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Campaigns update July 2016

We reported last time that the Children and Social Work Bill had been introduced to parliament which we have been working on during July as well as scrutinising other reports from the Government.

By Policy and Campaigns tFN on August 26th, 2016

I’m misleading you a little this week because I’m not going to be blogging about the cinema. Though what I’m attempting to describe was at times as surreal to me as something you might glimpse on the big screen. This week’s blog is about the Home Office screening interview that all children seeking asylum in the UK need to attend.

By Lucy Stevens on August 25th, 2016

A summary of the reports and consultations recently released relating to foster care in England

Andrew Walker, a member of The Fostering Network’s practice support team and a social worker, reflects on a summer of consultations and reports in England.

So much for work slowing down during the summer. The Westminster Government and related agencies issued a flurry of documents for consideration in June and July which have kept the Practice Support Team busy in between going away for their summer holiday.

By Daniel.Sinclairtfn on August 11th, 2016

Unfounded allegations

Allegations against a foster carer by a child in their care is a subject most carers would rather not think about, believing it couldn’t happen to us. Sadly it happens to many of us and the majority of those who have allegations made against them are not new carers but experienced ones, just like a friend of mine and her husband who’d been fostering for 10 years.

By Cathy Glass on August 2nd, 2016

A child arrives from overseas

We’ve all seen it on the news. We’ve watched the exodus of men, women and children with a mounting sense of horror and helplessness. We know that there are thousands upon thousands of children displaced from their homes and everything they’ve ever known. We know many of these children are on their own, traumatised, bewildered and afraid.

By Lucy Stevens on July 27th, 2016

Marking a decade of togetherness

Jude Black has been a social worker for 40 years and currently works for the fostering team at Gloucestershire County Council. She created one of the first groups in England catering specifically for birth children of foster carers and has overseen its growth and development. The group is now well established and recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.

By DavidEggboro on July 21st, 2016

Campaigns update June 2016

Aside from fretting over the home nations' performances in the Euros, there's been a lot else going on in our campaigns team over the past few weeks.

By Policy and Campaigns tFN on July 18th, 2016

Ben Weighill talks Dreams and aspirations

Ben Weighill, 25, is an amateur singer/songwriter from Chesterfield who is the voice behind the soundtrack to the new Dreams advert – a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time.

Dreams, the UKs leading bed specialist, has teamed up with The Fostering Network to raise money and awareness for foster care around the UK. As part of this partnership Dreams is donating its proceeds from sales of Ben’s single.

Buy it today from Amazon, Google Play or iTunes and support the work of The Fostering Network.

By DavidEggboro on July 18th, 2016

Attitude

I was recently asked by a social worker if I’d have a chat with a relatively new foster carer about the behaviour of the 12-year-old she was fostering. Her main complaint was that the girl had a bad ‘attitude’ and swore. On the scale of things this behaviour didn’t seem too bad to me so I had to think carefully what to say.

By Cathy Glass on July 13th, 2016

The waiting game

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged. For those of you who were following my family’s journey into foster care, you’ll know that we were approved as foster carers at the end of April this year, and I’ve been indulging in a little radio silence since then.

By Lucy Stevens on June 30th, 2016