total I have parented children across approximately 120 years – I hope I do not look that old!

I have also worked closely with at least four Head Teachers, three Virtual Head teachers, several Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs), numerous medical professionals and a large number of Parents, Carers and Adopters.  They have consistently but independently voiced ‘you should write a book, Mick’, so I decided to finally take their advice!

Was any of the subject matter hard to write, emotionally?

It was obviously a very emotional process writing the book, but also extremely therapeutic and a great reminder of the successes and positive outcomes that all of the children continue to enjoy as children and well into their adulthood, still making mistakes, but able to review, assess and build on each experience.

How long did it take you to write it?

I penned the book across 6 months in 2017, approached Publishers in early 2018 and signed the Publishing agreement in May 2018.

‘Are Difficult Children difficult, or just different? What if we can change to help them’ is available to order now here, or from all good book stores.

Source:
www.fostercarecooperative.co.uk

Principal Social Worker (Fostering)
(East Midlands)
£37,184 – £40,839 per annum
Full Time
18 month contract
​+ 45p a mile for travel, 32 days holiday and an excellent pension scheme

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic, flexible, and personable Principal Social Worker to join our South England team. This is a specialist lead practice role and its remit include the supervision and mentoring/training of staff and tasks related to quality assurance and performance management, alongside holding a small case load.

FCC do not believe in providing our Social Workers with heavy caseloads. Instead, we aim to provide our Social Workers with ample capacity to provide a thorough, personal and meaningful service to all of our foster families.

The role will be home based in the East Midlands area, but will involve regular travel within the East and West Midlands, Staffordshire, Bristol and East Anglia areas. Additionally, there is a requirement to answer emergency calls outside of office hours as part of the managers on call rota.

Applicants must hold a Diploma or BA in Social Work, have some supervisory/management experience, be able to demonstrate experience of producing high quality, evidence-based assessments, and have at least four years fostering experience.

The successful applicant will join a supportive team with an established carer group and experienced social workers. We are a not-for-distributed-profit organisation, putting the needs of our children and carers first and look to appoint a Principal Social Worker who is as passionate about this as we are.

Closing Date: 24th April, 2019

For further information and/or an application form, or informal discussion about the role, please contact Helen Underwood (Operational Manager) or Barbara Bull (Head of HR) on 01684 892380.

Full details and application documents here

As part of Co-operatives Fortnight, The Foster Care Co-operative (FCC) were charged with producing a video to showcase the essence of the organisation and what they do on a daily basis.

​Co-operatives Fortnight is an annual event, organised by Co-operatives UK, to showcase a unique approach and ethos for businesses to follow. This approach involves operating an organisation that is not run by distant shareholders or investors, but its members. In FCC’s case that would be foster carers, staff and, to a certain extent, even the children they provide care for.

ome examples of this would be foster carers and staff attending workshop interviews for key positions within the organisation. They are given the opportunity to provide feedback which is taken into account when making final decisions.
When plans to rejuvenate the children’s area of FCC’s website emerged in 2016, the children of FCC’s carers, both fostered and their own, were fully consulted. They chose the content and the name of the site (Kidz Zone). To this day, changes are made to Kidz Zone according to what feedback the organisation receives.

Watch the video here:
www.fostercarecooperative.co.uk

We are seeking an experienced administrator, who can demonstrate sound IT knowledge, outstanding organisation skills, a customer focused approach, and a professional attitude.

The successful candidate will provide a comprehensive administration service to all staff, primarily taking ownership and responsibility for the administration surrounding children in fostering placements.  The role holder will be communicating with local authorities, external organisations and management, to ensure a flawless service.

Do you have at least 2 years administration experience within an office environment, have excellent IT skills, consider yourself highly organised with a friendly ‘can do’ attitude? If so, we look forward to hearing from you.

Closing Date: Monday 11th March, 2019

We are a ‘not for profit’ organisation, putting the needs of our children and carers first and look to appoint individuals who are as passionate about this as we are.  If you would like further information about our unique/ethically minded organisation, an application form or job description, please view our website www.fostercarecooperative.co.uk or contact Barbara Bull (Head of HR) on 01684 892380.

Full details and application documents can be found here

The FCC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and operate a Safe Recruitment policy; applicants must be willing to undergo Safeguarding screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and Disclosure and Barring Service clearance at an enhanced level. CVs will not be accepted, all applicants must complete an application form.

Did you know that as foster carer, you can foster both a parent and their children?  It’s called PACT (Parents And Children Together), and there is a great need for PACT trained foster carers.  Jane, one of FCC’s Supervising Social Workers and PACT trainer, explains why.

As a Supervising Social Worker for FCC I have supported many foster carers providing a variety of placements.

Recently, we have provided an increased number of Parent and Child placements. This is where a parent is placed alongside their child in the foster home. This can be one or two parents and a baby or a child. We have also had a mother and two children placed with us. This type of fostering is very different to the usual placement of a child or young person in the family home but is as equally rewarding.

Often these placements have been requested by the court where there have been concerns about the mother’s ability to parent and are usually requested for a 12 week assessment period, but due to circumstances this can vary.

Issues that we have dealt with include concerns around a parent’s previous drug or alcohol use, learning disabilities or inappropriate partners. Maybe the parent has previously had a child removed from their care. Having a parent live in the foster home gives them a chance to learn new skills and build their confidence to enable them to parent their child adequately.

Carers assist them with learning routines with regards to feeding, laundry, play and sleep times etc. Parents are involved in all aspects of family life with the carers acting as appropriate role models. Parents have been supported to attend local baby groups, visit the clinic and doctors etc. They have taken part in family activities to include meals out, cinema and barbeques. The carers need good observation and recording skills. They need good communication skills as they will need to build a relationship with the parent but also remain clear that they have to report back to the Social Worker on a regular basis.

We have seen children return with their parents to live in the community successfully with some keeping in contact with their carers afterwards. Sometimes this is not possible and the child’s needs have to remain the most important throughout. If the plan is for the child to live elsewhere the foster carers have an important role in supporting them to transition to a new family. Myself and an experienced PACT carer provide training and support specific to this role. PACT carers will have regular Social Work visits and 24 hour phone support. They will also have peer support from other PACT carers. It can be hard work but also very rewarding knowing that you have been part of a team making the best decision for a child.

Paula, one of our most experienced PACT carers, said: “The thing I enjoy about PACT placements is that I’m not the babysitter. It’s my job to encourage the parent to be a good mum or dad and it’s rewarding watching them learn new skills.”

If you feel that you could become a PACT foster carer, or if you have an interest in fostering generally, you can make an initial enquire here.

Source:
www.fostercarecooperative.co.uk

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic, flexible and personable Social Worker.

The successful candidate will be responsible for recruiting, assessing and supporting Foster Carers to maintain a quality fostering service for looked after children in the South Wales area. The role will involve regular travel to the homes of foster carers (which may involve travelling distances) and being available to answer emergency calls outside of office hours.

The FCC do not believe in providing our Social Workers with heavy caseloads. Instead we aim to provide our Social Workers with ample capacity to provide a thorough, personal and meaningful service to all of our foster families.

Applicants must have experience in the completion of good quality, evidence based assessments and hold a Diploma or BA in Social Work. Prior fostering experience is desirable but not essential. We have a particular interest in applicants who are Welsh speakers.

The successful applicant will join a supportive team with an established carer group and experienced social workers. We are a non-profit organisation, putting the needs of our children and carers first and look to appoint a Social Worker who is as passionate about this as we are.

Closing Date: 9th October 2018

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Tracey Arnold or Kim Perkins on 029 20464348.

The FCC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and operate a Safe Recruitment policy; applicants must be willing to undergo Safeguarding screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and Disclosure and Barring Service clearance at an enhanced level. CVs will not be accepted, all applicants must complete an application form.

Full details and application documents here

The Foster Care Co-operative is delighted to welcome Sumerjit Ram (Sam Ram) as their new CEO.

Sam brings with her over 25 years’ experience of senior leadership at CEO and Director levels.  Sam has established a reputation for being innovative and developing a wide range of partnerships, collaborations and professional relationships.

Sam’s roots are embedded in community development work; often being drafted into deprived areas, her objective was to work directly with communities to help rebuild and strengthen them – using key ‘early intervention’ techniques to try and break any negative cycles of deprivation.

Sam’s career has always focused on achieving positive outcomes for children, their families and the wider community. More recently Sam was the CEO of a national ‘Outstanding’ Adoption Agency. She has had the opportunity to touch many people’s lives, and has been privileged to see the impact of her work – particularly on the children she has helped.  Her manta has always been that every child should be given the chance to experience family life.

Source:
www.fostercarecooperative.co.uk

We said a fond farewell to our CEO, Ian ‘The Colonel’ Brazier last week!

Ian retired after a celebratory lunch at FCC headquarters in Malvern, attended by staff and foster carers.  We even managed to source the correct marching music from his days in the army!

Ian helmed the FCC ship for 9 years.  In that time he solidified FCC as an ethical, transparent, not-for-profit organisation. Always cheerful and upbeat, Ian was always a problem solver, and built morale with his infectious optimism. His knowledge of business and contracts ensured that FCC marched on (excuse the pun), achieving many accolades, including an Inspiring Co-operative of the Year award.

Ian always knew how to get the very best from his staff – and he encouraged input from all staff members every step of the way, without exception.   Ian never micro-managed – he just managed well.  One of his most endearing qualities was the praise he heaped on individuals who had done a particularly good job.  There was never any doubt that this man was proud of FCC, and this pride was truly infectious.

As Executive Director, Ian was truly inspirational.  One day he would be attending Local Authority meetings, the next he would be participating in an activity day for our carers and their children.  He didn’t behave like an Executive Director – and that was the key to his success.  

Ian has left an indelible mark here at The Foster Care Co-operative, and will be truly missed by everyone.

Thank you Ian, for everything!

Source:
www.fostercarecooperative.co.uk

The Foster Care Co-operative (FCC) – a national foster care organisation – are very pleased to announce that the wonderful Neil Morrissey will be the ‘voice of FCC’ – for its national radio commercials over the coming year, and possibly beyond.

Neil recorded his voice at Global Radio’s Leicester Square studio in London earlier in July.  The recording session was attended by Dan Rosewarne, who handles all the marketing for FCC.

The radio commercial is actually a poem, written from the point of view of an adult that used to be in care.  Neil was genuinely moved by the poem, and commented that the FCC were ‘doing a great job’.

Deciding to become a foster carer is a major decision. There’s no question it can make a big difference to a child who is unable to live with their parents at a point in time. But while the rewards are clear, it can be a daunting prospect if you don’t know anyone who has experience of fostering children.

More than 65,000 children live with foster families across the UK and the Fostering Network charity estimates that services in England need to recruit a further 6,800 foster families in the next 12 months to meet the need for placements. With that in mind, seven foster carers have shared what they think you should know if you’re considering it - both the good and bad - for Foster Care Fortnight. 

You have to always be curious. If you apply to become a foster carer, you will be asked to complete a DBS (criminal record) check, health assessment and attend group preparation sessions with other people who are applying. As well as assessing your suitability to be a foster carer these sessions also give you a chance to find out more about whether fostering is right for you and can be a great source of insight.

Sue and Tony, from Gloucestershire, who have been foster carers for eight years with The Foster Care Co-operative were advised in a training session to “always be curious”. This has been their mantra ever since and it has helped them through some testing times when they’ve needed to consider the motives behind children’s behaviour. “These children have not had the benefit of the same upbringing [as we did],” they say. “So, there are reasons they do the things they do and react the way they react.” 

Being foster carers can be challenging, and they say “unfortunately situations can sometimes not turn out well. This can be very sad and make you question if you could have done things differently.” But rather than beat themselves up about it, they remind themselves to be curious about why things didn’t work out.

“We have been in ‘that place’; several times and have felt disappointed in ourselves,” they explain. “We have come to the conclusion that we have all the skills and tolerance levels - maybe ours weren’t right in this instance but we know that someone else will have the skills needed to support that person.”

The whole family has to be “in” to make it work. You may be keen to foster a child, but if you already have kids then it is incredibly important to make sure the whole family fully understands the process and is happy with the choice. Paula, from Bristol, who has been fostering for 11 years with The Foster Care Co-operative, says she did a lot of research with her whole family to prepare them for the challenges ahead before they embarked on fostering.

Once they had made the decision to go ahead, they changed everything in the house from that day on. “Everyone had to adapt to new house rules and we did this before having a placement so it was a natural thing and wasn’t seen as implemented because of the placement,” she says. 

Sometimes adults need fostering too. When you think of fostering you may just think about welcoming children into your home, but sometimes parents can be fostered too. Paula specialises in Parent And Child Together (PACT) placements where a young parent, usually a mother and baby, comes to stay with you at a time when they need extra support. The aim of these placements is to help a parent who is having difficulties develop the skills and confidence necessary to keep their family together. 

Foster carers come from all walks of life. Lee Jameson, an LGBT advocate, wants people to know that you don’t need to be a heterosexual couple of a certain age to foster children. He and his partner have been fostering since 2014. “We are two men but that has not bothered the kids one bit,” he wrote in a blog hosted on HuffPost UK. “What you see is what you get with us. Foster carers come from all walks of life - it is not the old grandma foster carer strolling round the house like Miss Hannigan, it is different nowadays. It doesn’t matter if you have partner or if you are single – you can make a difference.”

Having a support network is crucial. Shagufta ‘Goofy’ Nasir, who has been fostering since 2012, has written in a blog hosted on HuffPost UK about how  she and her partner chose to foster through an agency - Foster Care Associates Scotland (FCAS) - as they wanted support throughout the process (an alternative is to go through your local authority). “The level of support on offer varies quite a lot between fostering agencies, so it’s important to do your research beforehand,” she says. “There are always going to be a handful of challenges, and the right support is vital at those times. I’ve made lifelong friends through fostering support networks.”

You experience many milestones money cannot buy. Martin Barrow, from Sussex, who blogs about his experiences as a foster carer on HuffPost UK, says one of the biggest joys about being a foster carer is experiencing the joys of being a parent - first steps, first day at school, riding a bike, passing a driving test, graduating from university - over and over again. “These are the memories that every parent treasures, and that foster carers get to enjoy, in a different way, with each and every placement,” he says. “As foster carers, we witness milestones almost every day, which nourish and energise our commitment to foster care. Just as we celebrate the top marks at school, and the next gymnastics badge, we celebrate the dry beds, the days without tantrums and the gentle healing of skin as the urge to self-harm abates.” 

Don’t underestimate how mentally exhausting it can be, but the reward of your foster child becoming an integral part of your family is worth it. Despite maybe not knowing how long a foster child may stay, foster carers ensure that the child is always treated as part of their family. “We all do chores, we all share in outings and holidays, and we all do it together,” says Paula. “This can be achieved with some great planning. It is very tiring and mentally exhausting, but also very rewarding. Seeing your placement succeed is the biggest thrill you can get, just little steps mean a lot.”

Dave and Mary, who have been foster carers for 12 years with The Foster Care Co-operative, agreed, adding: “Watching the children arrive all shy and nervous - then spending time with them, building confidence and self-esteem and watching them grow and progress has made us feel that we have really accomplished something.”

For information on becoming a foster carer in the UK, visit the government website. 

Source:
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk