Urgent appeal

URGENT APPEAL TO FIND 50 MORE FOSTER CARERS IN BRISTOL

Marvin Rees, the Mayor of Bristol, has launched an urgent appeal today (Tuesday 10 January) calling on residents to become foster carers, after revealing that a rapid decline in the number of people joining the fostering community has led to a shortage of carers in Bristol.

At the same time, the demand for foster carers is continuing to rise. In Bristol, there are more than 750 children and young people in care but only 353 households foster with Bristol City Council. This means the local authority needs to place around 40 per cent of children with private fostering agencies or in children’s homes, which can lead to sibling groups being separated and children living outside the city, away from everything they know: their communities, schools and friends.

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “We’re calling on our residents to help make a difference to the children in care who need a home in Bristol. “The community spirit in our city is unbelievable and I am confident enough people will come forward to offer a caring, loving home. This is what happened during the pandemic when an extra 24 households were approved as short-term foster carers following our emergency appeal. We need people to step up again as we’re at crisis point. Our current foster carers are doing an incredible job but, put simply, there aren’t enough of them. “Sadly, we are not the only local authority facing a critical shortage of foster carers. It’s a national trend, which could be exacerbated by the cost of living crisis. That’s why we’re offering a welcome grant of £500 to every new foster carer along with their weekly allowance and other benefits.

“Unlike fostering agencies, that are run for a profit, all our funding is spent on supporting local children through difficult times, to place them in homes where they can thrive.

“If you have space in your home and in your life for a child who desperately needs you, please contact us to find out more about becoming one of our amazing foster carers.” The council is keen to recruit all types of foster carers - from short to long term as well as those who can offer weekends and short breaks.

Foster carers come from every sector of society, income level, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age and religion. Councillor Asher Craig, Deputy Mayor of Bristol with responsibility for Children’s Services, said: “The children in our care deserve a safe and secure home where they can be loved and supported as they grow up. “You don’t need any specific qualifications to become a foster carer, but it helps if you already have experience with children or caring for people - whether that’s with your own family, childminding, or having worked in a caring profession. “All our foster carers get one-to-one support from a dedicated social worker, as well as training and skills opportunities, and a range of other benefits. “What’s more, when you foster with us, you become part of a wider fostering family through Bristol Foster Carers Association, which links you up to other local foster carers and looked after children.

“Our foster carers tell us that, despite the challenges, fostering is the most rewarding thing they’ve done. If you’ve been thinking about opening up your home to a child who needs stability, love and support, now is the time to act.” Alex Kear, a bus driver with First Bus, has been fostering with his husband for 11 years. In that time, they have fostered five children. Alex said: “The best bit about fostering is seeing children having fun, being relaxed and able to enjoy life which was difficult when living at home. It’s a joy to be able to see them progressing at school and achieving good results and making new friends in the fostering community. “The advice I would give to people considering fostering is to do it. It can be very rewarding to see the children you look after turning difficult corners in their lives that you have supported them through.” Children across Bristol need families now. It’s a lot to consider, which is why the council recommends contacting the fostering service first for an information pack and an informal chat.

COME MEET YOUR FAVOURITE CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR AND GET YOUR COPY OF THE LATEST RELEASE SIGNED! THERE ARE STILL SPACES AVAILABLE AT THIS FREE EVENT.

Just 15 spaces are available at this one-off special event. Families and carers are therefore encouraged to secure their space by booking online at https://bit.ly/TomPercival20Jan23. North Somerset has been chosen as one of five locations within a series of national events being organised by the Book Trust in the run up to World Book Day on Thursday 2 March 2023. The event will be filmed by the World Book Day team and those attending will be required to give permission to take part in this national promotion. Details of all the events taking place across North Somerset libraries are available on the council's website at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/libraryevents Children aged three to four (and their adults!) are invited to an audience with Tom Percival, the author of many bestselling children’s picture books. The free session will take place at The Campus Library in Weston-super-Mare on Friday 20 January between 1.45pm and 2.45pm. Tom, who lives in Gloucestershire, will read from his new book the latest in a long line of bestsellers including Ruby's Worry, Perfectly Norman, and Ravi's Roar. You can find out more about Tom at http://tom-percival.com. Activities will include songs, rhymes, stories with other activities with plenty for children to make and do.

A happy place to live

We pride ourselves on having happy homes, where residents and their families can enjoy spending quality time with each other and develop new friendships along the way.

Our homes in Bristol are located close to local shops and amenities, and benefit from strong connections with community groups. We offer a busy and varied activities programme that includes something for everyone and ensures residents get the most out of every day.

We care for individuals with a variety of care needs including Residential, Nursing and Dementia Care.

Our homes in Bristol:

Osborne Court Care Home,

0117 321 9289

Bishopsmead Lodge Care Home,

0117 321 9269

Call our friendly team today, or visit: www.fshc.co.uk

How to strip wallpaper

Wall papering can be a pain, especially if you don’t have a steam stripper. So what’s the best and easiest way to remove wall paper?

First put a dust sheet down on any flooring you want to keep clean and reuse. The washing up liquid acts as a wetting agent and the wall paper paste helps to keep water on the wall while the paper soaks. If the wall paper is painted or washable then you will have to score the paper in a criss cross motion first to allow the wetting agent to soak in.

Tip: It’s not advisable to paper over existing wall paper. The new, wet paste may soften the older layer making the previous covering expand or pull away from the wall. So strip it off before redecorating.

Sponge the old paper with warm water to which has been added a squirt of washing-up liquid. Allow at least five minutes soaking time, then use a wide stripping knife to lift the paper from the wall. Slide the scraper under a seam and push it away from you. Be careful not to dig it into the plaster.

If the paper won’t shift, sponge on more soapy water and allow a longer soak.

If there are several layers of paper on a wall or if the paper has been painted over, it is much easier to get off with a steam wall paper stripper. Hire one from your local tool hire service. The stripper gives out steam from a metal plate softening the paper so that it can be removed. But be careful when using a steam stripper on plasterboard , it can soften the surface so use the stripping knife as little as possible.

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