Carolyn Moody MBE’s Post

https://lnkd.in/epKBTHvK In my experience, care plans and pathway plans often look good on paper but don’t always result in real support. A lack of communication between services often leaves young people and foster carers without the help they need, particularly during the crucial 16–18 age range. As with all aspects of fostering, being prepared and informed is key to success. Pathway plans can be incredibly useful, but they can also lead to challenges. ‘Pathway Plan – From the Foster Carer’s Perspective’ #fosterWiki Sign up to read: https://lnkd.in/epKBTHvK #FosterCare #PathwayPlans #SupportingChildren #FosterCarers #CareLeavers

https://lnkd.in/eDHtKhBm Fostering is a complex, nuanced and skilled undertaking, it is also can be life-changing, enriching and rewarding for those who chose this career path. The old image of the foster carer is outdated and misleading, we are now a professionalised workforce whose role is underpinned by national minimum standards and statutory legislation. #FosterCareAwareness #FosterWiki #ProfessionalFosterCarer

https://lnkd.in/eS_uvCHK 👉A stark wake-up call from the FosterWiki independent survey The fear of allegations - over 80% of carers indicated that this fear affects their role, and an alarming 85% believe allegations are not handled fairly, justly, or in a balanced way. Despite long-standing concerns raised by many, these issues have often been dismissed due to a lack of 'evidence,' with the severity of allegations remaining hidden. 👉 Reducing the fear of allegations helps foster carers' mental health and provides better care for children. 👉 An independent body makes sure allegations are handled fairly, boosting foster carers' trust in the system. We appeal to the government to support foster carers appropriately because the current system is failing to address these critical issues. To recruit and retain foster carers this is crucial to address! #FosterCare #SupportFosterCarers #FairnessInFosterCare #MentalHealth #ChildWelfare #IndependentReview #JusticeForCarers #FosterWiki

What will they say? The Independent Foster Carer's Survey ends on Monday, what do you think it will 'say' about foster care? What do you think the results will say? The survey report will be out in a couple of weeks, it will contain recommendations, and we will then announce our... Agenda For Reform We now finally have data, the stats and feedback from a very healthy and credible sample of foster carers to produce actions for change. #fostercare #independent #survey

The world of children’s social care is facing challenges that we simply can not ignore any longer. We know we need to come together. 👉 To transform how foster carers are recruited, supported, and valued, ensuring they feel empowered every step of the way. 👉 To build stronger more trusting relationships between foster carers and social workers, relationships grounded in mutual respect and collaboration. 👉 We must look at the DNA of fostering, and make fundemental changes that can ease the pressure on the system. Imagine the possibilities, imagine the potential for everyone. https://lnkd.in/esWmCE_2 has been founded to turn these ideas into action, and to help build a future where every child, carer, and social worker can thrive. Together, we can, and will make it happen. We would love to share our vision with you: sarahanderson@fosterwiki.com or markowers@yahoo.com #fostercare #FCE #wecare

Bad management can cause destruction faster than you can blink. I've been looking back through my media work to share highlights of the ever increasing foster carer retention crisis and I came across this article. It made me sad. It didn't stay like this for long. In our local authority we went through fostering service managers quicker than the Tory party has gone though leaders. We've had some great ones, but they never stayed long. They would be replaced by awful incompetent bullies who would completely destroy retention and moral. If you work in higher management or HR please stop covering for terrible managers and start supporting your workforce. A constant cycle of recruitment is harmful and costly. In respect of foster carers recruitment is failing due to reputational damage because the toxic environment is now widely known. We're in the "welcome to the consequences of your inaction" stage of the cycle. I'm looking forward to the proactive correction stage. https://lnkd.in/efaPscss

https://lnkd.in/eGWXJPFF A foster carer talks about money. The suggestion to increase pay and improve conditions for foster carers seems reasonable and necessary doesn’t it? 👇 A FosterWiki Opinion piece by Gillian Burgess, Foster Carer Taking on a job with its 9-5 demands, weekends off and 6 weeks holiday a year is a far easier option. If we are to expand the foster care workforce which is in massive decline then the ONLY solution is to increase pay and conditions and publicise this widely. Yes it may attract some for the wrong reasons (which the system needs to filter out) but it will also attract many for the right reasons. #FosterWiki #FosterCareRecruitment #ImprovingFosterCare #FairPayForFosterCarers

https://lnkd.in/egxpurDq The Impact of Trauma on Foster Carers “The impact fostering has on carers can often get buried in the misleading fostering narrative. When portrayed in the media, in public and in recruitment marketing as a ‘spare room’ and ‘fun-filled family days’, it completely belies this complex skilled and very demanding role to something it’s not. This is often why no one can understand why foster carers should need any kind of break at all.” Sarah Anderson, Founder FosterWiki Top Tip – Remember the Importance of Self-Care, recognise taking breaks is essential for your well-being. If you are rested and refreshed you will provide better support and care to the child Top Tip: Helping a foster child understand and enjoy a break with another carer, involves explaining to the child that it will be ok and reassuring them that this is a chance to create new memories with other safe caring adults. It’s about helping the child to feel safe and excited about trying new experiences, different activities, meeting new people and even a chance for them to have some time out. #FosterCare #FosterWiki #SelfCare #SecondaryTrauma #BurnOut #MentalHealthAwareness

Did you know that over 70% of placements in our children's social care system are with foster carers? Yet, a decline in foster carer applications has left a national shortage of homes for vulnerable children. In the past nine months, a quiet yet powerful transformation has been unfolding in fostering recruitment and retention. Regional clusters of local authorities are pioneering a fresh approach, thanks to the government's Fostering Recruitment and Retention Programme. Ten new Fostering Recruitment Hubs have emerged, offering hope for the future of children's social care in a climate of falling carer applications. In this blog, John Copps and Mark Owers, explore how these hubs are helping local authorities take a different approach to recruitment and retention, moving from a mindset of competition to collaboration. We discuss the innovative strategies being implemented and their potential impact on the future of fostering. Read the full blog, originally published in CYPN, to discover how these hubs are making a difference for the future of fostering recruitment: https://lnkd.in/emXPwawC #FosteringRecruitment #FosteringRetention #ChildWelfare #InnovationInCare #ChildrensServices

After languishing in no man's land it's now back in the news, but should we rip it up and move towards actual meaningful reform? These reviews are so frequently seen through the lens of those who head them up. Here is what one Foster Carer had to say yesterday in my Facebook Forum: "It doesn’t address any of the underpinning reasons why the system is broken - A new approach to extended families - new in what way? How is it different from existing kinship care arrangements? How does it address the reasons why more family members are not now fostering or adopting or taking SGOs? Improve support available for care-experienced people - in what way? Why is substandard care provided now? Recruit new social workers and improve career development - does not address the tick box culture and other reasons why social work is not an attractive options for able workers. A new national framework - more money spent on consultants - when did a framework ever improve anything - if it’s not law councils will ignore it, if there is no more money and no improvement in quality of staff councils will not be able to embed it. So the fact that there is a lack of empty words about foster carers and fostering - Should it concern us?" 👉 https://lnkd.in/eGmMXhtt #fostercare #frontline #WEcare