The Voice: Foster Care - You Can Make A Difference by Marlene Davis

FOSTER CARE MAY 17 - 23, 2012

Yinka Sunmonu Consultant Email: ys@cherishcommunications.com

Special supplement › page 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30

WE CAN ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

INSIDE: › › › ›

What is foster care?: Frequently asked questions. Time to care: Local community creative support for Foster Care Fortnight. Sporting Success: Olympians with a fostering or adoption link. The Good doctor: Interview with consultant paediatrician Dr Omobolaji Wilson who is dedicated to improving. the health and wellbeing of looked after children.

› Elaine’s story: Her experience of fostering young people. › 22 Things to do for foster care and beyond: LaDiva considers ways to raise awareness.

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what is

Fostercare? The Fostering Network, organiser of Foster Care Fortnight, has compiled a list of frequently asked questions for people interested in foster care. What is fostering? Fostering is a way of offering children and young people who need to be in care a stable family environment while their own parents are unable to look after them. On any one day, around 59,000 children live with 45,000 foster families. The Fostering Network is estimates that 8,750 foster families (7,100 in England, 100 in Northern Ireland, 1000 in Scotland and 500 in Wales) are needed across the UK for 2012.

Fostering Fortnight 2012 Change a child’s life forever Foster carers look after other people’s children in their own home, either short or long term and your help can really make the difference to a child’s life. Fostering Fortnight runs from 14 – 27 May and this year’s campaign centres on the fact that a child comes into care and needs a foster family every 22 minutes across the UK with the Fostering Network estimating that 8,750 new foster families are needed in 2012 alone. These figures frighteningly show the need for new foster carers to help change the lives of local children. There are many myths about foster carers such as they must be married or own a large house. Islington foster carers in fact come from many different cultures and backgrounds and may be couples or single people, with or without their own children living in owned or rented accommodation. You don’t need qualifications but you do need to be good with children or young people, be able to keep them healthy and safe and to help them make good progress at school. As well as the satisfaction of helping a child you will also receive generous financial allowances to help with their care and of course Islington foster carers get full training and 24-hour support.

To get the facts about fostering and find out about our next information sessions give us a call free on: 0800 073 0428. Alternatively visit: www.islington.gov.uk/fostering or email us at: fostering@islington.gov.uk

look after their health and promote social wellbeing. The role is varied and challenging, and also includes attending meetings, keeping records, managing behaviour and promoting contact with birth families. Foster carers receive preand post-approval training and support to help them develop the skills needed to do this challenging and rewarding work.

as possible for children and young people. People can apply to foster regardless of marital status, sexuality or residential status. Foster carers come from a diverse range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, which reflect the children and young people who are in care. People who have ever been convicted of a sexual offence or a violent act towards a child are not able to become foster carers.

Why foster? Foster carers play a key role What is the difference bein transforming children’s lives. tween fostering and adopWhy do children need Fostering is not easy, but it of- tion? fostering? Fostering is usually a tempoFoster carers look after fers the opportunity to make children so families have the a huge difference to children rary way of offering children a chance to sort out their prob- and can be a very rewarding home until they can return to lems. These problems can range experience. People who want their family, although many from a family member’s short- to foster need to care about live with foster carers for years, term illness to a parents depres- children, have great communi- some for their whole childurgently needs cation fosterskills carers tobelook after children of children conand ready for local a hoods. Fostered sion orIslington drug or alcohol abuse. ages. A child care and needs a foster family every challenge. tinue to be22 legally part of their Many allchildren have comes been into own family, even if there is abused minutes or neglected. across the UK and the Fostering Network estimates that 8,750 Who can a foster carer? limited Somenew children will need foster families are needed in be 2012 alone. Could you help contact make awith them. Almost anyone can apply to (Reproduced with permission to be looked after to forone only difference of athese young lives by becoming a foster carer? short time until they can return be a foster carer, but as with from the Fostering Network) home, while others will stay any job, some people will be To find outformore about why come an information session morenot suited to along it thantoothers. with foster carers the longer Prospective foster carers you can talk to Islington foster carers andneed really get a feel term orwhere move elsewhere. skills and experience that will Whatfor does a foster carer do? what fostering is all about. Foster carers provide chil- enable them to meet the needs dren with their day-to-day care of vulnerable children and Tuesday 29 May 6pm - 8pm and much more. They may have young people who are sepato helpIslington these children come to rated from their families. Town Hall, terms with difficult or traumatUpper Street N1 2UD Fostering services need to ic experiences. They will sup- recruit a variety of foster carport children their join education, If youincan’t us then ers to offer as much choice

Change a child’s life forever, foster with Islington

please call about other upcoming dates. USEFUL WEBSITES IS FOSTERING FOR YOU? The Could you foster website contains useful information on foster care, explaining what it is, who needs it and how to apply. www.couldyoufoster.org.uk

SOUND ADVICE FOSTERLINE % The Fosterline advice service, run by the

Fostering Network, is a one-stop shop for prospective and established foster carers. They deal with a range of issues including: applying to become a foster carer; changes in legislation; and financial matters.

Finding a foster care service The Fostering.net website can link you to services in your local area Just type in your To ask a question or obtain information, call keywords, select provider type (local author0800 040 7675 (calls are free from landity, Independent Fostering Provider or3mm Health THIS IS SET FOR THE WIDTH OF A4 WITH BLEEDlines) AT THEor SIDES AND BOTTOM. email fosterline@fostering.net and Social Services Trust) AS and postcode. PLEASE USE THE CROP MARKS A GUIDE TO POSTIONING THE THREAD AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE. The service is open Thefostering@islington.gov.uk search engine will do the rest. Monday – Friday from 9am to 5pm. www.fostering .net www.islington.gov.uk

0800 073 0428

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A RECIPE FOR FOSTER CARE By N Disu

Adebayo Jones

Yemi Osunkoya

Walegreat

Josephine Adebolu

Time to care It’s Foster Care Fortnight and the Fostering Network spearheads the national recruitment campaign with the message ‘Time to Care’. The Voice, with its message ‘Fostering Hope’, aims to get the dialogue started and people spurred into action.

“Many of us can count our will be telling my clients about Saxophonist Walegreat blessings for being raised in ‘I cannot begin to stress how Foster Care Fortnight and enan environment where we feel much I think a loving and se- couraging them to tap into loved and secure. Foster Care cure family is to the develop- their networks. It is my hope Fortnight sets out to mobilise ment and wellbeing of a child. that they will find somebody people to help children and I have my parents support and who will eventually foster a young people who need that encouragement to thank for child.” security be it on a temporary for giving me the self-confi- Josephine Adebolu or long term basis. It is my dence and belief to achieve my Designer/Jeweller, JoDelynsincere hope and prayer that success as a fashion designer. London we pull together as a comI truly believe that this safe munity and find ways to help and nurturing environment “I have such admiration for our looked after children. I also for a child doesn’t have to be those that foster and indeed hope that we find a way to talk provided by blood relatives but take the steps toward fostering about foster care and adop- can also be provided by people a child. There are so many intion, not just for a fortnight who have chosen to provide a credible people out there who carers other people’s childrenforinatheir home, either or inor Foster a month, but look days, after weeks would make andshort do make loving environment childown long term and your help can really make the difference to a child’s life. Fostering and years so that the needs of by either fostering or adoption. credible foster carers, and there Fortnight fromare 14 al– 27 IMay campaignare centres the children fact that out looked after runs children also on many hopeand thatthis withyear’s more openness ways on our minds and spursandand who need those very awareness about thisevery sub- 22there a child comes into itcare needs a foster family minutes across the UKpeous with into action.” plefamilies to be foster to them.” ject, adoption and8,750 new foster the Fostering Network estimating that arecarers needed in Couture designer Adebayo Chef andcarers TV personality fostering will be further em-for new 2012 alone. These figures frighteningly show the need foster to help Jones Lorraine Pascale braced by the community.’ change the lives of local children. Yemi Osunkoya, Creative Di“I’m in support of the Foster rector, Kosibah “I have always thought There are many mythsbeabout foster carers such as they must be married own ahave Care Fortnight campaign about fostering or and large house. Islington foster carers in fact come from many different cultures cause it raises the awareness of it now “I believe that every child pledged to look intoand backgrounds and may be couples people, without their own chil-have the plight of children who need deserves or that my circumstances tosingle be raised in anwith a or drenand living in owned or rented accommodation. a safe caring home while secure, nurturing environment changed and I feel in a posithey are unable to live with where they can thrive and tion to do so. Fortunately, Fostheir own families.” Care Fortnight give me achieve their potential. I ter You don’t need qualifications but you dofull need to be good with children or will young

Fostering Fortnight 2012 Change a child’s life forever

people, be able to keep them healthy and safe and to help them make good progress at school. As well as the satisfaction of helping a child you will also receive generous financial allowances to help with their care and of course Islington foster carers get full training and 24-hour support.

the opportunity to explore all the options so that I can make an informed decision.” Larissa Armstrong-Moore, mother “LAC R AIMP” Joshua

Ingredients Accommodation – rented or private A family (single man, woman, couple) • Time • Energy • Humour • Compassion • Discipline • Humanity • Trustworthiness • Stickability • Patience • Compassion • Trustworthiness • Journal, diary or camera (optional) Method Take a house or flat with room for a child. Add a family. This may consist of a couple, married or cohabiting, a single person or divorcee. Mix in a lot of time. Blend with some energy. Pour in lots of humour and a huge dollop of patience. Stir in pinches of compassion with a hint of discipline. Throw in some humanity and pinches of trustworthiness. Beat with a whole load of stickability. Cooking is about the senses. Feel for any inconsistencies and listen for anything untoward. This mix may curdle sometimes but add a confidence booster and you should reach the consistency it takes for success. Record each moment in a journal/diary or on camera (optional)

Change a child’s life forever, foster with Islington Islington urgently needs foster carers to look after local children of all ages. A child comes into care and needs a foster family every 22 minutes across the UK and the Fostering Network estimates that 8,750 new foster families are needed in 2012 alone. Could you help make a difference to one of these young lives by becoming a foster carer? To find out more about why not come along to an information session where you can talk to Islington foster carers and really get a feel for what fostering is all about. Tuesday 29 May 6pm - 8pm Islington Town Hall, Upper Street N1 2UD If you can’t join us then please call about other upcoming dates.

0800 073 0428

THIS IS SET FOR THE WIDTH OF A4 WITH 3mm BLEED AT THE SIDES AND BOTTOM. PLEASE USE THE CROP MARKS AS A GUIDE TO POSTIONING THE THREAD AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.

fostering@islington.gov.uk www.islington.gov.uk

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22 | THE VOICE MAY 17-23, 2012

Sporting success Leaps of success - olympic athletes who have been fostered/adopted

JAMIE BAULCH Olympic silver medallist (4x400m relay) Jamie Baulch is an adoptee and multi award winning athlete. Born in Nottingham, he grew up in Wales. In 1999, he won the world indoor championships in the 400m becoming the first Briton to win a world title at the distance since Eric Liddell (1924 Games).

SURYA BONALY Ice skater Surya Bonaly was born in Nice, France and was adopted by Suzanne and George Bonaly who were also her coaches. Although a multi French and European skating champion, and a silver medallist at the World Figure Skating Championships on more than one occasion, she never managed to win an Olympic medal.

PHILLIPS IDOWU Phillips Idowu is a World, Commonwealth and European triple jump champion. Born in Hackney, he spent some time in foster care. Phillips is one of several Olympic athletes to have attended Brunel University. Having won an Olympic Silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he is aiming for Gold in London.

Around the world: fostering hope through football in sierra leone

n this special year of sport, Yinka Sunmonu talks to Isha Johansen, owner of FC Johansen, a successful Premier League football club in Sierra Leone that has helped children who do not have families of their own. Isha focuses on the club’s foundation and its achievements, showing that there are many ways to help and empower children whatever their circumstances. My team has the youngest players in the league, and the club is synonymous with youth empowerment as they are youth football ambassadors for their country. The club was formed in 2004. Sierra Leone was still reeling from the aftermath of its civil war. There were a lot of displaced youngsters and orphans around the capital with no real sense of direction. My husband and I, in our own small way, started the team as a humanitarian

FOOTBALL CLUB OWNER: Isha Johansen

venture. The then eight to nine year old underprivileged boys, who were playing football almost from dusk to dawn metres away from my home, were given the opportunity to combine education and football. The carrot we dangled was football, and they in return had to promise to stay in school. Our story is one of love and adoption of children from different backgrounds. It is one of trust and giving. Today FC Johansen is not just a source of national pride, but an international success story with our lads having travelled to several countries in Europe and America bringing laurels to their homeland. The joy and pride of seeing young boys grow from being insecure and lost to young leaders whom other young boys look up to is truly amazing”. (If you have an interesting story about helping looked after children in the UK or overseas, email: info@cherishcommunications.com)

KRIS AKABUSI Kriss Akabusi was born in London and experienced foster care with his brother. He is a former European Champion (400m hurdles), a European gold medallist in the 4x400m relay and an Olympic Silver medalist also in the 4x400m relay. He is now the Chief Executive of the Akabusi Company

DAN O’BRIEN Olympic decathlon champion Dan O’Brien was born in America and raised in foster care until he was adopted as a toddler. He is a former world record holder and a three-time world athletics champion.

FOSTERING AN OLYPMPIC POET Poet and playwright Lemn Sissay, who experienced the foster care system, has become the first poet commissioned to write a poem for the London 2012 Games. His poem ‘Sparkcatchers’, about the women and girls of the Bryant and May Match Factory, will be etched into a wooden structure at the north of the Olympic Park together with two lesser known poems. Speaking of the poems, Lemn says, “One of them is simply the word ‘Living is in’, which is repeated maybe 150 times”, while the other “is like an explosion in the graphic and it’s simply the words “There is a certain electricity between us – a spark”. There is a reason for the brevity of the poems but one has to see them for their full impact. Visit before the Olympic rush. For information on art in the Olympic Park, log on to: http://www.london2012. com/spectators/venues/ olympic-park/art-in-thepark/index.html

Foster Care supplement

here is a consultant pediatrician in north Grimsby, who goes about her work with a smile on her face more often than not and who has been known to bestow her wisdom to young looked after children in a car park. This is how far she will go to help children and young people who need care and attention. Her name is Dr Omobolaji Wilson and Yinka Sunmonu interviews her. Dr Wilson’s interest in the health and well-being of looked after children and young people started in 1999, while doing her master’s dissertation. She approached the local authority for a project she was doing on the medical health needs of the children and got access to the boarding out medicals. The files gave her a Eureka moment. Finding that there was nobody following up on the children’s’ health needs, such as referrals, she realized that something had to change. Fortunately, she had the support of the respected pediatrician Professor Leon Polnay , who happened to be her supervisor and who supported and spurred her on. Dr Wilson established a health service for looked after children and set about building her team. She created a business case and was fortunate enough to get people on side. “I talked to the local authority and at the time the ??? had just started and so for the first time the local authority had the responsibility for looked after children and there was a lot of excitement. We started on the basis that these children were ours and we took it from there.” She speaks very softly and yet the excitement is tinged in her speech. “We could do what we wanted for our children and devise plans for them” she adds. One of the first tasks was to set out policies and procedures. After that, no task was too small. Dr Wilson and her team visited children and young people in schools, their homes and even a car park. The team is a model of good practice. In 2001, the number of child health assessments undertaken was still very poor (13%) as the children were not used to having them but by 2005, they had increased to 97%. To get it into perspective, pre Dr Wilson, the child just had a basic medical that was signed off and that was it. It filled the statutory requirement. She wanted something more to happen. “nobody was chasing any medical appointments such as a date at

MAY 17-23, 2012 THE VOICE | 27

The good doctor TRANSFORMER: Dr. Omobolaji Wilson the opticians or hearing problems.” Things a parent would have responsibility for. She was also interested in a child’s emotional health now that they were in care. This was important to her as she felt they would miss their pets, miss their parents and no matter how bad the abuse they may have experienced, they would miss their parents. “I wanted health assessments to be holistic and for them to have all round care,

“I wanted to

see how we could make the child comfortable and happy in care ”

which included what was happening to them in school. “I wanted to see how we could make the child comfortable and happy in care. This is what we set out to do as a team.” She uses the word “we” often and “our’ when referring to the personnel delivering on care and the children receiving it. She has taken the concept of a village raising a child and planted it into a community setting in North

East Yorkshire. Like the research, Dr Wilson acknowledges that children coming into care are facing chal-

The good doctor - interview with the extraordinary consultant paediatrican Dr Omobolaji Wilson who is dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of looked after children. lenges. “Obviously, this affects their self esteem. Most of the children think they have no control over their lives.” She says. “They feel helpless. Some of the children, when they become looked after children, show anxieties.” She relates how they have concerns about the future, moving and what is happening at home “Some of the children are very quiet and detached from the foster carers to start with and this is all about being caution. Some are hypervigilant.” She mentions the importance of winning the child’s trust and confidence and the breakthroughs that can come as a result of this. “ Sometimes a child is happy and settled with the foster carer and the next day the same child is trashing the whole place or is withdrawn. When we speak to them, we realize that they feel that they are letting their family down because they are so comfortable with their new family and by return, they feel they are being disloyal.” One of the Dr Wilson’s key achievements negotiating with the local authority and health trust for a specific psychological service for looked after children. It has been place for a number of years. There is no waiting list. Any looked after child can see a psychologist within two weeks, or within days if necessary. The foster carers also have access to advice from a psychologist on how to work with the child. A consultant since 2007, the promotion has enabled Dr Wilson to work with a larger team that includes trainee doctors at registrar level, the opportunity to do more research and most importantly, they get to see more looked after children and inform commissioners of new services that need to be developed. Dr Wilson has achieved a lot and she is still working on improving the service that that continues to grow. “I have always been focused

and have always had goals. I just keep looking at what we can do. My job is gratifying. The foster carers are fantastic and the local authority and trust have been fantastic in terms of recognizing the importance of foster carers and the needs of looked after children.” Although her job is not 9-5, she manages to relax by watching films (she loves comedies) and reading (The No.1 Ladies Detective series by Alexander McCall Smith is her favourite). A realist, she is aware that not all the children can have a dream come true ending in their life. If she could grant then a wish, she says “I wish that they would be happy, find peace and understand why they can’t go home. I wish that

they could know that they are loved by the people who are caring from them.” Her name, Omobolaji, means a child born with wealth in Yoruba. Names are significant

in Yoruba culture and Dr Wilson has certainly embodied the meaning of hers. She bestows a gift to others through the wealth of her generosity and commitment to a cause.

9-26 May, 2012

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Opinionated

lways expect this from the yOn initiatives such as Foster Care Fortnight and Adoption Week… These are all very well in keeping the issue in the public eye but the fact is that the Fostering Network figures show that despite the appeals, the shortage of fosterers has more than doubled since 1998. Appealing for more fosterers suggests the authorities care but, despite the country having many dedicated fosterers, the instability of fostering based system has led to thousands of young people leaving care in a worse state than when they arrived. Fostering is simply the cheaper options to creating quality managed residential homes with the young people’s interests additionally protected by the creation and empowerment of elected youth councils, such as exist in some homes in Germany. On improving the lives children needing fostering/adoption especially during a recession… Britain has 1 million empty properties. Have a crash programme of creating modern Barnardo type cost-effective care villages such as Kinderhaus in East Berlin to keep sibling families together and provide stability and continuity of education. End the smartie policy of prioritising ethnic matching, which leaves far too many black and minority ethnic children in emergency care and focus on spending on compulsory training of adopters and carers on the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of the young

Phil Frampton, a campaigner for the rights of children in care, gets vocal about fostering. people. On the importance of supporting young people leaving care and drawing attention to it… Care is still very poor in this country and many young people leave care with very inadequate support. Young people in care and care leavers, continually get a bad press, facing stigmatisation and discrimination as damaged goods.

“On the

importance of supporting young people leaving care and drawing attention to it

”

On being vocal about fostering and adoption for 13 years and identifying two things, from a host of achievements, to be proud of… Getting people such as Martin Narey and the Commons Select Committee to accept and promote the fact that decent care homes can provide a better option for many young people, especially separated siblings.

About Phil Frampton Phil’s memoir, The Golly in the Cupboard (2004), on being mixed race and brought up in care, was followed by his BBC programme of the same name, which won the 2005 Race in the Media Award for radio documentaries. His controversial Channel 4 Bring Back Orphanages programme (2007) highlighted excellent outcomes in German residential care. Phil’s latest BBC Radio documentary, The Crying Shame, focusing on the post war plight of unmarried mothers and the issue of ethnic matching of children in care was broadcast at Easter and has already been re-broadcast four times across three BBC Radio stations. An experienced lecturer, keynote speaker, broadcaster and author, Phil is a freelance consultant and Director of Cooperatives North West. He has written for The Independent, Guardian, Daily Mail, Big Issue and journals around the world. Phil was a member of the Cabinet Office Advisory Group on the Education of Young People in Care, a Parliamentary Select Committee Witness regarding Abuse of Children in Care, founding Chair of Care Leavers Association (2000-2003) and, in 2008, was shortlisted to become a national Director of OFSTED. ¢

www.philframpton.co.uk

CAMPAIGNER: Phil Frampton through the years

Auditions now open! Time2Shine is a contest for aspiring Gospel artists from various Christian ministries across the UK.

From (L to R): Mark Beswick, Angie Le Mar, Guvna B, MercyB.

Presented by television favourite, Josie d’Arby, Time2Shine has been described as BET’s Sunday Best meets X-Factor and is a platform to showcase the best in UK Gospel talent. We are looking for talented Christian rappers/vocalists to become a new four-piece music act! If you fit the bill, apply online at time2shineministry.com The winners of ‘Time2Shine’ will receive a top management contract, the opportunity to produce an album, a music video, a website, an international tour at the Barbados GospelFest and more!

Josie d’ Arby

Join our judges MercyB, Mark Beswick, Angie Le Mar and Guvna B as our contestants battle for your vote in order to have their time to shine! Be a part of the UK’s biggest Gospel talent show and feature on SKY TV this summer by applying at time2shineministry.com Closing date for applications is Friday 18th May 2012

T2S Ministry

Time 2 Shine gospel

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A foster carer’s story By Elaine Medford

laine Medford, a learning disabilities nurse, is a foster carer who looks after children with her partner, Junior. She started fostering when her children were older and has fostered over 20 children the past 13 years. Some of the children she has fostered return to visit bringing their own children with them. She talks about her experiences with young people. You have to realize that when some of the children come to you, whatever age,

“skills that you use with your own children may not work ”

of the young people and you want to give them a chance. You want to support them into taking their opportunities. I hate to think of lost opportunities. For me, If things are being given to you, if things are being handed to you, take that opportunity and use it. One of the young men we fostered has just released a single and is recording his album and one of the young women we fostered some time ago, returned to live with us. She was pregnant. We helped her as much as we could and she has now moved into her own flat. Fostering can be extremely challenging and demanding, but it has great rewards.

they are going to come with their own issues and their own baggage. I think originally, I waded into it thinking that they were coming to spend some time with our family and that three months later they would be fine. This is not the case.

RESPECT All your own parenting skills, the skills that you use with your own children may not work. You have to adopt others, learn other skills and tailor things to that child. Take respect. I come from the old school and like respect but you cannot always expect this from the young people who come into your home. It’s adults who have usually let them down and adults who have usually messed up their lives, so don’t expect that they are going to treat you or talk to you with respect and that you will get them to do things out of respect. You have to earn their respect as some of the young people believe you are just doing your job. You see potential in some

CARER: Elaine and Curtis

Elaine on lessons learnt as a foster carer You need a good family unit or good friends to support you. It is important to realize that children come into your home with a range of issues. Good fostering agencies allow you to discuss your concerns and vent any frustration you may have.

Teens need you A survey, published at the start of Foster Care Fortnight, shows there is an urgent need for more foster carers for teenagers across the UK. The Fostering Nework research reveals that 59% of fostering services need foster carers to ensure that young people are found the homes they need. The situation is such that 98% of all fostering services responding to the survey said they were looking for more foster families for teenagers than last year. In addition, fostering services have identified the need for foster carers who can specialise in caring for sibling groups and disabled children.

Actions speak louder than words Could you befriend a young person in care? Young people in the care system need stable and positive role models We’re particularly looking for men to volunteer to offer that support. If you have experience of being in care yourself we’d like to hear from you but if you haven’t – and you’re committed about mentoring a young person – give us a call. Full training and support will be provided.

Training to start Summer 2012 To find out more contact The London Independent Visitors Project

Email: LondonIV@actionforchildren.org.uk Tel: 020 7254 9408

“My IV listens when I talk. He helps me to be positive about my life. He’s always there and we have laugh.” (James, 15) James has come a long way since he was “matched” with a volunteer Independent Visitor through Action for Children. By the time we met him he had already been involved with the police and his reputation as a ‘troublemaker’ was spreading through his neighbourhood. As a first step the project went to visit James; explained what he could get out of the scheme and spoke about the sort of mentor he might like. One of our volunteers, David, shared similar interests and could offer James the sort of support he needed, so we introduced them. That was over a year ago. “James is a great young man. We started out just having fun, getting to know each other – going to the park, kicking a football around, going to the cinema, finding places to go and eat, simple stuff really, “ says David. “There was never any pressure to talk about the ‘serious stuff’. We would just have fun and chat about all sorts – football, TV, anything really. But James knew that if he wanted to he could talk to me and I would be supportive. James would often talk about being let down by this person and that

person and that it was really difficult for him to trust people. I never tried to ‘achieve’ that but just kept on being that reliable, consistent person that he could have a laugh with. He’s a really bright lad and has a lot of ideas and plans about what he wants to be but just needed that bit of space to express them. A year on I wouldn’t say that we’re totally there, but I feel proud and privileged that I have been there for him and have no intention of stopping now!” The support IVs offer can range from just going out and having fun to more structured and targeted help – Each young person is an individual and it always depends on what that young person’s needs are. Children in care often have to deal with regular change and a lack of stability, which is why it’s incredibly important that there is someone independent (hence the name) and consistent in their lives that can give that young person a chance to build a positive relationship with someone over a long period of time. Something that most of us take for granted. And what do volunteers get out of it? David says, “I never went into this expecting to get a specific reward or gratification, but it’s been a thoroughly fun experience. The most amazing reward was to see the change

in James and how he has grown as a person. To know I’ve played some part in helping to give him the space to find out what he wants in life, and to stay out of trouble is more than I could have hoped for.” • The London Independent Visitors project supports children in care across London linking them with volunteer befrienders who aim to support a young person’s emotional wellbeing by developing a long term friendship with them whilst engaging with their interests/hobbies. • Action for Children supports and speaks out for the most vulnerable and neglected children and young people, for as long as it takes to make a difference in their lives. • Children are at the centre of everything Action for Children does. For more information on our work, please visit www.actionforchildren.org.uk.

Foster Care supplement

30 | THE VOICE MAY 17-23, 2012

Fostering during a recession – yes you can… Fostering Network Chief Executive Robert Tapsfield: “All foster carers receive a fostering allowance which should cover the cost of caring for a fostered child. These vary across the UK, but in England, Wales and Northern Ireland there are national minimum allowances agreed by government. Some fostering services also pay their foster carers a fee on top of the allowance, in recognition of their time, skills and experience. Prospective foster carers should ask their local fostering services about the financial support that they offer, and should not be afraid to shop around to find the fostering service that offers the right mix of financial and practical support for them.” The Fostering Network coordinates Foster Care Fortnight. (Details: www.fostering.net or telephone: 0800 040 7675) Jonathan Whalley, Barnardo’s Assistant Director of Children’s Services for the South East: “In the time of economic crisis and a downturn in the job market, people may want to look at alternative careers and a career in fostering could be an option for some. We’re not expecting people to come to the fostering service and be Rolls Royce foster carers but what we will say is that Barnardo’s will give you super

We approached three major organisations and asked: What advice can you give to people who would like to foster but think they cannot afford it, especially during a recession?

Rolls Royce support. We believe that anyone with the right attitude and support can offer an environment that will allow a child to grow. So we encourage anyone to come forward and not be put off. We still need to breakdown the myths about fostering and encourage people to get in touch with us. Staff would be more than willing to share with them, on a one to one basis, what fostering involves and talk through their own particular circumstances”. Barnardo’s is urging more people to consider putting themselves forward as potential foster carers – particularly for children from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. (Details: www.barnardos.org. uk/fosteringandadoption or

telephone 0800 277 280) Gareth Crossman, Executive Director of External Affairs, TACT: “You can afford to foster insofar as the money you receive will cover the expenses of having the child in your home, plus you receive an allowance on top of that. At TACT, we think foster carers should be treated as professionals. They do a professional job in the same way that a social worker does a professional job but they go further insofar as they open up their homes. They rightly receive recompense for that and our foster carers are happy with the money they receive. If you worked it out as an hourly rate, it wouldn’t be very

Aspiring to work

he debate is on as to whether foster carers can or should work on a full time basis. The general consensus is that staying at home is preferable, part time work is possible and it depends on the needs of the child and the fostering agencies. We caught up with MyAspirations Director Marilyn Antrobus (Assoc. Cipd), who has written fostering and adoption policies for organisations, to ask what employees can expect from the workplace if they’re thinking about fostering a child. Can foster parents or private foster carers apply for flexible working? Anyone can ask their employer for flexible work arrangements, but the law provides some employees with the statutory right to request a flexible working pattern. You must have worked for your employer for 26 weeks continuously before applying.

doing so. You have the right to ask for flexible working not the right to have it, and employers can reasonably decline your application where there is a legitimate business ground.

Marilyn Antropus

What type of flexible working is there? Flexitime, homeworking, job-sharing, annualised hours, term time working, part time hours, staggered hours. Is flexible working a right? Under the law, your employer must seriously consider any application you make. This can only be rejected if there are good business reasons for

Do you have to tell your employers if you are fostering a child/children? There is no legal requirement but it would be useful to advise them as you may need to take time off from work to attend group preparation sessions or to care for the child. Can you take a sabbatical or leave of absence while you are helping a fostered child settle into your home? This would depend on your employer and whether there are provisions to take a sabbatical as not all employers offer this option. ¢ For information on MyAspirations, log on to: www. myaspirations.co.uk

high for the amount of work you put in but you won’t become a foster carer and then be struggling financially. When we are in a recession, a lot of people, particularly in the public sector are finding their employment situation

precarious and many people are losing their jobs. So, we are approaching people through our advertising to think of foster care as a career, which people may not have envisaged before.” TACT is the largest fostering

and adoption charity in the UK. (Details: www.tactcare.org.uk or telephone 0808 252 8524) ¢ TACT is the largest fostering and adoption charity in the UK. ((www.tactcare.org.uk or telephone 0808 252 8524)

22 WAYS TO RAISE AWARENESS Fostering Network statistics show that a child comes into care every 22 minutes and requires a foster family. LaDiva suggests ways to get involved: 1. Send an email about foster care to your networks asking them to continue the trend. 2. Access www.22minutes.org.uk , which contains videos and blogs by foster carers 3. Befriend a looked after child. Contact your local authority for information 4. Fundraise 5. Tweet 6. Facetime 7. Use Facebook 8. Attend a local authority or independent fostering agency event 9. Read actress Victoria Rowell’s memoir ’The Women who raised me’ (Amistad, 2008) 10. Watch BAAF’s new film on the experiences of foster carers. Details: www.baaf.org 11. Read ‘Precious: a true story’, by

Precious Williams (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011) 12. Place posters in local stores 13. Read ‘The Golly in the cupboard’, by Phil Frampton, (Tamic Publications 2004) 14. Campaign 15. Become a children’s advocate 16. Discuss foster care in schools 17. Read ‘The Kid’ by Sapphire (Penguin Press 2011) 18. Ask your pastor to raise awareness on Sunday 19. Join a fostering panel. (See: ‘Thinking of Joining an adoption panel – revised 2011’, published by BAAF) 20. Learn about the health needs of looked after children 21. Read the novel ‘Cherish’ by Yinka Sunmonu (Mango Publishing, 2004) 22. Become a foster carer