campaigns https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/ en Essential relationships should not be forgotten https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/izzy-roberts/essential-relationships-should-not-be-forgotten <!-- 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>Essential relationships should not be forgotten</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="">Izzy Roberts</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>Tue, 11/12/2019 - 12:17</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>It is widely recognised that the relationships of care experienced children and young people need to be prioritised, yet our latest report <a href="https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/get-involved/our-campaigns/keep-connected#NotForgotten"><em>Not Forgotten: The importance of keeping in touch with former foster carers</em></a> outlines that too often this is not happening when a child or young person moves on from their foster family.</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>Currently, too many fostered children are being prevented from staying in touch with some of the most important people in their lives – our research shows that one in four foster carers have been actively stopped from maintaining contact with the children they used to look after, most frequently by local authorities/trusts, fostering services and adoptive parents&nbsp; Years of positive experiences are being undermined, leaving hundreds of children and young people with a sense of loss and rejection and damaging their development and wellbeing. And this is why The Fostering Network believes it is time for large-scale change.</p> <p>The report emphasises that stable ongoing relationships are particularly crucial for children in care who may have faced instability. Tommy’s foster carer, featured in the report, was prevented from seeing him when he moved to another foster family which she says has ‘irreparably damaged’ their relationship. She says: ‘It breaks my heart that I’m being stopped from giving this little boy experiences and showing him that he is still loved.’</p> <p>To avoid more situations like Tommy’s, one vital, yet simple, change that can be made immediately is to allow, encourage and support children and their former foster families – and other significant people in their lives – to stay in touch when a child moves on.</p> <p>This is not an expensive approach. This is not an approach which calls for wholesale changes to ways of working, or root and branch upheaval throughout the hundreds of fostering services across the land. No; this is a cost free, common sense approach which benefits all concerned and is backed up by the latest research. It is what should be an easy win.</p> <p>The theory that relationships can only be built one by one (which leads to decisions such as making children cut ties with one foster family when moving in with another) is outdated, and in this context, damaging. However, it is still too frequently being used to make decisions about ongoing relationships. Research now suggests that children who already have secure attachments are more likely to build healthy relationships in the future and therefore expand a stable, supportive network around them. This network can assist by offering the child love and security – imbuing them with self-confidence and a strong sense of identity.</p> <p>It is also worth bearing in mind the other lives affected by ending these relationships; those of the fostering family, who may have lived with the children for many months or years.</p> <p>Peter, a foster carer who we feature in the report, says: ‘Saying goodbye to the children, mostly babies, we’ve looked after is always emotional, it’s usually accompanied by many tears. Our own children experience rising tension in the run up to the transition and generally it’s a challenging time for everyone.</p> <p>‘What always helps is the relationship we build with the adopters and birth families with whom the children in our care have gone to live.’</p> <p>If these relationships are not maintained, as well as feeling loss, foster carers and their families may also experience profound guilt that the child feels abandoned or forgotten by them. As you can imagine, these are not the sort of feelings which our members tell us motivate them to continue to foster, indeed, it is quite the opposite. And at a time when 8,600 new foster families are needed in the UK, this is yet another reason to prioritise maintaining these essential relationships.</p> <p>The Not Forgotten report is part of our wider Keep Connected campaign in which we make a number of recommendations, including urging all local authorities and trusts to support and encourage contact between children and their former foster carers, and other significant people in their lives.</p> <h6><a href="http://thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/keep-connected">Read more about the campaign and lend your support</a>.</h6> <p>&nbsp;</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/1988" hreflang="en">Keep connected</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/277" hreflang="en">campaigns</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=11800&amp;2=favourite_content" token="4z59QKcwe0f2YNJRicsJBf-GU7TOOHkDa9tNiA9i2uE"></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=11800&amp;2=field_comment&amp;3=comment" token="MVjuD66gwcYWf9MrCfKnO3TOXzNbrHAfVr1tsrtBIQ8"></drupal-render-placeholder> </section> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> Tue, 12 Nov 2019 12:17:13 +0000 Izzy Roberts 11800 at https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/izzy-roberts/essential-relationships-should-not-be-forgotten#comments Campaigns blog - Next steps for Keep Connected https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/izzy-roberts/campaigns-blog-next-steps-keep-connected-0 <!-- 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>Campaigns blog - Next steps for Keep Connected</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="">Izzy Roberts</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>Tue, 10/02/2018 - 09:12</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">The relationship between fostered children and their former foster carers is increasingly being recognised as extremely important to the development and wellbeing of the child. In response to feedback from our members, we launched the Keep Connected campaign to make sure the importance of maintaining relationships between children and young people and their former foster carers is recognised. Last month we brought together leading voices from the sector to discuss the campaign and plan the next steps.</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>On 20 September, representatives including foster carers, fostering services, researchers, charities and the Department for Education came together at a meeting organised by&nbsp;The Fostering Network to discuss Keep Connected. We focused on potential solutions to the ongoing issue that when children move within and out of the care system their most important relationships can be damaged or lost.</p> <p>Underpinning the campaign is a belief that children should be enabled to maintain the relationships that are important to them when it is in their best interests. However, in practice this does not always happen. At our meeting, we heard from foster carers who, after caring for children for many months, had had their relationship with those children severed as soon as they moved on. They talked not just of their own sadness, but recognised the trauma the children felt at losing someone they loved, often without understanding why.</p> <p>In our recent State of the Nation survey four in ten foster carers said that their fostering service did not support them at all with maintaining contact with former fostered children. We discussed the fears, cultural barriers and historic practices that drive services and social workers to inhibit contact.</p> <p>Some services are working innovatively to overcome this problem, and we spent some time talking about best practice. For example, &nbsp;Dr Mary Beek and the team at the University of East Anglia have been working with the local authorities in Southwark and Norfolk to develop and pilot a new transition to adoption model.&nbsp;</p> <p>We finished the session by identifying the activities each organisation and individual can do to effect change and challenge perceptions. In the coming months we will be working together to raise awareness and change practice.&nbsp;</p> <h3>Support the campaign</h3> <p><a href="https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/get-involved/our-campaigns/keep-connected">You can support the Keep Connected campaign by writing to your political representative using our template. </a>If you’ve been affected by the issue, adding your own experiences to your letter can make it even more powerful.</p> <p>If you represent an organisation or fostering service that would like to be involved in the campaign, please email us at <a href="http://mailto:campaigns@fostering.net">campaigns@fostering.net</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/277" hreflang="en">campaigns</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=11462&amp;2=favourite_content" token="4YwlsW_PRVYzUOtKqkk2A50KeZxPiVByU2uEt4XxfXA"></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=11462&amp;2=field_comment&amp;3=comment" token="cvUe5GakZVf1kKxnrp9A1VOGzWe6PHLdWtyLFmWJkWk"></drupal-render-placeholder> </section> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> Tue, 02 Oct 2018 09:12:15 +0000 Izzy Roberts 11462 at https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/izzy-roberts/campaigns-blog-next-steps-keep-connected-0#comments Campaigns update July 2016 https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/policy-and-campaigns-tfn/campaigns-update-july-2016 <!-- 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>Campaigns update July 2016</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="" content="Policy and Campaigns tFN">Policy and Cam…</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>Fri, 08/26/2016 - 11:33</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>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.</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>Alongside our joint lobbying work as member of the Alliance for Children in Care and Care Leavers, we are also pursuing our own amendment to the Children and Social Work&nbsp;Bill to ensure long term foster care is given equal weight in the permanence options set out in clause 8. Currently three quarters of looked after children are fostered, and therefore any change to improve the outcomes for children in care needs to focus on foster care.&nbsp;</p><p>So before the summer break we were busy briefing key partners in the House of Lords in support of this amendment. When parliament returns in October the Bill will enter its next stage, and we are finalising our work behind the scenes to ensure that we are as prepared as possible to fight for this change to be adopted then. We may have to take the battle to the House of Commons, where the help of our supporters in writing to their MPs may become appropriate – as ever if you want to be kept up to date on proceedings then join our <a href="https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/get-involved/our-campaigns/campaign-us">campaigners email list</a>.</p><p>As well as The Children and Social Work Bill, it has also&nbsp;been a busy summer in terms of other strategies emerging from Government.&nbsp;So in June and July we were producing responses to the Care Leavers Strategy, Sir Martin Narey’s Residential Care Review, and Putting Children First (the Government's vision for children in care).</p><p>Andrew Walker from our Practice Support team explains about these documents in more detail in his recent <a href="https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/danielsinclairtfn/summary-reports-and-consultations-recently-released-relating-foster-care-in">blog</a>.</p><p>In the midst of all this activity, it will not have escaped your notice that we also have the small matter of a new Prime Minister in Downing Street! It is still too early to say whether an early general election will be held – any decision will probably follow the party conference season in the autumn - &nbsp;but in the meantime we are seeking an early meeting with the civil servants at Number 10 to set out the agenda for foster care from our point of view.</p><p>Thank you for your continued interest in our campaigns work. Do please <a href="mailto:campaigns@fostering.net">email the campaigns team</a> with any questions.</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/277" hreflang="en">campaigns</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=10401&amp;2=favourite_content" token="5rdXuklwY8HI2OLNewpOwxGpIrBgOgZnIdy725wKV2A"></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=10401&amp;2=field_comment&amp;3=comment" token="Vye296okJyaj203wWZOlEWDlfP4xx8SVySxYfBRwhQ4"></drupal-render-placeholder> </section> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> Fri, 26 Aug 2016 11:33:30 +0000 Policy and Campaigns tFN 10401 at https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/policy-and-campaigns-tfn/campaigns-update-july-2016#comments