attracting https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/ en Attracting and Keeping Carers - September 2015 https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-september-2015 <!-- 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>Attracting and Keeping Carers - September 2015</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="">James Foyle</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, 09/24/2015 - 11:18</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><a href="http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/13654656.Parents_of_children_who_have_flown_the_nest_urged_to_consider_fostering/">FCA in Worcestershire</a> is one of a number of services targeting the ‘empty-nesters’ of children who have left for university this month in their latest foster carer recruitment campaign.</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>As well as the over 500,000 young people taking part in Freshers’ week for the first time across the UK, a further 69,000 children will be heading back to boarding school this month.</p><p>Up until recently, the demographics between these two groups wouldn’t have been so different. But despite the removal of grants and the increase in fees, a broader spectrum of the population now attends university. Private schooling is still mainly a preserve of the wealthy. Yet we are all challenged to broaden the demographics of those who consider fostering, and these parents sending their children to boarding school experience similar emotions when waving goodbye to their offspring, sometimes for the full academic year.</p><p>Recruitment campaigns targeted at both of these groups can lead to positive leads. If you’ve had particular success in the past, and continue to invest resources in these campaigns, then I’d love to hear from you.</p><p>The blog below provides the latest news on the changes as a result of BAAF’s withdrawal, this time the impact in Wales, plus information about our free assessment material taster sessions and a bumper practice issue affecting recruitment and retention specifically in England but with UK-wide considerations.</p><h2>News</h2><h3>Measures to secure fostering and adoption services have been announced by the Welsh government</h3><p>The Welsh Government has moved to address the void left by BAAF in Wales, which up until recently maintained the country’s adoption register, as well as providing training, consultancy and legal advice for fostering and adoption through a helpline service.</p><p>As reported in last month’s blog, the folding of BAAF has led to the formation of CoramBAAF in England. Now adoption agency St David’s Children Society have set up the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-34192857">Association for Fostering and Adoption Cymru @ St David's to take on the helpline service</a>.</p><p>Members of The Fostering Network across the UK can of course already benefit from our dedicated fostering helpline service on a range of subjects pertinent to the sector for both our member foster carers and member services. If you would like to clarify what support is provided by our service, then <a href="mailto:james.foyle@fostering.net">please do get in touch</a>.</p><h3>New Northamptonshire CC campaign</h3><p>Ever more fostering services are investing in film content to help recruit new foster carers. With a good few examples available to reference, the standard is continuously improving.</p><p>While some feature adults, others are including children, as Northamptonshire Council have done in their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQupYBZnUXQ&amp;feature=youtu.be">new foster carer recruitment film</a>.</p><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eQupYBZnUXQ" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>​​</p><p>What I really like about Northamptonshire’s film is the involvement of young people, sharing their views, giving heart-warming credibility to the campaign. The messages also build to a crescendo before the call to action to contact the authority – if anything, they could be on screen a touch longer to allow a bit more time to re-read and cement them all.</p><p>Take a few minutes to watch Northamptonshire’s and others films I’ve shared in recent months. Look at them objectively, think about the subliminal messaging, targeting and how they relate to a local need. Invite your foster carers to watch them and think what messages will truly inspire the next generation of foster carers to come forward.</p><h3>Assessment material roadshows</h3><p>September saw the start of The Fostering Network’s series of free roadshows in England to give services an opportunity to take a look at our brand new assessment materials.</p><p>The materials have been completely rewritten to reflect national changes in legislation, and make it easier for assessors to include specific and concise information to better enable the approval decision by panel.</p><p>Forty eight practitioners joined us for our first session in Wigan, representing over 20 services from the region. There are still spaces to join members of our Practice Support Team in Leicestershire on 2 October, Leeds on 8 October, Chester-le-Street on 12 October and Walsall on 14 October. Numbers are limited though, so <a href="https://www.fostering.net/training-and-events/free-taster-sessions-skills-foster#.VgPY9stVhHx">book your place at a session near you today</a>. Dates in the south west and East Anglia are to be confirmed.</p><h3>Foster carer retention survey</h3><p>Please encourage your foster carers to spend 15 to 20 minutes completing our <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FCretention2015">new foster carer retention survey</a>.</p><p>The Fostering Network is keen to get their views on the support they receive, and ultimately, what keeps them fostering to support you to retain your best foster carers.</p><p><strong>The survey closes on Friday 30 October. </strong></p><p>Sharing resources</p><p>As those of you have been to a Foster Care Fortnight workshop in the past will know, I periodically, gingerly raise the subject of sharing resources across fostering services…</p><p>The logic is simple – economies of scale, better use of resources, foster carer workforce and ultimately outcomes for children. I appreciate the application is though culturally challenging.</p><p>Increasingly, however, services are realising the potential. I’ve covered the east midland’s and north east’s joint campaigning initiatives, as well as the You Can Foster partnership’s approach to joint working over the past five years. It is the latter group that is taking this work to the next stage, exploring the potential for regional recruitment hubs for processing enquiries.</p><p>By creating a single point of contact for phone enquiries, four to six services can share expertise and ensure a consistent and timely approach, among other benefits. Resourcing the hub and agreeing the process for allocation have historically been stumbling blocks to progressing the idea. In addition, as the values report demonstrated, the majority of foster carers prefer having a named contact, someone they can trust to discuss fostering from the outset, and flag questions throughout the process.</p><p>These aren’t though insurmountable challenges, and I am looking forward to being able to provide an update on the approach in future editions.</p><h3>DBS issues one (England and Wales) – how to obtain a criminal record check for applicants from overseas</h3><p>A few of you have been in touch recently to ask about the practicalities of obtaining criminal record checks for applicants from overseas – particularly when the applicant has lived in the UK for a significant period of time, or the country of origin does not provide helpful or timely information.</p><p>Fortuitously, The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure has a report providing guidance on the <a href="http://www.cpni.gov.uk/documents/publications/2014/2014-04-28-overseas-criminal-records-check.pdf?epslanguage=en-gb">best course of action to obtain criminal record checks in 63 countries</a>. The report also contains information on the likely cost, turnaround time for the check and the language in which the report will be written.</p><p>If you are still having issues obtaining information for specific cases, <a href="mailto:james.foyle@fostering.net">please do contact me</a> or if in England, your regional practice support consultant:</p><ul><li>South West – <a href="mailto:chris.kohlhoff@fostering.net">Chris Kohlhoff</a></li><li>South London and Southern England – <a href="http://diane.heath@fostering.net">Diane Heath</a></li><li>North London and East Anglia – <a href="http://joanna.adande@fostering.net">Joanna Adande</a></li><li>The Midlands – <a href="http://sab.jagpal@fostering.net">Sab Jagpal </a></li><li>North West – <a href="http://judy.bell@fostering.net">Judy Bell </a></li><li>Yorkshire and Humber and North East – <a href="http://andrew.walker@fostering.net">Andrew Walker </a></li></ul><h3>DBS issues two – new DBS guidance</h3><p>Ofsted has provided new guidance for children’s social care providers explaining their <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/436241/Disclosure_and_Barring_Service_guidance_for_childrens_social_care_providers.pdf">evaluation process for the Disclosure and Barring Service checks</a>. The guidance contains a section on what a children’s social care provider or manager must do with regard to DBS checks, as well as other relatively standard practice issues for services.</p><h3>Smoking in private vehicles</h3><p>While I am sure the majority of you will have robust local policies already, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/smoking-in-vehicles">new rules about tobacco, e-cigarettes and smoking</a> will make it illegal to smoke in private vehicles that are carrying someone under 18 years old. From the 1 October, both the driver and the smoker could be fined £50 if caught and prosecuted.</p><p>The law applies to every driver in England and Wales, including those aged 17 and those with a provisional driving licence.</p><p>Rather bizarrely, the law does not apply if the driver is 17 years old and is on their own in the car.</p><h2>Update</h2><h3>Mockingbird Family Model</h3><p>Thank you to everyone who has shown an interest in our Mockingbird Family Model pilot on my recent travels. Lilian and the team behind the project are working hard to embed the learning in our eight pilot locations.</p><p>As a reminder, <a href="https://www.fostering.net/mockingbird#.VfBSzRFVhHw">the&nbsp;Mockingbird Family Model</a>&nbsp;uses the concept of a dedicated ‘hub home’ of specially recruited and trained carers offering respite care, peer support, regular joint planning and social activities to a ‘constellation’ of six to 10 families of foster and kinship carers living in close proximity. Like an extended family, the hub home empowers families to support each other, overcome problems before they escalate and offers children a more positive experience of care. The hub home also builds links with other families important to the children’s care plans and to a wider community of stakeholders who can provide them with enhanced opportunities to learn, develop and succeed.</p><p>The Fostering Network will be working with the Mockingbird Society to transpose the model to the UK, becoming a licensed provider of a UK model. In the first year, work will focus on the delivery of kinship and foster care for adolescents, raising standards of care and realising significant cost savings. We also have high hopes that the Mockingbird Family Model will significantly contribute to foster carer retention as well as recruitment.</p><p>We cannot unfortunately take more services with us at this stage in the project, but we are keen to receive your expressions of interest for further work and development. Please contact <a href="mailto:lilian.stevens@fostering.net ">Lilian Stevens</a></p><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/793" hreflang="en">recruitment</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/794" hreflang="en">retention</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/795" hreflang="en">attracting</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/796" hreflang="en">keeping</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/798" hreflang="en">carers</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=8659&amp;2=favourite_content" token="-vh3qxcTtWghMgztHm7RUv0cUYsKxNnsmCKh2JEVOjc"></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=8659&amp;2=field_comment&amp;3=comment" token="s_doR-lJv6X1DVKA4Zhovw-mwK9ehjnhzKC5vxx2Xjg"></drupal-render-placeholder> </section> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> Thu, 24 Sep 2015 11:18:53 +0000 James Foyle 8659 at https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-september-2015#comments Attracting and Keeping Carers - July 2015 https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-july-2015 <!-- 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>Attracting and Keeping Carers - July 2015</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="">James Foyle</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>Wed, 07/22/2015 - 10:58</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>I’ve managed to catch up with a number of you post Foster Care Fortnight™ and have been delighted to hear about all of the activity that took place. Please spare 10 or so minutes to complete the <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FCF2015"><em>Foster Care Fortnight</em>™​ evaluation survey</a> if you haven’t already done so.</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>Many of you have reported a significant uplift on the monthly enquiries you’ve received as a result of campaigning, as well as an improvement in quality of enquiry. I’ve no doubt a combination of either explicit targeted messaging or subliminal messaging through the use of imagery has helped contribute to this, as has the greater involvement of foster carers in recruitment activity.</p><p>Thank you again to everyone who has sent through examples of the Foster Care Fortnight materials you’ve produced – the puzzles in particular are great! As you enter a programme of summer activities, I really do hope you can continue to use these to ‘make a connection’ with new audiences.</p><h3>Fostering Service Benchmark released</h3><p><a href="https://www.fostering.net/recruitment-and-retention/fostering-service-benchmark">The Fostering Service Benchmark survey template is now available to download</a> and complete for services in England.</p><p>Created as part of the Department for Education project in 2013, the Fostering Service Benchmark is aligned to service performance in England, but with a significant amount relevant to fostering services in other countries.</p><p>Due to its origins, the benchmark has been open to just local authority fostering services in England. The Fostering Network has though committed to continuing the benchmark survey and this year will be free to both our local authority and independent fostering provider members in England to complete.</p><p>A number of questions within the benchmark relate to those required as part of the Ofsted return, hopefully making data entry straightforward. These sit alongside additional questions pertinent to fostering performance, bespoke to the benchmark.</p><p>Each participating service will receive a detailed report charting their performance against over 30 key metrics, providing invaluable trend data to services that have completed previous returns and a solid foundation to those new to the benchmark with which to influence practice. Headlines will be summarised in a national report – previous <a href="https://www.fostering.net/recruitment-and-retention/projects#.Va9z7PlVhHx">national reports are available on our website</a>.</p><p>It is hoped that this year’s benchmark will provide an accurate view of performance across the fostering sector, and an opportunity to identify the very best practice in England. Our aspiration going forward is to secure additional funding and resource to develop country-specific benchmarks in order to provide a comprehensive view of fostering service performance in the UK.</p><p>Please <a href="mailto:james.foyle@fostering.net?subject=Fostering%20Service%20Benchmark%20">contact me</a> if you would like to discuss further.</p><h3>Alfie’s Journey</h3><p>Fostering films are becoming ever more prevalent in the marketing mix to attract new people to become foster carers. I was recently invited by Coventry City Council to speak at the launch of their new film, <a href="https://youtu.be/tlvwd-griwk">Alfie’s Journey</a>.</p><p><img alt="Alfie's Journey - Coventry City Council" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/alfie-facebook-banner-1.jpg" style="float:right; height:148px; margin:8px; width:400px">Six months in the making, I could appreciate the team’s desire to keep it under wraps until the big reveal. Watching it for the first time, I can understand why; this is one of the best fostering films I have seen.</p><p>The three minute film shares Alfie’s story, voiced over by Jamal, a care leaver and an integral part of the team producing the film. Poignant moments, such as stepping into a new home for the first time are captured, as is the process of becoming part of the family. Content for the film has been informed by our research on Values Modes, with messages appealing primarily to Pioneers&nbsp;and&nbsp;Settlers and Prospectors to some extent.</p><p>Yes it does focus on the positives, but it is a feel good introduction to what we all hope foster care can provide. The film is a worthwhile investment and the whole team can take great credit in its quality – I still feel compelled to clap after each viewing.</p><h3>Planting the seed in Glasgow​</h3><p>​<img alt="Planting the seed - Glasgow City Council" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/glasgow_2.jpg" style="float:left; height:159px; margin:8px; width:250px">Glasgow City Council has recently launched a new campaign drawing inspiration from the botanical world. Let Glasgow’s Children Flourish is aiming to help children in the city put down roots.</p><p>Celia Gray, families for children service manager said, ‘These days, our families have all sorts of buds and branches – family isn’t just about DNA. Across our city children need families who will help them to flourish and to grow.’</p><p>All carers and adopters at the Celebration Day were gifted a plant, with the message Let Glasgow’s Children Flourish. And all in attendance left their fingerprints in brightly coloured paint to create a unique Carers/Adopters Family Tree as a memento of the day.</p><h3>Staying Put… to 25</h3><p>Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield, has called for <a href="http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/news/three-thousand-children-year-have-leave-care-they-are-ready">children in care to receive support up to 25</a>, in a new report. A survey of nearly 3,000 children and young adults found nearly a third had felt forced to fend for themselves too early after leaving care. Over half were also unaware how to contact an advocate, a service to which they are entitled.</p><p>Of course a child ceases to be looked after at 18, but I’m surprised by the lack of acknowledgement of Staying Put, designed to aid the transition into adulthood, in Longfield’s response, “When a child reaches 18, a parent would not wave goodbye to them for good and close the door to them, so we shouldn’t do so for children in care…”</p><p>Staying Put, When I’m Ready, Continuing Care and the GEM scheme all make provision in varying forms for children up to the age of 21. We recognise the need to iron out processes and investment, particularly for Staying Put and When I’m Ready, to make it work for all involved. I agree wholeheartedly that children in care need more support when transitioning into adulthood, and the idea of a passport for children to access services, is a positive recommendation. There are also many informal examples of children staying with their former foster carers beyond the age of 21. But without a radical transformation of current provision and accessibility to both child and adult services, for me, 25 is sadly too aspirational an age at this stage.</p><h3>Foster carer taskforce in Wales</h3><p>The Fostering Network team in Wales has recently written to all Welsh foster carers to announce the creation of a Foster Carer Expert Group. The group will be supporting the work of the new Wales advisory committee and ensure we have a strong representation from foster carers in all that we do.</p><p>A call for expressions of interest is currently out and closes on Friday 31 July. A workshop for foster carers will be arranged for September to consider how the group will operate effectively and be of real value, with the group itself starting work in November.</p><p>Please encourage those foster carers who would like to participate to respond.</p><h3>What young people think<img alt="What Young People Think - TACT" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/tact.jpg" style="float:right; height:250px; line-height:19.7989406585693px; margin:8px; width:178px"></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Fostering and adoption agency TACT has released a new report entitled, <a href="http://tactcare.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/TACT-Childrens-Survey.pdf">What Young People Think: and why it’s important to us</a>.</p><p>​Informed by 84 face to face interviews with children in care, the findings cover a range of issues, including the importance of belonging, with 95 per cent of young people interviewed feeling part of their carer’s family.</p><p>The report also contains some really interesting quotes from the young people surveyed, particularly around carer respite, “She needs to have time to herself because she works really hard looking after us.” and communication, “It is important that I am trusted by my carer. My carer does this. Communication with people around me is most important.”</p><p>Foster care safeguards vulnerable children, but many young people will have an opinion on decisions which affect them or their siblings. Supporting our foster carers to provide a safe but nurturing environment is vital for young people to develop and also help services retain the best foster carers.</p><h3>PS</h3><h4>Events</h4><p><strong>Permanence in Foster Care: Improving choices and life chances for children and young people, is taking place in London on Thursday 17 September.</strong></p><p>The event, essential for children’s and supervising social workers, IROs and team managers, will focus on permanence, the different options available and the impact of the changes in legislation and standing of long term foster care in England. Ofsted will be presenting on how the changes will affect the inspection framework, with the the National Independent Reviewing Officers Partnership looking at the role of the IRO in achieving permanency. There will also be presentations from The Fostering Network, while the afternoon session will include discussions on Staying Put.</p><p><strong><em>Fostering Achievement</em> is the theme for our annual conference this November. </strong></p><p>Drawing on innovative new approaches from our Fostering Achievement programmes, virtual schools and other leaders in the field, the conference will focus on the key issues is education for children in foster care. Dr Karen Treisman will be presenting a session on strengths based approaches and solution focused techniques; virtual school head, Bernadette Alexander, will talk about the impact of attachment and trauma on learning, and there will also be presentations from young ambassadors involved in London Fostering Achievement. Social workers, team managers and foster carers will all benefit from attending.</p><p>We are also in the planning stages of another Transforming Foster Carer Recruitment event, likely to take place in December. More details to follow.</p><p><a href="https://www.fostering.net/training-and-events/calendar#.VaZGjvlVhHw">Book places at any of our events</a> from our website.</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/795" hreflang="en">attracting</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1548" hreflang="en">attracting and keeping carers</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/793" hreflang="en">recruitment</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/794" hreflang="en">retention</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/632" hreflang="en">policy</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/326" hreflang="en">foster care</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=8548&amp;2=favourite_content" token="2jPeOrZEkMKxGHcwm3KCL37TcIup9bsh_AEdtdJ_Z7M"></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=8548&amp;2=field_comment&amp;3=comment" token="o5IaIEzYIy481GpQR05jOryJqqaAUd7i02oNEjpAYvY"></drupal-render-placeholder> </section> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> Wed, 22 Jul 2015 10:58:59 +0000 James Foyle 8548 at https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-july-2015#comments Attracting and Keeping Carers - January 2015 https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-january-2015 <!-- 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>Attracting and Keeping Carers - January 2015 </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="">James Foyle</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, 01/16/2015 - 15:45</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">Welcome back, full of energy, innovative ideas and drive to recruit and retain the foster carers you need for 2015.</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>Christmas is a time traditionally for family, however one defines theirs. It can be a particularly hard time for children in foster care who may not have had the ‘traditional’ experience synonymous with Christmas.</p><p>It is often a time when we see the real value of foster carers like Carolyn and Sylvia, welcoming fostered children into their homes and really making a difference. The festive season and New Year are also when people are most energised and open to consider new things, and many fostering services have sought to tap into this over the past few weeks.</p><p>We aren’t reinventing the wheel, but we are broadcasting to a new audience who may be at the right stage in their lives to consider fostering. Be consistent, positive and enthusiastic about the many benefits fostering can bring.</p><h2>Middlesbrough Christmas TV ad</h2><p>Middlesbrough Council produced this excellent, award winning TV advert in 2013, launching it on Christmas Day of that year, leading to a number of enquiries to the service.</p><p><iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/P1Lz60C4veQ" width="560"></iframe></p><p>Based on this previous success for raising awareness of fostering, the authority booked slots between this Christmas Day and 3 January 2015 in prime spaces throughout the day and evening on ITV.</p><p>The ad has generated over 40 enquirers, 18 of whom have been booked for initial screening so far.</p><p>TV has traditionally been seen as out of reach financially for many fostering services, but increasing numbers of services are individually or collectively investing in producing advertising through the medium. I will be keeping in touch with the team in Middlesbrough to track the progress of the enquiries to report back in future editions of Attracting and Keeping Carers.</p><h2>Christmas hampers for teenagers leaving care</h2><p><img alt="Norma, placement support worker for Rugby Council" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/norma2.jpg" style="float:right; height:232px; line-height:18.0000591278076px; margin:5px; width:220px"></p><p>Foster carers are frequently praised for their kind hearts and selflessness in coming forward to foster, and many employed in the fostering sector also go above and beyond to make a difference. None more so this Christmas than Norma, a placement support worker in Rugby’s fostering team.</p><p>Recognising that young people leaving care are often left with few or any Christmas presents, she set about producing <a href="http://www.therugbyobserver.co.uk/2015/01/03/news-Christmas-hampers-to-cheer-foster-care-teens-123844.html">Christmas hampers</a> for them. Starting out with donations from friends and family, Norma now receives donations from Tesco, Aldi and Next contributing to a record 62 hampers this year.</p><p>Actions such as these are a fantastic advert for the caring and generous nature of people who work within fostering, and a positive message for recruitment purposes too – I’m sure many in Rugby will be touched by Norma’s efforts and would want to work alongside people like her.</p><h2>Brighton Christmas message</h2><p>Christmas also represents an opportunity to <a href="http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/11689388.Fostering_brings_extra_festive_cheers_for_couple/">acknowledge the impact of newly approved foster carers</a>, as Brighton’s fostering service has done in this article.</p><p>The article conveys a number of positive messages, as well as acknowledging that foster carers take time to consider their decision before coming forward, as well as the reasons why they and others were and will be motivated to come forward.</p><p>I particularly like this article’s reference to the training on attachment theory, which will resonate with readers eager to learn new skills, but also the simple, real life pleasures that fostering can bring,&nbsp;</p><p><em>“We bought them some wellies and took them out for a walk with the dogs. They’d never had wellies before and spent all afternoon jumping in puddles. Or when we took them swimming for the first time. We couldn’t believe the sheer joy on their faces. It’s lovely to be able to share moments like that.” </em></p><h2><img alt="Nottingham City engage local faith groups" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/nottingham_city.jpg" style="float:left; height:180px; margin:5px; width:240px">Nottingham City engages with local faith groups</h2><p>Many fostering services are having success in engaging faith groups to identify those within the community who may be able to foster, and Nottingham City Council is proving no exception.</p><p>A productive collaboration with Trent Vineyard saw over 50 church members attend a fostering and adoption information session. The group’s desire to participate within the community could have a positive influence on their willingness to foster, aided by existing foster carers, Tom and Helen who are active church members.</p><p>Although the authority has yet to receive any firm enquiries as a result, this positive connection with a local group has the potential to benefit Nottingham City’s recruitment and retention endeavours.</p><h2>RCT hit the road<img alt="RCT hit the road" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/rct.jpg" style="float:right; height:160px; margin:5px; width:240px"></h2><p><a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/rct-council-launch-foster-carer-8382781">Rhondda Cynon Taff held a three-day fostering roadshow</a> this month for interested members of the public to find out more about fostering.</p><p>The authority chose a mix of supermarket and community venues to showcase fostering with their eye-catching fostering branded car. The authority has been busy this month as it has also held its annual <a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/foster-carers-hailed-backbone-community-8288089">Foster Care Appreciation Lunch</a> to celebrate the work of local foster carers.</p><p>I do understand the political need of local authorities to include quotes from incumbent politicians, but it is a shame when this is at the exclusion of those who foster, who have the ability to inspire and encourage others to consider it as their profession. Journalists don’t always print press releases verbatim but, as in the examples above, do look to include a foster carer angle in your features.</p><p>IN FOCUS</p><h3>Facebook enquiry form in six easy steps</h3><p>Establishing a Facebook presence and generating lively discussion on the feed is increasingly considered one of the primary tools in the foster carer recruitment and retention process.</p><p>Many fostering services have taken this to the next stage by adding additional tabs of information and online contact forms to make it easy for those keen to find out more to register their interest.</p><p>You do not need to be an expert in Java to add a basic enquiry form to your Facebook account, just six easy steps can create a professional and practical form in a morning’s work. ContactMe’s form, used by a number of fostering services already, is free and very straightforward to use.</p><h4>Step one</h4><p>Log into your Facebook account and type https://apps.facebook.com/contactme_tab/ into the URL to display this screen and select ‘Get Started’.</p><h4><img alt="Add a contact form to your Facebook page" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/contactme1.jpg" style="height:421px; margin:5px; width:400px"></h4><p>&nbsp;</p><h4>Step two</h4><p>Select your fostering service’s page to which you want to add the form. In the tabs on the home screen, select Contact. If this does not automatically display, select More and Manage Tabs to move the Contact tab to a prominent position.</p><p>Step three<img alt="Log in to ContactMe" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/contactme2.jpg" style="height:188px; margin:5px; width:400px"></p><p>To activate your ContactMe tab, you will need to set up a free account with the service.<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/contactme3.jpg" style="height:236px; margin:5px; width:400px"></p><p>Step four</p><p>Once set up, and logged in, you can now select Edit Your Form from the Overview dashboard to customise the form to fit your needs.</p><p><img alt="ContactMe dashboard" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/contactme4.jpg" style="height:266px; margin:5px; width:400px"></p><h4>Step five</h4><p>Using the tools provided, give your form a title, drop in your fostering service’s logo, select the email address to receive enquiries, customise the fields to ask the initial questions you want and select Save Form. This will automatically update the form on your Facebook page.</p><p><img alt="Edit your contact me form" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/contactme5.jpg" style="height:283px; line-height:18.0000591278076px; margin:5px; width:400px"></p><h4>Step six</h4><p>Click back into your Facebook page, select the form and send yourself a message to test the form is working correctly. From this screen you can also measure the performance of your form by selecting the Admin tab.<img alt="ContactMe statistics" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/contactme6.jpg" style="height:380px; line-height:18.0000591278076px; margin:5px; width:400px"></p><p>The ContactMe software has the potential to synchronise contacts, tasks and calendars, plus extra usability if you decide to subscribe to a paid for account. For the purpose of generating a simple, free enquiry form, it is more than sufficient.</p><p>As we know, ‘build it and they will come’ does not apply online. But ‘build it and promote it’ and this form can be a simple tool to add to the channels for potential foster carers keen to find out more about fostering with your service.</p><p>You may not receive many submissions, or it could generate enquiries from unsuitable people, enabling you to assess the supplementary information about fostering you provide on your account. As with all online channels, it will provide you with statistical evidence to help you evaluate its impact on your foster carer recruitment efforts.</p><h3>PS New inquiry on children in care</h3><p><a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/public-accounts-committee/inquiries/parliament-2010/children-in-care/">The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has launched a new inquiry on children in care in England</a> after local authorities spent £2.5 billion in 2012-13 supporting children in foster and residential care.</p><p>The release states that there <em>“has been no improvement since 2009 in getting children into the right placement first time and close to home. At the end of March 2013, 34% of children in care had more than one placement during the year, the same proportion since 2009 and 14% of foster children and 34% of those in residential care were placed more than 20 miles from home. The overall numbers have not improved in the last four years.” </em></p><p>The inquiry will examine how the Department for Education measures its effectiveness in improving the quality of care and meeting children’s needs, and improving the system’s cost-effectiveness. The committee will also look at how the Department will use its Innovation Programme to better understand what works in commissioning to improve outcomes for children in care.</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/793" hreflang="en">recruitment</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/794" hreflang="en">retention</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/795" hreflang="en">attracting</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/796" hreflang="en">keeping</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/798" hreflang="en">carers</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=7991&amp;2=favourite_content" token="JHTxzs3foqoviEpdC5JCcUyjSgOAgIVj_Mae30OuvOE"></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=7991&amp;2=field_comment&amp;3=comment" token="NfKkzAG6Cj3hOJY8t_gzL1_aTSzpwr6Y2JwwcyeN-_k"></drupal-render-placeholder> </section> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> Fri, 16 Jan 2015 15:45:04 +0000 James Foyle 7991 at https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-january-2015#comments Attracting and Keeping Carers - December 2014 https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-december-2014 <!-- 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>Attracting and Keeping Carers - December 2014</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="">James Foyle</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>Wed, 12/17/2014 - 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">As the calendar year draws to a close, this month’s Attracting and Keeping Carers blog reaches you a little earlier than normal to avoid being lost in the festivities.</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>December saw the launch of The Fostering Network’s Combining Fostering and Other Work report, drawing on research into foster carers’ experience of working outside the home alongside fostering, and our Transforming Foster Carer Recruitment event in Birmingham. Birmingham is also the scene of a new, pioneering foster placement scheme between the local authority and Outcomes for Children, a social enterprise within Core Assets Group. Details of the scheme and more are explored in this month’s blog below.</p><h2>Combining Fostering and Other Work <img alt="Combining Fostering and Other Work report" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/employer_report.jpg" style="float:right; height:284px; margin:5px; width:200px"></h2><p>Foster carers are an increasingly skilled, knowledgeable, professional and committed cog in the team supporting children in foster care. Many do not receive a fee for this work, and for those who do, payments cannot be relied upon consistently. A new report from The Fostering Network, <a href="/all-about-fostering/resources/reports/combining-fostering-and-other-work">Combining Fostering and Other Work</a> explores these issues and raises questions as to how foster carers can be supported to foster and work outside the home while still meeting a child’s needs.</p><p>The report, which is part of the two year, Department for Education funded project to Support fostering services to recruit more foster carers, also introduces fostering friendly employers, those organisations that have developed policies to enable their staff to combine external work with fostering.</p><h2>Birmingham partnership</h2><p><a href="http://www.angelnews.co.uk/article.jsf?articleId=16637">Birmingham City Council is embarking on a pioneering scheme</a> to find foster placements for around 60 of their looked after young people who are currently in residential care.</p><p>Fostering services across the UK are developing specialist schemes to recruit foster carers in order to move children from residential care into family settings where appropriate to their needs, but this is the first of its kind involving a social enterprise and funding from a social impact bond. And it appears to be having an immediate impact with a young person moving from residential care into a foster placement.</p><p>Outcomes for Children, the social enterprise commissioned by the Council to deliver the service, is part of the Core Assets Group and therefore able to draw on the largest IFP in the UK’s extensive foster carer recruitment knowledge and experience.</p><p>This stands to be an excellent example of the potential for the local authority and independent fostering sectors to work together formally for the benefit of children in care. I look forward to seeing an evaluation of this scheme in the months to come.</p><h2>Celebrating foster carers in East Riding</h2><p><img alt="Janet and Nick Dixon" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/east_riding_0.jpg" style="float:right; height:135px; margin-left:10px; margin-right:10px; width:180px">Awards were presented and tributes were paid to some of <a href="http://www.driffieldtoday.co.uk/news/local/foster-carers-praised-for-immense-effort-1-6991662">East Riding’s longest serving foster carers</a> at the authority’s inaugural autumn ball for foster carers.</p><p>Among those recognised were foster carers Janet and Nick Dixon (pictured) who have fostered over 100 children in their 40 year career, and Helen and Paul Rawdon who have fostered since 1989. Recognising not only longevity, but also extensive skill and experience and what that means to your service is a key element of any retention strategy. As Helen acknowledges, “You have to treat every child as an individual because every one is different”, and this process can be aided by accurate and detailed notes on each child, leading to careful and effective matching.</p><h2>Fill up on foster care</h2><p>Gloucestershire County Council’s fostering team is utilising petrol pump nozzles in supermarket filling stations as a channel to raise awareness and generate enquiries to good effect.</p><p>Complemented by information leaflets in the shop, the promotion is generating a good number of enquiries referencing seeing the promotion which prompted them to make their enquiry.</p><p>Having always been highly sceptical of this channel, I’m pleased to see the team are proving me wrong! I’m looking forward to seeing how many of these enquiries progress through the approval process.</p><h2>Positive signs at halfway point for Head, Heart, Hands <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/hhh-logo-380x235.png" style="float:right; height:148px; margin:5px; width:240px"></h2><p>The Fostering Network’s innovative social pedagogy programme, <a href="/sites/default/files/head-heart-hands-positive-signs-at-the-halfway-point.pdf">Head, Heart, Hands is progressing well at the halfway stage</a>.</p><p>Developed in Europe, social pedagogy is an approach to bringing up children that combines many elements and principles, such as allowing children to take appropriate risks, encouraging fostering professionals to reflect regularly on their work, and valuing foster carers as an equal part of the team around the child.</p><p>Seven services across six sites are piloting methods to incorporate a social pedagogic approach into various strands of the fostering process, and many foster carers involved are seeing the impact.</p><p>There is great potential to use social pedagogy in foster carer recruitment as well as retention. Aberlour are trialling social pedagogy in their training of foster carers, focusing on knowledge and understanding rather than a solely technical-rational application. This has proved challenging but it is hoped in future the approach will lead to a rise in quality of foster care and its professionalism.</p><h2>IN FOCUS – Teenage fostering</h2><p>Many fostering services have particular difficulty in recruiting foster carers for children aged 12 and above. Some are beginning to have success with highly targeted campaigns with specific messages to highlight the need. Others are having good success in expanding the approval ranges of existing foster carers, but this has to be managed carefully with sufficient support and training required.</p><p>This month’s IN FOCUS is a short report from The Fostering Network’s practice support consultant for the North East and Yorkshire and Humberside, Andrew Walker, focusing on the latter, a scheme being deployed in West Yorkshire to address the needs of foster carers for teenagers.</p><h3>Teenage fostering course</h3><figure><blockquote><p>The Department for Education Recruitment Consortium based in West Yorkshire and consisting of Leeds City Council, Calderdale Council, FCA and Fostering Yorkshire has recently run a two-day course around the issue of fostering teenagers.</p><p>Designed by Maureen Coogan-Williams, the foster carer training co-ordinator at Calderdale, the aim of the course was to encourage foster carers who are approved for younger children to consider extending their terms of approval to care for teenagers. Like many others, the four services have found it a challenge to directly recruit foster carers for teenagers and this innovative idea was an attempt to find different ways of providing those carers, while also helping carers who may not have had placements for some time to think about the reality of fostering teenagers.</p><p>The course had two strands – looking back at one’s own teenage years and getting in touch with what it is like for us, remembering the challenges and the excitement of those years, as well as providing information about what fostering for teenagers can involve. There were speakers from Lifeline, a drug and alcohol support agency, and Safe Hands, a local project working with young people involved in child sexual exploitation. Both of these provided information about the support they can offer to young people, and also to those caring for them.</p><p>With an overall theme of Help Me Help Myself – encouraging the carers from the four fostering services who attended to think about what the task of teenager carers really is, the course also showed the support that is available for carers. Initial feedback was very positive, with a number of carers reporting that it had made them reconsider their views about whether they had the skills to care for teenagers.</p></blockquote><figcaption><cite>Andrew Walker, Practice Support Consultant, The Fostering Network</cite></figcaption></figure><p>Has your fostering service explored this option to expand placement availability for looked after teenagers and young people? What success have you had? And what additional training and support have you provided your foster carers with to facilitate their placement range expansion? Please email me at <a href="mailto:james.foyle@fostering.net">james.foyle@fostering.net</a> with the details.</p><h3>PS</h3><p>If you can look beyond the unusual circumstances and romanticised Parisian flourishes, this article paints an interesting picture of family and friends care, with an emphasis on the ‘friend’ aspect. Aged 23 and an editor for Vogue, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/nov/23/i-was-23-and-a-vogue-editor-when-i-fostered-an-orphan-girl">Lisa Lovatt-Smith’s experience of fostering</a> was formed on a specific bond with a young person. Although largely dissimilar to foster care, her journey does include salient points including creating a healthy routine and structure, facilitating contact with challenging birth parents and maintaining the young girl’s cultural identity.</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/795" hreflang="en">attracting</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/796" hreflang="en">keeping</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/798" hreflang="en">carers</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/793" hreflang="en">recruitment</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/794" hreflang="en">retention</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=7930&amp;2=favourite_content" token="TDyTJa8k1Z9v9ABS79Em94o-TxbTQUgbDpDfLzI4irI"></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=7930&amp;2=field_comment&amp;3=comment" token="0tBYZJ_IhE3izENovHihM4bWvuBG-REGfum6PmgHm-M"></drupal-render-placeholder> </section> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> Wed, 17 Dec 2014 09:52:07 +0000 James Foyle 7930 at https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-december-2014#comments Attracting and Keeping Carers - November 2014 https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-november-2014 <!-- 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>Attracting and Keeping Carers - November 2014</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="">James Foyle</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>Wed, 11/19/2014 - 13:54</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">November began with the selected 12 English local authorities joining us for a workshop as part of the Department for Education funded project to Support fostering services to recruit more foster carers.</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>Cheshire West and Chester, Cumbria, Durham, Kent, London Borough of Bromley, Luton, North Somerset, Peterborough, Rochdale, Stoke on Trent, Suffolk and Wolverhampton are now developing local action plans to help improve their recruitment and retention of foster carers, informed by the Values Modes insight and their individual benchmark report. They follow the 14 local authorities from last year who are now well into their local action plans. We will be reporting back on the findings from all 26 authorities involvement in the project and share the best initiatives in the New Year.</p><p><img alt="Foster Care Fortnight 2015" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/fcf2015_workshop_flyer_web.jpg" style="float:right; height:307px; line-height:18.0000591278076px; margin:5px; width:350px"></p><h2><em>Foster Care Fortnight</em>™2015</h2><p>Due to next year’s elections, we’ve taken the decision to move <em>Foster Care Fortnight</em>™2015 back from its mid-May slot to run 1-14 June 2015. The theme for 2015 will be Fostering, make the connection. This campaign has the potential to have the high visual impact of Get in the frame, the insight of guess who fosters and the strong message of 22 Minutes. We are aiming to achieve more than any <em>Foster Care Fortnight</em>™ that’s gone before. The Fostering Network will be running workshops in Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, London and Manchester to introduce the theme and give you ideas on how to make the most of next year’s campaign. Book your place at a workshop on our website.</p><h2>A Hull lot of celebrations</h2><p>Many fostering services across the UK hold award ceremonies as part of their retention strategies and to publicly thank their foster carers for the commitment they make. <a href="http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Foster-parents-transformed-lives-children-Hull/story-23715528-detail/story.html">Hull City Council’s awards</a> for foster carers who have transformed the lives of children caught my eye for the two positive examples of fostering siblings. Both hint at the myths of who can foster without being explicit, the motivations and the positive impact on keeping siblings together. These points are used as a platform to identify the need for more foster carers for sibling groups in the area. Do continue to check within your existing foster carer cohort as to whether any have scope to take an additional placement, as well as expanding their approval range.</p><h2>Reducing visits missing the point</h2><p>Some strong, but very pertinent points from BAAF’s fostering development consultant, Paul Adams, on the <a href="http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2014/10/30/reducing-social-worker-visits-long-term-foster-placements-misses-point/">role of social workers in long-term placements</a>. I am very much inclined to agree with the assertion that reducing visit frequency does not address the issue. Foster carers are increasingly seen as skilled professionals caring for a looked-after child. Building and nurturing relationships, mutual understanding and respect are necessary criteria to develop and maintain a healthy, positive long-term placement. While acknowledging the need to allow a long-term fostering placement to develop as a real option for permanency and manage resources, there will inevitably be issues that need input provided by a skilled and experienced social work professional. The same criterion applied above to the foster carer-fostered child relationship also needs to be applied between foster carer and social worker to develop positive relationships and ensure positive outcomes regardless of the type of foster care provided.</p><h2>Teenage kicks in Doncaster</h2><p>The newly formed Doncaster Children’s Services Trust has joined up with Doncaster Rovers to develop the <a href="http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/doncaster-rovers-team-up-for-fostering-campaign-1-6909996">‘Teenage Kicks’</a> campaign to encourage more people to consider fostering teenagers. This excellent initiative draws on parallels from some of the team’s youth players who have moved away from home to board with ‘host’ families in the local area, and the support that has benefitted them. While clearly not the same as foster care, moving in with a caring, supportive family has helped the players focus on their professional development and the club acknowledges the crucial role foster carers play.</p><h2>Medical fees update</h2><p>Thank you to everyone who responded to the request for details on the cost of foster carer medicals. Many GP surgeries appear to be honouring the BMA recommended rate set in 2006, but some have been charged significantly more. We are now in the process of analysing all the responses and considering the action needing to be taken. A further update will follow in the next edition.</p><h2><a id="IN-FOCUS" name="IN-FOCUS">IN FOCUS</a></h2><h3>Making good fostering assessments</h3><p>Fostering assessments are more often than not near the top of the agenda when talking fostering.</p><p>Fostering services are challenged internally to turn them around quicker and many question the need to be so in depth. I’ve heard a number of people say that (paraphrasing) more people would foster if the assessment wasn’t so intrusive.</p><p>Yet conversely, with foster carers increasingly seen as professionals in the team who care and children’s needs increasingly complex, it’s more fundamental than ever that the assessment remains a rigorous process for applicants to ensure only those with the requisite skills and aptitude are approved to foster.</p><p>We’ve discussed at length the mechanism of the two stage process but what actually makes a good fostering assessment? Identifying qualities is a useful starting point; foster carers need to be able, among other things, to listen, show warmth, help children feel part of a family, set boundaries, work effectively with others, to manage stress and difficult behaviour, use support when needed, provide empathy, and show resilience.</p><p>During fostering assessments, a failure to analyse and order information, inadequate corroboration and verification, omitting relevant medical details and possible partiality of referees have contributed to poor assessment practice, as have a lack of adequate exploration of applicants’ relationship, sexual orientation, parenting history, and absence of an employer’s reference. This highlights the fact that the role of the effective fostering assessor is to analyse and evaluate, to ask difficult questions and to not just enquire and support.</p><p>Undertaking a successful fostering assessment is a skilled and time consuming task but using effective tools such as The Skills to Foster material that support the process helps the assessor, the applicants and panel members.</p><p>But everyone is different. Everyone has a variety of life experience and life history which will sometimes leave an assessing social worker with a dilemma. The following are some examples of such dilemmas provided by The Fostering Network’s practice support consultant for the south east, Diane Heath. Consider what you would do in each situation:</p><h4>Family own a Pit Bull Terrier</h4><p>​Does your fostering service have a policy on approving applicants with this kind of dog? How old is the dog and what is its history? Has it ever bitten or attacked a person or another animal? Does it have experience of being around children? Strongly consider a dog assessment</p><h4>Applicant is a member of UKIP</h4><p>UKIP is a recognised UK political party. The party has a particular view on immigration and membership with the European Union, which not all supporters or members will agree with. Explore the individual’s attitudes to difference.</p><h4>Applicant's home backs on to a stream</h4><p>Is there a secure fence that separates the garden from the stream? How deep is the stream? Could an adult perform a wading rescue or is there rescue equipment available? Is the stream liable to flood and affect play areas or electrical equipment? What safety measures have the family taken with their own children?</p><h4>Applicant likes to drink two glasses of wine with dinner</h4><p>Is this every night?&nbsp;What are the guidelines on drinking, units per week? Do they ever drink more than this? What does the medical say i.e. does it concur with what the applicants have told you? Has the GP or Medical Adviser made any comment on alcohol intake? Does this put them over the driving limit – what would they do if they had to use the car in an emergency?</p><h4>Family does not have a washing machine</h4><p>​How do they currently manage washing their own clothes? Will they be able to cope with an increased volume of clothes that need washing? Or is this an issue that needs to be explored at all…?</p><h2>PS</h2><p>A slight detour into kinship care, which is not usually covered in this blog, but this article on the myth that adoption is the only stable way to care for children spiked my interest and will no doubt interest you. There appears a reduction in the number of children put up for adoption by local authorities and placement orders issued by the courts, and an increase in the number of kinship/family and friend placements. The Munby judgement in Re B-S served as a reminder that “family ties may only be severed in very exceptional circumstances”. Contrary to the former minister’s viewpoint that adoption was the most appropriate route for permanence, we’re reminded in this article of the value of other forms of long-term care.</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/793" hreflang="en">recruitment</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/794" hreflang="en">retention</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/795" hreflang="en">attracting</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/796" hreflang="en">keeping</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/504" hreflang="en">foster carers</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=7866&amp;2=favourite_content" token="eOUBALeWdroP2huKGQEvk0sqz_qAQI9cZ6V5J51udwI"></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=7866&amp;2=field_comment&amp;3=comment" token="BMeXgaw0GXX6aIk7TYDTzNY4VorJa06rYftgzLtebkE"></drupal-render-placeholder> </section> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> Wed, 19 Nov 2014 13:54:24 +0000 James Foyle 7866 at https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-november-2014#comments Attracting and Keeping Carers - October 2014 https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-october-2014 <!-- 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>Attracting and Keeping Carers - October 2014</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="">James Foyle</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, 10/27/2014 - 16:17</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">October kicked off with The Fostering Network’s annual showcase event, our conference which this year carried the theme of ‘The future of foster care – a focus on children and young people’.</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>Recruitment was not featured in this year’s programme, however it was raised by Alan Wood CBE, president of the ADCS and corporate director of Children and Young People's Services, Hackney Council. Hackney’s fostering service has invested in myriad initiatives, yet he was still stumped as to why his Borough is still struggling to attract and recruit sufficient foster carers.</p><p>London is not unique in having a number of local authorities and independent fostering providers in close proximity. It is also not the only part of the country to suffer from housing issues, although it is more pronounced. But this does suggest a fundamental shift is required to review how some fostering services recruit and retain foster carers. If you have thoughts on how to solve Alan’s problem, answers on an e-postcard to <a href="mailto:james.foyle@fostering.net">james.foyle@fostering.net </a></p><h2>Hackney</h2><p>One aspect that appears to be going well for Hackney Council is their support and training, as testified by <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/advertisement-features/2014/sep/23/towie-debbie-douglas-fostering">foster carer and reality TV star, Debbie Douglas</a>.</p><p><img alt="Debbie Douglas © The Guardian, 2014" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/towie.jpeg" style="float:right; height:180px; margin:5px; width:300px"></p><p>‘World class’ is a bold statement, but Debbie speaks positively of her experience with the LA ; “their social workers know that while they’re there when we need them, we’re the ones doing the work 24/7.” She also acknowledges flexibility as being a key skill and therefore those who value routine will struggle. This raises the question of how do we support the 6 per cent of foster carers who are ‘Settlers’ and value stability and routine?</p><p>Clearly a dynamic individual, Debbie sees fostering as her profession, while maintaining a caring, loving and supportive relationship with the children she fosters. The article talks of the positive impact of fostering on her own children, the eldest once saying, “If there are 100 negatives to fostering, I can think of 1,000 positives”. Another bold statement, but one I’m sure shared by many other fostering families.</p><h2>Western Trust</h2><p>Northern Ireland’s Western Trust will soon be working with The Fostering Network as part of a bespoke recruitment project to assist their local activity. The <a href="http://ulsterherald.com/2014/10/04/local-foster-parents-encourage-others-to-brighten-kids-futures/">Trust are currently campaigning for foster carers in the Tyrone area</a>, featuring a fostering couple from the area.</p><p>This article includes a number of positive messages, but this one in particular stood out, “picking up the phone to find out information doesn’t mean you are making a commitment. We want people to think about fostering as we have a range of different needs”. Fostering services often encourage people to contact them to find out more, but this approach takes a slightly different tack, which may make people more relaxed about finding out more – time will tell.</p><p>What also speaks volumes is the evidently positive relationship with ‘Karen’, the family’s supervising social worker. I cannot stress enough the importance of this in both the recruitment and retention process. Some foster carer recruitment professionals sit remotely from the fostering team. For those of you who do, make it your business to get to know your social work team and understand the fostering relationship.</p><h2>Community Foster Care – Give a book campaign</h2><p>A nice <a href="http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/8217-s-book-bonanza-children-care-Gloucestershire/story-23055246-detail/story.html">initiative by Community Foster Care</a> sees the fostering service teaming up with the charity Give a Book to provide children in the service’s care with a book. But not just any book, each were asked to name their favourite topic to receive a corresponding book suitable for their education level.</p><p>As our London Fostering Achievement project is promoting, literacy is such an important element of a child’s education. Providing a book, which belongs to the fostered child, is a generous pledge by the charity to inspire children in care to take an interest in dinosaurs, the dictionary and everything in between. Being able to demonstrate your service’s support for fostered children is a key issue for both prospective and current foster carers.</p><h2>Foster carers are the Pride of Britain</h2><p><img alt="Pride of Britain foster carer Betty McGlinchey" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/pob-2014-betty-mcglinchey.jpg" style="float:left; height:166px; line-height:18.0000591278076px; margin:5px; width:250px"></p><p>Coventry City Council are beaming with pride for foster carer Betty McGlinchey, the regional winner of the ITV/Daily Mirror - <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/remarkable-foster-mum-betty-mcglinchey-4358025">Pride of Britain award for her achievements in fostering</a>.</p><p>Betty started out as a family and friends carer, fostering the two young daughters of her friend who had sadly passed away. She’s since gone on to foster over 1,200 children, including a sibling group who were meant to stay a fortnight, but ended up staying 16 years…</p><p>Foster carers like Betty are an inspiration, but very much one in a fair few thousand. Nevertheless, her advocacy, perseverance, compassion and fundamentally caring nature are skills sought in all new foster carers.</p><h2>Manchester campaign continued</h2><p><img alt="The Little Bee Pledge Tree" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/little_bee_pledge_tree.jpg" style="float:right; height:281px; margin:5px; width:250px">In July’s edition I shared Manchester Council’s current campaign, and their work out and about in the community. Paula, part of the service’s recruitment and assessment team, got in touch recently to update me on their campaign, which appears to be going from strength to strength.</p><p>At the time, I must admit I wasn’t entirely sure about the icon developed. But since collaborating with the local artist, Mancsy, the icon has developed into ‘Little Bee’ becoming the vehicle for fostering pledges and raising awareness of fostering both internally and in the community.</p><p>Creating and embedding a recognisable, trusted brand is a real challenge, and as Paula acknowledges, “It's about small steps but sticking with it.” I’m looking forward to seeing this character develop and the impact on the service’s recruitment activity.</p><h2>IN FOCUS</h2><h3>Recruiting from religious communities</h3><p>I’ve noted of late how a number of fostering services are targeting religious communities to identify potential foster carers who will provide a good match for the children in their care.</p><p>Independently and through collaboration with the Home for Good campaign, many have proven successful in generating enquiries. I have though received a number of enquiries over the past few months with issues presented in early discussions around sexual orientation.</p><p>Foster carers can and do come from a variety of diverse backgrounds. As per <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fostering-services-national-minimum-standards">Standard 13.2 in the National Minimum Standards in England</a>, ‘People who are interested in becoming foster carers are treated fairly, without prejudice, openly and with respect’. Similar statements are provided in the <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/1095/0001718.pdf">Scottish</a> and <a href="http://wales.gov.uk/docs/dhss/publications/100312fosteringen.pdf">Welsh</a> equivalents. Applicants will be assessed on their suitability to foster via an assessment process which considers an applicant’s capacity to look after children in a safe and responsible way that meets the child’s development needs. The fostering service decision maker will take account of all information available, including any recommendations of the fostering panel in making a decision on an applicant’s suitability to foster.</p><p>Regulation 26 (2) and Schedule 3 of The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 addresses:</p><ul><li>6. Religious persuasion, and capacity to care for a child from any particular religious persuasion; and</li><li>7. Racial origin, cultural and linguistic background and capacity to care for a child from any particular racial origin or cultural or linguistic background,</li></ul><p>For some religious beliefs will contribute to specific views on same sex relationships (as well as gender, disability) and whilst the regulations do not explicitly refer to views and capacity to care in the context of sexual orientation this does not diminish the need to assess and consider any subsequent implications which may transpire. This reached the High Court in 2011 as a couple from Derbyshire, who had specific views, asked judges to rule that their faith should not be a bar to them becoming carers, and the law should protect their Christian values. The response was that laws protecting people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation "should take precedence" over the right not to be discriminated against on religious grounds.</p><p>Our former chief executive Robert Tapsfield said at the time,<em>“Looking after someone else’s child is a challenging and responsible role and foster carers need to be open-minded and flexible so they can support that child and help them develop and grow. If a fostering service has doubts as to whether someone can fulfil this role then they should not be approved to foster.”</em></p><p>Fostering applicants who have specific views and beliefs at the outset should be supported effectively, and need to be able to demonstrate a flexible, inclusive and open perspective in order to meet the potential needs of a fostered child placed in their care. Many of the fostering services I hear from are achieving this by contacting the heads of local churches, Rabbis and Imams to discuss the issues and to try and identify a resolution.&nbsp;</p><p><em>"We’ve managed to affect some shift in some peoples’ stance on some issues – obvious ones are attitudes towards contact with birth families; willingness to consider children with unknown health issues or uncertain ethnicity. We have had some success in assisting some carers to overcome initial prejudice about same-sex couples, by being able to point to research about positive outcomes (or absence of negative outcomes) for children in such relationships."&nbsp;</em>Fostering Practice Manager.&nbsp;</p><p>Cambridge University published research in 2013 confirming <a href="http://www.lgbtadoptfosterweek.org.uk/adoption/new-uk-study-shows-children-adopted-by-same-sex-couples-thriving-2/">same-sex couples are just as good at parenting as heterosexual couples in the context of adoption</a>.</p><p>For some, however, there will not be a resolution and a decision will be made that they cannot progress with the assessment if their views are such that they are unable to support a child who may be gay or questioning their sexual orientation, or engage with a prospective long-term foster carer or adoptive couple in a same sex relationship and ultimately provide them with a balanced upbringing, promoting equality and diversity.</p><p>In this instance, the decision to end an assessment or refuse approval is based on the applicant’s inability to meet the needs of the child, not their religion.</p><p>The following checklist will support you if the need requires conducting a recruitment drive in a religious community:</p><ul><li>Be aware of your own organisation’s policy on equality and diversity</li><li>Consider who within the community you need to engage prior to developing a campaign</li><li>Understand the needs of the community and therefore the type of messaging and imagery to include in material and general engagement</li><li>Facilitate specific information sessions for the community in venues and at times suitable to them</li><li>Brief all members of the recruitment team on the shared objective</li></ul><p>Members of The Fostering Network can access our Member Helpline, which can provide further advice and guidance on this and any other practice issues in the recruitment and retention of foster carers.</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/793" hreflang="en">recruitment</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/794" hreflang="en">retention</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/795" hreflang="en">attracting</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1548" hreflang="en">attracting and keeping carers</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=7798&amp;2=favourite_content" token="zm32MORt6egtwvg34Y0jqFbjqOKZr8YbaShul8aUEms"></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=7798&amp;2=field_comment&amp;3=comment" token="Jwee9KY1OhYNrJFTUw93bDFYo-JkpbHcQaWjcJFiycM"></drupal-render-placeholder> </section> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> Mon, 27 Oct 2014 16:17:06 +0000 James Foyle 7798 at https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-october-2014#comments Attracting and Keeping Carers - August 2014 https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-august-2014 <!-- 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>Attracting and Keeping Carers - August 2014</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="">James Foyle</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, 08/22/2014 - 11:51</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">Next month sees one of the greatest migrations of young people across the UK as hundreds of thousands leave home to begin their university education. Empty nest syndrome is well documented, and many foster carers reference a quiet home, missing the hubbub of young people and, genuine quote, "someone to make me a nice cup of tea" as a reason to consider fostering!</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>Many may not be willing or ready&nbsp;to immediately offer their child's room as&nbsp;a fostering placement. But this might be an opportunity to seed the idea of fostering with a group of people skilled in caring for older children. If you've had particular success of such campaigns, I'd be keen to hear from you: <a href="mailto:james.foyle@fostering.net">james.foyle@fostering.net</a></p><p>August has been relatively quiet, and I hope many of you have been able to take the time to enjoy a break. There are still a few nice examples of recruitment campaigns to report and an update on The Fostering Network's Department for Education funded project below. This months IN FOCUS tackles some of the what and why of Twitter and how it can be used by fostering services.&nbsp;</p><h2>Northampton teen becomes the voice of new campaign</h2><p>A great new initiative by Northampton Council sees Stephen, a young man who has lived with his foster family for six years, become the voice of their new campaign, Room for Me?</p><p><a href="http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/local/northampton-teen-is-voice-for-county-s-new-foster-care-campaign-1-6204784">Stephen talks openly about his experiences</a> and his words will connect with many children in care and foster carers. “I didn’t need a parent, I already had parents; I needed a role model” carries such weight coming from a young person who has been in foster care and can inspire new people to consider becoming a role model for older children like him. The positive impact on his educational attainment is also a powerful statement of how beneficial good foster care can be.</p><p>I do hope that, as well as the fostering service, foster carers will be in attendance at the various events held to share their positive stories and lend support…</p><h2>Diary of trainee social worker foster carer</h2><p>On my travels I have come across a few people who combine fostering with one agency and working as a social worker for another. Being able to see both sides of the fence has its advantages but as this anonymous trainee social worker shares in their <a href="http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2014/07/08/social-work-diary-foster-carer-studying-social-work-see-sides-system/">work diary via Community Care</a>, striking a balance and having the energy for both roles is a challenge.</p><p>An element of our work with our partner iMPOWER involves recognising the value of the team and the ultimate common aim of providing a young person in foster care with the support, security and stability they need. This account takes the reader through the day-to-day responsibilities of being a foster carer and their studies, giving a window into the reality of performing both tasks.</p><h2>Recruiting foster carers for long-term placements</h2><p><img alt="© Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Gail Osborne with Isaac" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/akc_august_14_-_bradford.jpg" style="float:left; height:288px; margin:5px; width:375px">Often services look within their current cohort as a first port of call to identify a foster carer who may be in a position to broaden their approval range or provide care for a child on a long-term basis. But there may come a point when demand necessitates a <a href="http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/11359982.Bradford_s_long_term_foster_carers_helping_children_thrive/">campaign to try and recruit new foster carers to provide long-term placements</a>, as Kirklees has recently done.</p><p>The article picks out so many of the positives and benefits of a long-term foster placement; even for a three-year-old boy, the realisation that he now had a permanent home enabled him to trust his foster carer and “be himself with us because we are his family”.</p><p>I’ve heard the phrase ‘accidental carer’ a couple of times recently and there are parallels here with the foster carer initially fostering Jacob on a short-term basis before being asked to foster permanently. Although not the most robust strategy, I would be interested to know how many of your foster carers have transitioned from short to long-term foster care due to a specific placement – email me at <a href="mailto:james.foyle@fostering.net ">james.foyle@fostering.net</a>&nbsp;</p><h2>Department for Education recruitment project update</h2><p>Year two of the project is well underway. Thank you to those of you who have flagged the national foster carer recruitment survey to foster carers who have been approved to foster since 1 April 2013. The results will enable us to compare the values and motivations of foster carers who completed last year’s survey to identify any differences in the type of people coming forward to foster. The report containing the findings will be released later in the year.</p><p>The benchmark survey for local authority fostering services in England is now closed. We are now in the process of analysing the data which will inform our selection criteria for the 11 authorities we will support to improve their local recruitment and retention practice. Each participating authority will receive a report containing their position against the national benchmark on over 30 key metrics.<br>The benchmark is one of the legacies of the project we would like to continue, and broaden out to all fostering services across the UK. If you would like to participate in future years or seek further information, please email <a href="mailto:james.foyle@fostering.net ">james.foyle@fostering.net&nbsp;</a></p><h2>Sporting endeavours</h2><p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/akc_august_14_-_hampshire.jpg" style="float:right; height:267px; margin:5px; width:400px">In last month’s blog, I wrote that I was surprised not to see any recruitment activity linking into any of the national sporting events such as the Tour de France, football World Cup and Wimbledon.</p><p>While not directly related to a particular event, Hampshire got in touch to showcase their new running campaign to raise awareness of fostering among staff and the local community. One hundred foster carers and staff from both Hampshire County Council and the Isle of Wight (whose children’s services department is currently led by Hampshire) are taking part in the Great South Run in October. &nbsp;</p><p>Hampshire is using Facebook to promote training efforts and will be promoting their attendance in local media. All 100 runners will be sporting the ‘Team Fostercare’ running vest and the recruitment team will be setting up their stand in the runners’ village. There’s even talk of signing up to the Southampton half marathon to maintain momentum (if there’s any left!) next year.</p><p>If you’re planning a big event like Hampshire’s, do send me the details and share the success and lessons learned post event.</p><h2><strong>IN FOCUS</strong></h2><p><strong>Twitter&nbsp;</strong></p><h3>What is it?</h3><p>For starters, not something to be a) afraid of and b) written off before understanding its potential. Through its microblogging, 140 character limit, platform Twitter’s mission is to ‘To give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers’.&nbsp;<br>So far, 271 million have engaged worldwide, sending over 500 million tweets a day…many of which are beyond dull and frankly offensive, viewed by a minute audience. But for the skilled user Twitter can be a source of fresh information, a platform for debate and a vehicle to engage with people of similar interests.</p><h3>What is its purpose?</h3><p>As you’ll see lower down, people use Twitter for a variety of reasons but in essence it is to connect, to amplify and to curate consistently, with personality.&nbsp;</p><h3>Who uses it and how?</h3><p>There are over 270 million monthly active users of Twitter worldwide, 15 million in the UK as of September 2013 .</p><p>There are many different kinds of Twitter user. The ‘Super Users’ who curate with multiple tweets and followers, the ‘Ranters’, the ‘Dippers’ who have sporadic flurries of activity and the ‘Lurkers’ who use Twitter purely to observe. Around 40 per cent of users fall into the Lurker category according to research last year. Relating to its purpose, many also use it to inform and quiz. Typically the former provides the most interesting content.</p><p>In terms of demographics, those aged 55-64 are the biggest growing user group of Twitter, but around two thirds of users are under 34. And in the UK, 80 per cent of users use Twitter via a mobile device, mostly while commuting but also at live events, while sightseeing and rather rudely while eating and drinking.&nbsp;</p><p>Many local councillors tweet in their constituencies, using Twitter as a forum to host Q&amp;A sessions, known as ‘Twitter chats’. Local community interest groups tweet ‘what’s on’ and of interest in their local area – a fostering information session may be an example…</p><p>The Fostering Network primarily uses Twitter to broadcast our latest news, campaigns and links to our current projects. We also use the platform to provide updates from events through ‘live tweeting’, such as at our recent Staying Put conference. Live tweeting provides soundbites of key information to allow those who can’t attend keep abreast of the discussions. By using a hashtag , tweets such as these can be grouped together so a complete record of the event can be summarised and shared.</p><h3>Why should my fostering service&nbsp;use it?</h3><p>What are the pros and cons of not? Twitter is an increasingly popular tool used to connect with individuals, groups and organisations with common interests. It is a complimentary part of the marketing mix and a channel through which to directly communicate with your target audience.</p><p>But it requires resource. Build it and they will come has never been so misplaced with social media, and unlike your website, it needs updating, in reality, on a daily basis. It needs skilled resource too, someone who can write professionally but engagingly through an informal channel, not the bog standard, repetitive post ‘don’t forget to come to our fostering stand @Tesco this weekend’. Why?! Be compelling.</p><p>The starting point for every initiative is to set clear objectives and agree a process to analyse and evaluate its impact. Twitter can broaden your reach in your community, raise awareness of the real issues of fostering and signpost people to where and why they should be involved. Indirectly, it can encourage people to click through to your news stories, newsletters and blogs and build a relationship with you. On average, around 90 per cent of those who enquire aren’t approved, over 66,000 people a year. Twitter can be a tool to engage them and encourage them to continue to advocate for your service.</p><h3>What should I post and when?</h3><p>Tweets that include links are over 80 per cent more likely to be retweeted. Think about which links you want to include, perhaps a blog like that of Blue Sky Fostering or a newsletter, case studies of your foster carers or care leavers, your enquiry form, your support packages or news releases (some of the biggest engagement on the Fostering Network’s Twitter feed). Don’t though tweet the same links over and over, your audience will quickly switch off.</p><p>Tweet pictures of your fostering team and your foster carers while they are out and about meeting people in the community. Tag &nbsp;local businesses, such as coffee shops or universities who may be hosting a particular event, or a large local employer you may be doing specific activity with.</p><p>Use a tool like Hootsuite to schedule your tweets. The working world might be 9 to 5 but social media is constant. Indeed engagement with brands (for which read organisations in general) is over 15 per cent higher at the weekend.&nbsp;</p><h3>How can I make it better?</h3><p>If your fostering service Twitter account is well established and has a loyal following, take a close look at your Twitter stats to identify the posts which get the most engagement to see what your followers like to see and when.</p><p>Know your limits - tweets with less than 100 characters get almost 20 per cent more engagement. Although the maximum is 140, often the last few dozen characters are cut off in the feed. When a viewer is scrolling down a list at speed, make sure your tweet stands out with an image, link and snappy text.</p><p>The Fostering Network have produced two guides, <em>Getting started in social media: a guide to setting up social media tools for use in foster carer recruitment and Developing Your Social Media Presence: A guide to utilising social media tools for use in foster carer recruitment to help you establish and develop your presence on the main social media platforms including Twitter. For specific advice, get in touch:&nbsp;</em><a href="mailto:james.foyle@fostering.net ">james.foyle@fostering.net&nbsp;</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/793" hreflang="en">recruitment</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/794" hreflang="en">retention</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/795" hreflang="en">attracting</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/796" hreflang="en">keeping</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/798" hreflang="en">carers</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=7643&amp;2=favourite_content" token="7T5k5tL-xEUWzbB9J-s6DZ3JHTS2-67YKAp7FVko9Dk"></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=7643&amp;2=field_comment&amp;3=comment" token="j8wancU6Q7nZjlt1HpCAzZ4lR8tHPrMLf3s9nIzk9dw"></drupal-render-placeholder> </section> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> Fri, 22 Aug 2014 11:51:41 +0000 James Foyle 7643 at https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-august-2014#comments Attracting and Keeping Carers - July 2014 https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-july-2014 <!-- 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>Attracting and Keeping Carers - July 2014</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="">James Foyle</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, 07/21/2014 - 10:01</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">I feel a touch bereft this morning. While I know a number of you will be grateful for TV returning to relative normal, for me, the summer of sport so far has been incredible. Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix have come as standard, but this has of course been a football World Cup year. We’ve also had the Grand Départ from Yorkshire for the Tour de France, which was breathtaking. There is the small matter of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow so all is not completely lost.</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>I was surprised not to see some examples of fostering services using the sporting initiatives to tie in with recruitment activity. If any fostering service did do something sporty within or indeed beyond the realms of copyright, please send me your examples and prove me wrong!</p><p>Private fostering has been in the news this month. Somebody else’s child was the theme for this year’s Private Fostering Week, running 7-13 July, with a number of services using the opportunity to raise awareness. No easy task even with the <a href="http://www.privatefostering.org.uk/">help of Kriss Akabusi</a>.</p><p>Back with mainstream fostering, there is of course still some adrenaline pumping content to share with you this month, which recruitment colleagues have kindly sent through. Keep them coming via <a href="mailto:james.foyle@fostering.net">james.foyle@fostering.net</a></p><h2>Bungee jumpers step forward…<img alt="Compass fostering bungee jump fundraiser" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/ellie_bungee_2.jpg" style="float:right; height:200px; margin:5px; width:400px"></h2><p>A foster carer, a looked after child and a birth child were among a group of daredevils who have been raising funds and awareness of fostering through a series of bungee jumps.&nbsp;</p><p>The initiative co-ordinated by Compass Fostering ‘sprung into action’ in Brighton, with other jumps taking place across the country.</p><p>Bernie Gibson, COO at Compass said, “We are always proud of our carers and their families for the amazing contribution that they make through fostering. To go the extra mile by doing a bungee jump to raise vital funds for our partner charities is above and beyond the call of duty, but we’re immensely grateful that they’re taking the plunge!”</p><p>Don’t forget that the Fostering Network is a charity too! We’ve had some fantastic fundraising initiatives through our Bake the Difference and Walk the Difference campaigns, and the list of potential activities doesn’t stop there. If you are thinking of combining raising awareness of fostering with a fundraising initiative, do get in touch with our <a href="mailto:fundraising@fostering.net?subject=Recruitment%20fundraising%20initiatives">fundraising team</a>.</p><h2>Manchester appeal<img alt="Manchester Council fostering branding " src="/sites/default/files/uploads/manchester_branding.jpg" style="float:left; height:188px; margin:5px; width:250px"></h2><p>Staff at Manchester Council have been pulling out all the stops in their local foster carer recruitment drive.&nbsp;</p><p>With modern and professional branding applied to banners, t-shirts and other marketing materials, the authority has been increasing visibility and local profile of its fostering service in the Manchester area.&nbsp;</p><p><img alt="Manchester Council's inventive campaign with James Joules" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/manchester_humour.jpg" style="float:right; height:267px; margin:5px; width:200px">Online too, the team are coming up with some innovative ways to get the message out there with a mix of images and campaigns such as ‘Tell a friend Friday’ and some light-hearted initiatives &nbsp;including their version of Glastonbury, Gortonbury, and snapping their promotional material in locally recognisable places.</p><p>With a Facebook following of 140 people, there is a great opportunity for the service to do some targeted advertising on Facebook to broaden their reach and engage more of Manchester’s population.</p><h2>Distorted</h2><p>Media colleagues and I are occasionally sent stories of foster care by care leavers or foster carers, but this one in particular from a child fostered through Blue Sky Fostering really stood out.</p><p>Danielle is 12 years old. Her story is a work of fiction, but covers a number of issues which may be reality for some children in foster care.&nbsp;<br><br>We posted <a href="/blogs/media/distorted-danielle-Kendrick#.U8OX5_ldUaA">Danielle's&nbsp;story</a> as a blog on our website, linking to it from the Fostering Network Facebook page. The post generated lots of engagement receiving 55 ‘likes’, 22 shares and 14, 100 per cent positive, comments.&nbsp;</p><p>While I’m not advocating for every fostering service to replicate this initiative and send it in to us, do set aside a few minutes to read through Danielle’s story and consider how something like this could benefit your local recruitment and retention activity.</p><h2>Singing the Praises of Cornerstone</h2><p>Some interesting views from a prospective foster carer in this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS2lhXjA-KY#t=14">video by Cornerstone</a>, a Christian fostering service.&nbsp;</p><p><iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/PS2lhXjA-KY?rel=0" width="520"></iframe></p><p>Encouraging individuals with a faith or religion to consider fostering can be a highly beneficial channel. It is though important for all foster carers to be respectful and open to potentially conflicting religions or beliefs of a fostered child placed with them.</p><p>The prospective foster carer does speak positively about the support and training provided by Cornerstone, specifically for those with Christian beliefs, which coupled with the daytime tv-esque studio setting makes this a worthwhile watch.</p><h2>MTFC vacancy</h2><p>I came across this <a href="http://www.jobsgopublic.com/job/treatment-fostering-n-a/jbe">‘fostering vacancy’ in the jobs pages of Jobs Go Public</a> at the weekend appealing for MTFC carers at Barking and Dagenham Borough Council.&nbsp;</p><p>I am ordinarily reticent to recommend using such avenues to recruit foster carers for a number of reasons, not least as it can be misleading – even I initially assumed this was for a staff position within the team. I am though interested to hear from any of you who have used this channel and its impact on quality and quantity of enquiries. Drop me a line at <a href="mailto:james.foyle@fostering.net">james.foyle@fostering.net</a><br>&nbsp;</p><h2>IN FOCUS</h2><h3>Staying Put: what it means for foster carer recruitment and retention</h3><p>From May this year, and following the Fostering Network’s Don’t Move Me campaign, English local authorities have a duty to support fostered young people to stay with their foster families until the age of 21, should both parties agree. Similar rules come into force in the next two years in Scotland and Wales. (In Northern Ireland young people in education, employment or training already have the option to stay.)</p><p>So-called “Staying Put” aims to enable a smoother transition for fostered young people into adulthood and give them greater stability and support at a critical time in their life, and has the potential to make a real difference in their lives.&nbsp;</p><p>Of course, the decision to ‘stay put’ should not be made last minute. It will be part of the long term trajectory in the young person’s care plan, allowing all parties to prepare and make provision for such an arrangement ahead of time.&nbsp;</p><p>Howard Smith, team manager – leaving care at North Yorkshire County Council, spoke at the Fostering Network’s recent Staying Put conference about their experience as one of the 11 Staying Put pilot sites in England, and the service’s experience of implementing similar arrangements since the early 2000s under the ‘supported lodgings’ moniker. Anecdotal feedback from the pilot sites suggests concerns of the schemes potential impact on recruitment and retention through reducing the number of available placements were unfounded. On the contrary, North Yorkshire in particular fed back that it had a positive impact on retention with foster carers taking great pride in assisting their fostered young people into adulthood as part of the formal scheme.</p><p>The changes do though give rise to particular elements for foster carer recruiters and retainers to consider:</p><h3>Update communications</h3><p>Prospective foster carers need to understand that young people may wish to enter into a staying put arrangement when they reach 18. In fact, they should be encouraged to view both long-term arrangements and taking on young people towards adulthood as involving a commitment to offer a home to young people until at least 21. As such, fostering services are advised to review their communications, including any information packs provided to prospective foster carers and online content, to reflect the changes in legislation and what it means for families, and incorporate into information sessions.</p><h3>Review needs analysis</h3><p>Although research to date suggests the impact on placement availability is minimal, it would be prudent for those responsible for recruiting foster carers to identify those who have agreed or are likely to enter into a Staying Put arrangement in order to assess any potential impact on future recruitment needs.&nbsp;</p><h3>Additional training and support needs</h3><p>Foster carers need to be equipped with the necessary skills and tools to support a Staying Put arrangement. The young person is no longer in care, so agreements have been made in pilot sites for the young person to make a contribution to the household income, for example either through an agreed portion of their wage or housing benefit. How to access the latter could form part of training, as could how to apply to further education establishments and even a checklist of ‘lifeskills’ to equip the young person with such as healthcare and financial management.&nbsp;</p><p>The <a href="/get-involved/training-consultancy/skills-foster">new Skills to Foster</a> contains material designed to help prospective foster carers support the transition to adulthood through fostering and Staying Put.</p><h3>DBS checks</h3><p>As the young person is no longer looked after, they will be considered an adult member of the fostering household. As such, they will require an enhanced disclosure from the DBS if the foster carer chooses to continue fostering.</p><p>The foster carer and fostering service are likely to be aware of any issues with the young person, which should be discussed well in advance of the Staying Put agreement should it potentially impact on their ability to continue fostering. This is clearly a matter to handle sensitively and the purpose of which explained to the young person.&nbsp;</p><p>The <a href="/news/2014/new-guide-staying-put-launched-today#.U8zkyPldUaD">full good practice guide for Staying Put</a> is available via the Fostering Network’s website.</p><h2>PS</h2><p>Here’s a <a href="http://metro.co.uk/2014/07/04/hard-hitting-video-highlights-the-5000-children-put-in-foster-care-when-their-parents-are-deported-4786644/">fostering-related short film from the US</a>, highlighting the plight of the 5,000 children who are taken into care when their parents are deported. Fans of the Sopranos will recognise the lead female actor, Jamie-Lynn Sigler.</p><p><iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/y0mhmvH5VhM?rel=0" width="520"></iframe></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Not as regular an occurrence in the UK, the film still does make the viewer think of how a young child must be feeling when they’re taken into care.<br>&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/793" hreflang="en">recruitment</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/794" hreflang="en">retention</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/795" hreflang="en">attracting</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1548" hreflang="en">attracting and keeping carers</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1556" hreflang="en">foster carer</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=7544&amp;2=favourite_content" token="uJsxxYNvKATNZSc7_ymjHvYNbdO0-7APScVAq4xJNKc"></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=7544&amp;2=field_comment&amp;3=comment" token="oKHXbzG2gHGcuI4AFnDK0DK4TimJU6c-fBujsDmMQxs"></drupal-render-placeholder> </section> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> Mon, 21 Jul 2014 10:01:02 +0000 James Foyle 7544 at https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-july-2014#comments Attracting and Keeping Carers - May 2014 part II https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-may-2014-part-ii <!-- 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>Attracting and Keeping Carers - May 2014 part II</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="">James Foyle</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, 05/22/2014 - 14:10</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">There seems to be no let-up in the pace of this year’s Foster Care Fortnight activity, typified by the excellent work you’re doing in your local communities. Our media monitoring systems are reporting over 700 pieces of coverage across the UK. Many of you have been in touch telling me of activities still to come, so we may hit and surpass the magical 1,000 mark!</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>This second part of May’s Attracting and Keeping Carers, <em>Foster Care Fortnight</em> special is a look at some of your campaign activities and what the Fostering Network has been up to.</p><h2><img alt="Glasgow City Council foster carers 2014" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/glasgow_0.jpg" style="float:right; height:207px; margin:5px; width:400px">Will I be staying here for all my birthdays?</h2><p>Glasgow City Council launched a new appeal at the start of <em>Foster Care Fortnight</em> with the aim to recruit new foster carers for permanence.</p><p>The campaign, with the strapline ‘<em>Will I be staying here for all my birthdays?</em>’, began with a conference for the Council’s 68 new foster carers, the biggest rise in approved foster carers in a single year.</p><p>Foster carer Elaine, a former banker, spoke at the conference about her experiences including a heart-warming story of when her foster daughter asked if her husband would walk her down the aisle. Clearly an incredible moment for any foster carer and testament to the difference they’ve made.</p><p>Glasgow Council launched an award winning recruitment drive in 2005 and now has over 550 fostering families to call upon.</p><h2><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/chicken_shed.jpg" style="float:right; height:187px; margin-left:5px; margin-right:5px; width:250px"></h2><h2>All I’ve known</h2><p>Ealing Council secured free tickets for their foster carers to attend the Chickenshed production of <em>All I’ve Known</em> on Friday 23 May.</p><p>The Chickenshed team are no strangers to <em>Foster Care Fortnight</em>, getting in the frame as part of last year’s campaign.</p><p>The play is a, <em>“A sensitively and compassionately told story of a now grown-up son who returns to the foster family he left suddenly many years ago.”</em></p><p>As Glasgow and others have done, <em>Foster Care Fortnight</em> is an opportunity to thank and involve current foster carers as part of your retention efforts and this shared experience on the topic of fostering will I’m sure spark a number of fostering conversations.</p><h2><img alt="Swiis Foster Care" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/swiis.jpg" style="float:right; height:300px; margin-left:5px; margin-right:5px; width:300px">Credit Swiis for the tweet</h2><p>Congratulations to the team at Swiis Foster Care who have sustained their Twitter presence throughout <em>Foster Care Fortnight</em>!</p><p>The team are tweeting some fantastic content, from fostering facts to inspiring case studies and quotes.</p><p>Swiis have really used the fortnight as an opportunity to celebrate fostering and raise their profile to inspire more people to come forward.</p><h2>Guess who fosters selfies</h2><p>You may have seen some of our guess who fosters ‘selfies’ on our Facebook page over the fortnight. It’s proven a great success; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thefosteringnetwork/photos/a.10150108845351103.305512.123646781102/10152455363411103/?type=1&amp;theater">Alison and Vicki’s post</a> in particular received over 40 comments from people keen to join in.</p><p>Learning on the job is a key component of understanding how social media works for your audience so on the subsequent post I included the question, ‘what do you think are some of the skills and qualities needed to foster?’. Again we received a good response and encouraged our followers to give their opinions.</p><p>Of course, <em>Foster Care Fortnight</em> provides an opportunity to ramp up the social media activity to a pace which may not be sustainable for the rest of the year. But do use these channels to be social, convey a personality and warmth that will make people want to communicate with you.</p><h2>Father’s Day video with the Home for Good campaign</h2><p><em>Foster Care Fortnight</em> falls just shy of Father’s Day, but the Home for Good campaign has used the fortnight as an opportunity to launch a new call for men to consider fostering.</p><p>Our recent YouGov poll revealed just 21 per cent of men think they would be approved to foster if they applied, compared to 27 per cent of women.</p><p>The video, <a href="http://vimeo.com/95320965">Father's Day 2014: You know what a foster carer looks like, don't you?</a> features inspiring clips from a range of male foster carers with other professions including a high court judge, a school teacher and even a fusion scientist!</p><p>Displaying the diversity of fostering is a big part of this year’s theme and this is a good soundbite of the rich mix of people who come forward to foster.</p><h2><img alt="Essex assault course 2014" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/essex2.jpg" style="float:right; height:200px; margin-left:5px; margin-right:5px; width:300px">Full assault on fostering in Essex</h2><p>The challenge of fostering versus the challenge of an army assault course in a nuclear bunker is no longer just a metaphor thanks to Corrie Castleman and the team at Essex Council.</p><p>Having already taken on an abseil, team manager Elise Lazell rolled up her sleeves to rub shoulders with foster carers and star of Eastenders and Coronation Street, Michelle Collins, to take on the course and/or show their support.</p><p>Clearly this isn’t for everyone but it is a fun way for foster carers and fostering staff to bond over a shared challenge.</p><p>I’ve seen and received numerous examples of your activities throughout <em>Foster Care Fortnight </em>and I will hopefully be able to post more next month. But in the meantime, please do keep sending them through and congratulations for every stand, information session, drop-in event, assault course and everything in-between that you’ve co-ordinated this year, it’s been a joy to witness.</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/543" hreflang="en">fostering</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/793" hreflang="en">recruitment</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/794" hreflang="en">retention</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/795" hreflang="en">attracting</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/796" hreflang="en">keeping</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/797" hreflang="en">foster</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/798" hreflang="en">carers</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/928" hreflang="en">care</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=7420&amp;2=favourite_content" token="laEXBVMLNv603aTJZOQSr2gco0cC5RXvPWYUZ6Zm6rE"></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=7420&amp;2=field_comment&amp;3=comment" token="z8SggOpvbBXwtCeEFnfxr7vzyYerA6huvhBCn9YSCAM"></drupal-render-placeholder> </section> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> Thu, 22 May 2014 14:10:41 +0000 James Foyle 7420 at https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-may-2014-part-ii#comments Attracting and Keeping Carers - April 2014 https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-april-2014 <!-- 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>Attracting and Keeping Carers - April 2014</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="">James Foyle</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, 04/14/2014 - 13:42</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">I start this month’s blog the day after April Fools’ Day, so rest assured that this month’s AKC blog is wind-up free… although I'm sure some will beg to differ!</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>Preparations continue apace for <em>Foster Care Fortnight™</em> 2014 as we source case studies for the online game and website. For your own campaigns, try to include those foster carers who really push the boundaries and challenge stereotypes. This will broaden viewers’ perception of who fosters, and help them to recognise the skills and qualities needed, which could encourage them to start their journey.</p><p>As well as our Guess who fosters case studies, we are also keen to hear from foster carers who have fostered for over 40 years as part of our 40th anniversary celebrations. If your fostering service has a foster carer who meets the criteria and would be willing to share their story with us, please put them in touch with our senior press officer Dominic at media@fostering.net</p><p>This month’s INFOCUS provides a monitoring tool to track enquirers during <em>Foster Care Fortnight™</em> 2014 to enable you and the Fostering Network to specifically identify the impact of the campaign on your recruitment activity. Please do try and complete it as it will provide invaluable information to inform campaigns in years to come. Thank you.</p><h2><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/uploads/caring_for_a_child_of_a_different_ethnicity.jpg" style="float:right; height:300px; margin:5px; width:211px"></h2><h2>Caring for a child of a different ethnicity</h2><p>Bristol City Council’s marketing and communications officer, Saffron Smolka, has recently produced a new guide to assist foster carers who are caring for a child of a different ethnicity.</p><p>The guide covers some pertinent and challenging subjects such as racial stereotyping and maintaining cultural identity as well as day-to-day practicalities such as food, and hair and skin care.</p><p>This is a useful resource for all foster carers caring for a child of a different ethnicity to them, particularly if they have a strong cultural identity themselves.</p><h2>Norfolk embark on a “transformation journey”</h2><p>More than 400 years of fostering experience was celebrated at <a href="http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/norfolk_s_foster_carers_celebrated_1_3490894">Norfolk County Council’s recent awards ceremony</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Top of the bill was 71-year-old Irene Couse, who has fostered hundreds of children in over 45 years for the service. Irene shared some endearing thoughts including, “When I saw something on TV about fostering, I thought I would have a go” and ““It was quite a surprise to be recognised” exemplifying foster carers’ modesty for the work they do.</p><p>What really peaked my interest though were the aspirational comments from the authority’s director and operations manager, the latter stating, “We’re hoping this year we will start a transformational journey and it’s hoped within the next three years we will go from a ‘good’ to an ‘outstanding’ fostering service.”</p><p>At a time when some are speculating that we are yet to see the full impact of cuts and I’m hearing examples of front line staff leaving and not being replaced, Norfolk’s ambitions, recognition of the need for “working as a team” and valuing their whole team around the child is most welcome.</p><h2>Challenging myths – Wolverhampton’s first same sex couple feature in film</h2><p>Nobi, one half of Wolverhampton Council’s first same sex couple, features&nbsp;in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV47auQw8w8&amp;feature=youtu.be">new film raising awareness of same sex fostering</a>&nbsp;produced by the authority’s fostering service.</p><p><iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DV47auQw8w8" width="560"></iframe></p><p>Right from the outset, Nobi explains some of her perceived barriers as to why she didn’t think fostering was for them – they lived in a high rise block, they were in a same sex relationship and fostering was something for people “who have a lot of money”.</p><p>However an advert on the radio prompted her and her partner to find out more and they haven’t looked back.</p><p>Foster carers like Nobi and Kelly break the mould on the perception of a ‘typical’ foster carer, and foster carers like them will be a fantastic case study to feature as part of this year’s Guess who fosters campaign for <em>Foster Care Fortnight™</em>.</p><h2>10th birthday celebrations for Kibble’s IFS</h2><p>Young people looked after by Kibble Education and Care Centre in Paisley have sent cards as a touching thank you to the support provided by the organisation’s Intensive Fostering Service (IFS) as part of its <a href="http://www.allmediascotland.com/media-releases/61313/foster-care-kids-say-thanks-on-birthday-cards/">10th anniversary celebrations</a>.</p><p>The IFS is a specialist scheme provided by the fostering service for children with highly complex needs in the area, which makes the comments and achievements of the young people involved even more rewarding.</p><p>As seen in the Wolverhampton video above and countless other example, foster carers often start their fostering career with a view to make a difference to the lives of young people. As the <a href="/sites/default/files/uploads/pdf/why-foster-carers-care-report-v5.pdf">Why foster carers care</a> report shows, the majority don’t foster for the recognition. But examples like this show what an important role foster carers play in the lives of young people and is a fantastic advert to encourage more people to consider becoming a foster carer.</p><h2>Naomi’s call for more foster carers and adopters</h2><p>Nottinghamshire Council profile the experience of care leaver Naomi in a <a href="http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/council-s-desperate-plea-for-new-foster-carers-1-6534152">new drive to recruit more foster carers and adopters</a>.</p><p>Naomi’s story is a positive one, covering all the main points; the importance of stability, the sense of belonging and the platform this has created to enable her to begin an economics degree in September.</p><p>It is though disappointing to see fostering and adoption being combined in this way as it confuses the issue when both are talked of in an interchangeable manner. There is also the implication in this article that fostering is a second best to adoption, with the ‘”urge adopters to consider taking on siblings” followed by, “I’m lucky as though even though my brother was adopted…”. If the former included, and foster carers, this would improve the content.</p><p>There is a drive for permanence through either long-term fostering or adoption (depending on what’s assessed as best for the child) but the motivations to foster and adopt are different. They can be discussed together, but for me in this instance a clear explanation of both is required.&nbsp;</p><p>If you are working with external press and PR colleagues, remember you are the expert. Challenge content when it doesn’t meet your needs.</p><h2>An inspiration to everyone</h2><p>Every once in a while one comes across a story that literally makes one gawp with amazement (most definitely not the time for a web cam!).</p><p><a href="http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/montagu-estate-mum-pamela-bakatselos-6913936">Pamela’s story</a> is a fantastic account of an inspirational foster carer, which I’d challenge anyone not to be moved by.</p><p>Yes, there is a slightly intriguing account of the boy from Morocco and, “always (having) at least seven in the house” is from a time gone by. But if your service is lucky enough to have someone like Pamela, with her wealth of experience of providing support, make sure you support them to share their story. It can of course go the other way; fostering almost 200 children is a pretty daunting proposition for a new foster carer! Pitch it right though and stories like these are a great advert for foster care.</p><h2>Being part of a foster family: Edward Timpson MP</h2><p>Whatever your politics, we are in a fortunate position to have a minister in post who has hands-on experience of <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/29/edward-timpson-childrens-minister-parents-fostered">being part of a foster family</a>.</p><p>The Timpsons started fostering when Edward was six and as he shares in this open account, he found the initial role as a son of a foster carer quite challenging. From having to learn to "share my mum with other children", to being shunned when opening the bowling in favour of fostered triplets, the minister recognises how the experience has benefitted his professional career but more importantly, “It enriched our family. It made it greater than the sum of its parts."</p><p>Many of you I speak with include sons and daughters during skills training and at information sessions. But do make sure these case studies are shared through your website and initial communications as the impact on birth children is a critical consideration for prospective foster carers.&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>IN FOCUS</strong></h2><p><em>Foster Care Fortnight™ </em>annually generates substantial interest in and awareness of fostering across the UK. As a result, fostering services often see a spike in the number of enquiries received from prospective foster carers. Some will have been thinking of fostering for a while and this is the prompt to make them find out how they can start their journey, others may be new to the concept of fostering and want to find out more.</p><p>I've put together a simple monitoring spreadsheet for you to use to keep track of those&nbsp;<strong>enquiries&nbsp;specifically generated during the fortnight</strong>. This will help you evaluate the success of your campaign activity, including the number of enquiries generated, how many were suitable to proceed, the time it takes for applicants to move through the process,&nbsp;as well as giving&nbsp;you an insight on the impact on your conversion rates in the number of approvals generated.</p><p>Completed spreadsheets will also be a fantastic resource for the Fostering Network to help evaluate&nbsp;<em>Guess who fosters </em>and&nbsp;plan future&nbsp;<em>Foster Care Fortnight™&nbsp;</em>to benefit fostering services. As the <a href="/sites/default/files/uploads/pdf/benchmark-report-2013.pdf">benchmark report</a> shows, sharing performance information&nbsp;from fostering services across the UK provides extremely&nbsp;useful data&nbsp;to help fostering services evaluate their performance.&nbsp;You may already have your own monitoring system for enquiries and I would be extremely grateful to see the outcome for those generated in&nbsp;<em>Foster Care Fortnight™ </em>2014.&nbsp;</p><p>If you are able to help and would like to participate,&nbsp;please email me at <a href="mailto:james.foyle@fostering.net">james.foyle@fostering.net</a></p><h3>PS</h3><p>As featured in last month’s blog, Cumbria Council and the News and Stars campaign to recruit local businesses to their foster-friendly campaign continues to have an impact. Cumbria Law Centre are the latest to sign up stating, “the campaign fits in with its policy of supporting social welfare”.</p><p>Again, this is a great initiative that could be replicated across the UK to help raise awareness of fostering. Do get in touch if you’re planning a similar initiative in your area: <a href="mailto:james.foyle@fostering.net ">james.foyle@fostering.net&nbsp;</a></p><h3>PPS</h3><p>As digital becomes an ever greater means of communication, don’t fall foul of the legislation.&nbsp;</p><p>I recently received an unsolicited text from a taxi firm in Leeds, which I’ve used on one occasion and to whom I most certainly didn’t give permission to contact me through SMS.&nbsp;</p><p>Via Twitter I reminded them of the EC Directive on Privacy and Electronic communications regulations , specifically around ‘opt-out’, which they neglected to include in their message.</p><p>So if you do decide to send SMS to individuals who have given permission to be contacted via mobile, do allow them to reply ‘STOP’ to indicate they no longer wish to be contacted.</p><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/326" hreflang="en">foster care</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/543" hreflang="en">fostering</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/793" hreflang="en">recruitment</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/794" hreflang="en">retention</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/795" hreflang="en">attracting</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/796" hreflang="en">keeping</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/798" hreflang="en">carers</a></div> <div class="field--item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/799" hreflang="en">foster care fortnight</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=7143&amp;2=favourite_content" token="OcFXy3Ser31UlCRgDcStkGDbGQpxo9UQHrpImf48iUw"></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=7143&amp;2=field_comment&amp;3=comment" token="F9EGCI3mXvIzuOdwJkECKYLC0PWijpSPX_yiWr3NvfY"></drupal-render-placeholder> </section> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/comment/templates/field--comment.html.twig' --> Mon, 14 Apr 2014 13:42:28 +0000 James Foyle 7143 at https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/james-foyle/attracting-and-keeping-carers-april-2014#comments