Walking Tall https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/ en Walking Tall workshops: a summary https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/n-b-lakhani/walking-tall-workshops-summary <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--blog.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--blog.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Walking Tall workshops: a summary</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--blog.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--blog.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">N B Lakhani</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--blog.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--blog.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span>Thu, 06/07/2018 - 09:52</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/tfnetwork/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/tfnetwork/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-introduction--blog.html.twig * field--node--field-introduction.html.twig * field--node--blog.html.twig * field--field-introduction.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-introduction field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Our series of Walking Tall workshops has now concluded, and we are delighted to report that it has been an absolutely informative, invaluable, and fun experience.&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--blog.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--blog.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><blockquote> <p>'Thank you sooo much for what you did with the children, they all had an absolute blast and loved the things they made. They were totally exhausted tonight. You guys are all amazing and as a foster family we truly appreciate you!!'</p> </blockquote> <p>Those were some encouraging words from a foster carer, for The Fostering Network staff who were involved in the Walking Tall workshops.</p> <p>Walking Tall is an opportunity for us to come together and share, so we can all learn from each other and pave the way for a better tomorrow. John F. Kennedy once said that ’Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future’ and we couldn’t agree more. The children (our Walking Tall heroes) provided us with a wealth of wisdom in terms of what would enhance their fostering experience. We had all kinds of feedback, ranging from the conventional, as in:</p> <blockquote> <p>‘I like sharing a room because you have someone to talk to.’</p> <p>‘It’s important that I have a quiet place because my house can get noisy.’</p> </blockquote> <p>All the way up to the remarkable, for example:</p> <blockquote> <p>‘All foster carers should have mansions.’</p> <p>‘I like Zombie carers.’</p> <p>‘You need a superhero in every family.’</p> </blockquote> <p>Following the completion of the Walking Tall workshops, all participants and their families were invited along to a celebration event at Dynamic Earth, in Edinburgh.</p> <p><strong>70 foster carers</strong> with <strong>71 children</strong> from their fostering families as well as two members of the Care Review and our Children and Young People’s Commissioner for Scotland, Bruce Adamson with his adorable young daughter joined us for a day of face painting, lunch, some Walking Tall activities and a tour around their fantastic 4D planetary experience of the lifetime.</p> <p>So far, the Walking Tall project has gained some exceptionally positive feedback and investment from key stakeholders. We very much look forward to the next phase of the project, which involves designing, producing and distributing resources that will help enhance the fostering experience for our members.</p> <p>Once again, thank you to all of our Walking Tall heroes for being part of this exciting and innovative project. We could not have done it without you.</p> <p><a href="https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/galleries/walking-tall-workshops-gallery">Here</a> are a few photos from the workshops for you to enjoy.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-blog-tags--blog.html.twig * field--node--field-blog-tags.html.twig * field--node--blog.html.twig * field--field-blog-tags.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1879" hreflang="en">Walking Tall</a></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <drupal-render-placeholder callback="flag.link_builder:build" arguments="0=node&amp;1=11316&amp;2=favourite_content" token="pahgK2pwXRUZOAB4UfVvCNRR__8ciWTtNnUEddkdlm8"></drupal-render-placeholder> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-comment--blog.html.twig * field--node--field-comment.html.twig * field--node--blog.html.twig * field--field-comment.html.twig x field--comment.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> <section> <h2>Add new comment</h2> <drupal-render-placeholder callback="comment.lazy_builders:renderForm" arguments="0=node&amp;1=11316&amp;2=field_comment&amp;3=comment" token="6ZyP9PPXmWGl7LDIptfTVZgKlpP5qB6dfeWals2jSP4"></drupal-render-placeholder> </section> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> Thu, 07 Jun 2018 09:52:50 +0000 N B Lakhani 11316 at https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/n-b-lakhani/walking-tall-workshops-summary#comments The children's voice in 'Walking Tall' https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/n-b-lakhani/childrens-voice-walking-tall <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--blog.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--blog.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>The children&#039;s voice in &#039;Walking Tall&#039;</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--blog.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--blog.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span lang="" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="">N B Lakhani</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--blog.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--blog.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span>Mon, 11/27/2017 - 11:17</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/tfnetwork/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/custom/tfnetwork/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-introduction--blog.html.twig * field--node--field-introduction.html.twig * field--node--blog.html.twig * field--field-introduction.html.twig * field--text-long.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-introduction field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Children form part of the steering group of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/policy-practice/projects-and-programmes/walking-tall">Walking Tall</a>, &nbsp;where their views and experiences are used to guide the project’s development.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--blog.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--blog.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Over the years, The Fostering Network have explored a <a href="https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/policy-practice/projects-and-programmes">number of innovative programmes</a> to improve outcomes for fostered children and young people, and foster care in general, for example, Head, Heart, Hands, Step Up Step Down and The Mockingbird programme to name a few.</p> <p>Among these is Walking Tall – a two-year programme funded by the Big Lottery Fund that provides opportunities for primary school aged children, living in fostering households, giving them a voice, enhancing their self-esteem and helping them to ‘walk tall’.</p> <p>But something else really gives Walking Tall an innovative edge, and that’s its commitment to the values of participation and consultation, demonstrated through the recruitment of&nbsp;young people onto the steering group.</p> <p>Walking Tall’s&nbsp;Children's Participation Worker, Kirsteen Marshall, speaks enthusiastically about the project’s endeavours and how it aims to enhance the fostering experience for children living in fostering households:</p> <p>'We aim to consult children on their views and experiences while having fun through dance, drama, and play.</p> <p>'We currently have 12 volunteers on our steering group, comprising of foster carers, children in foster care, sons and daughters of foster carers and fostering agency staff.&nbsp; There are four children in the group, who bring a real sense of creativity, fun, insight, and energy to the meetings.</p> <p>'We meet quarterly to discuss all elements of project development.&nbsp; This is facilitated in a child-friendly way and both adults and children enjoy sharing thoughts, ideas, and opinions together.&nbsp;</p> <p>'The children are always very vocal and happy to share their insights and experiences, which really benefits the project’s development.&nbsp; We discuss everything from where the workshops should be held to what snacks we should have!</p> <p>'The primary goal of the Walking Tall workshops is to consult the children on their experiences and views of living in a fostering household.&nbsp; The information that they give us will then be used to create child-friendly resources, such as a book or film clip – a resource that will benefit the whole fostering household.&nbsp; The children will be very involved in creating this resource.</p> <p>'Our next steering group will be held in February next year, and it’s going to be an exciting one! The meeting will be held in the office of the Children and Young People’s Commissioner for Scotland.&nbsp; We have a lot to discuss and the participants will have the opportunity to test some of the workshop’s methods and activities.'</p> <p>You can read more about the programme’s aims and how to get involved on the main Walking Tall page <a href="https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/policy-practice/projects-and-programmes/walking-tall">here</a>.</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-blog-tags--blog.html.twig * field--node--field-blog-tags.html.twig * field--node--blog.html.twig * field--field-blog-tags.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-field-blog-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1879" hreflang="en">Walking Tall</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1882" hreflang="en">Programmes</a></div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <drupal-render-placeholder callback="flag.link_builder:build" arguments="0=node&amp;1=11054&amp;2=favourite_content" token="923NwXf1w1ujclST6z0D-TqIj9yNiEmHWaRsYmZEnEc"></drupal-render-placeholder> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--field-comment--blog.html.twig * field--node--field-comment.html.twig * field--node--blog.html.twig * field--field-comment.html.twig x field--comment.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> <section> <h2>Add new comment</h2> <drupal-render-placeholder callback="comment.lazy_builders:renderForm" arguments="0=node&amp;1=11054&amp;2=field_comment&amp;3=comment" token="gfKa-2MUCLElvlYOCVecV5DOC3OMyQI57UbJvP-Qy6U"></drupal-render-placeholder> </section> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> Mon, 27 Nov 2017 11:17:30 +0000 N B Lakhani 11054 at https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/n-b-lakhani/childrens-voice-walking-tall#comments