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Fostering Update
Issue 2. Summer 2019
A newsletter for our foster carers
INSIDE:• Fostering events
updates• Welcome to new
fostering staff• Training dates
and much more...
Hello to all our foster carers! Welcome to the second issue of our foster carer newsletter. We hope you enjoy reading it, finding out about what’s going on and reminders of what we can offer you.
This issue contains updates on events we’ve been to, new staff and training offers, as well as news about the Brighter Futures for Children company and key dates for your diaries.
At a recent Reading Carers Link meeting, foster carers asked us for a list of who’s who in the fostering team and their contact details. We listened and the full team contacts are on Page 12.
Have a lovely summer everyone.
Steffi Roth
@BFfC_Child
Stay social!Follow our social media channels (Facebook and Twitter) to stay up to dateon the latest news and viewsfrom the fostering team.
@BFfCChild@fosteradoptRDG
Contents Foster Care Fortnight round-up
Out & about for FOSTERING Reading
Our new fostering staff
Brighter Futures for Children news
TSDS workshop dates
Children in Care Council updates
Skills for Fostering training dates
Who’s who in the Fostering Team
2
3
4
6 7
8
9
10
11
12
5
Fostering Team Manager
3
FOSTER CARE FORTNIGHT ROUND-UP
#changeafuture
Fostering changes lives...
Carolyn Connor and Steffi Roth of the Fostering Team Brighter Futures for Children Managing Director Tony Kildare
The hashtag for the campaign was #changeafuture
ABOVE and BELOW: Some of the many images which went out with key messages (and contact details!) on our social media platforms during Foster Care Fortnight
We hit the ground running with campaigns during Foster Care Fortnight to attract more foster carers and publicise what we offer to our foster carers in the Reading area.The fortnight started with a Twitter and Facebook campaign, with regular messages accompanied by colourful images, as well as quotes from our foster carers and our children in care.Then, thanks to the generosity of MaxxMedia (and to Brighter Futures for Children Chair, Deborah Jenkins, who made the initial contact and Fiona Tarrant, our Head of Communications & Marketing, who designed the adverts), we had a series of seven adverts displayed at Reading Station, which were seen by thousands of commuters over the two weeks. One of these is on the front page of this newsletter.We sent information to journalists and you may have heard our advert on Heart FM, seen us and our new bright gazebo at an event or spotted our new posters, pull-up banners and information postcards.In addition, we’ve been running Facebook advert campaigns, which have, to date, attracted more than 50 new foster carer leads and we’ve put new things in place, like this newsletter and a dedicated marketing officer (see more about her on page 6) to liaise better with you, to hear and share your views and improve communication with you.In all, it’s been a success for a new company with a lot of ground to cover to get us noticed and ‘out there’. Here’s to the rest of the year and to stepping up our efforts to promote Brighter Futures for Children as the Independent Fostering Agency of choice. Well done to everyone involved.
The aptly named Water Fest returned on a rainy but enjoyable June weekend to celebrate its 30th anniversary of the town’s key waterways. The free festival on Saturday, 15 June, was packed with activities, live music and more for everyone to take part in. Our new gazebo luckily sheltered Brighter Futures for Children staff and foster carers who volunteered their time to talk to visitors from the rain on the day.Huge thanks to our foster carers Lucy Philips and Debra Lewis, who helped us to set up the stand
and chatted to prospective carers, Sue and Conrad Boyer for assisting Hilary (and staying all afternoon) and to our social workers Hafsah and Cathy who worked so hard to make it such a success.We would also like to thank Lucy and Debra for helping out on 30 May at Crazy Play Soft Play. All the help you give us is very much appreciated as we continue to search for more wonderful people like you to become foster carers in Reading. Keep spreading the word about fostering in Reading!
WATER FEST LIVED UP TO
ITS NAME!
4
Out and about promoting
We will have a stand at Asda in Lower Earley on Wednesday, 7 August 10am until 2pm and again on Wednesday 9 October 10am until 2pm. We’d love to have some foster carers come along to help. We’ll also be at Reading Pride on 31 August at Kings Meadow. Can you help us on any of these days, even for a few hours? If so, please email Mandip with your availability. [email protected].
CAN YOU HELP?
5
EAST READING FESTIVALThe fostering recruitment team popped up the BFfC gazebo at the East Reading Festival at Palmer Park on Sunday 23 June.
FOSTERING Reading
The local community festival had a great line-up of performers, stalls, activities and food, and our team had a lovely day speaking to people about becoming foster carers.
We had our new FOSTERING Reading literature to hand out and lots of people came to speak to us.
A big thank you to our foster carers Conrad Bowyer, Barbara Powell, Nigel Thomas, and Claire Shepherd who assisted BFfC social workers Cathy McCormack and Hilary Kemp on the day to talk to visitors about fostering.This time it was in the sunshine!
We’re delighted to welcome Sandra Prince and Wendy Jordan as our new Business Support staff members.Here’s a little bit about them both, in their own words:WENDY: “I started working at Reading Borough Council in 2004 as an administrator in the Access & Assessment team. I then moved in 2012 to the Children’s Single Point of Access team (CSPoA) which is the front door for children’s social care. “In March 2019 I was given the opportunity to apply for the business support post in the Fostering team at Brighter Futures for Children. I was successful and I joined the team at the end of April. “I am responsible for sending out the checks and references for foster carers, plus other administrative tasks within the team. Although I’ve only been in the role for a few months and am still learning, I am enjoying my role and feel happy and positive to be part of a friendly team.”SANDRA: “I started my career volunteering as a Reading Borough Council (RBC) youth worker based in Watlington Street and then progressed to becoming a young people & family support worker based at Brownlow
Sandra and Wendy
Don’t forget that we run a ‘Refer a Friend scheme’ for existing foster carers.
If you refer someone to us, who is then successfully approved as a foster carer at Panel, when the first child goes to live with them, you will receive £500.
Research suggests that you as foster carers, are most successful in recruiting foster carers through your friends and families, your activities and hobbies, and talking positively about the fostering experience.
This scheme is a way to reward you if you find us someone special, just like you.
SANDRA AND WENDY BRING WELCOME BUSINESS SUPPORT TO THE TEAM
Please let us know your ideas, thoughts, achievements of the children in your care and indeed your own, or anything else for us to think about and include in the next newsletter. Email: [email protected]
YOUR VIEWS
REFER A
FRIEND
6
Welcome to our
Road. “I continued in the field of social work in Reading and London but then decided on a career change and for 7 years I worked as a debt collection manager. “I then studied at University, before joining the Fostering and Adoption team as a business support officer at Darwin Close. “I returned to RBC two years ago as a neighbourhood support officer dealing with insurance claims and reclaims and signing up new customers for services on behalf of RBC based at Bennet Road. “My role is now as a fostering panel coordinator/business support officer for Brighter Futures for the Fostering team at the Civic Offices, which is a great role that is challenging but rewarding.”
The Foster Squad met up in March for its initial meeting with foster carers’ children. This is the group for the sons and daughters of our foster carers aged between 8 – 18 years. Your supervising social worker would have spoken to you about this already, however, for more information please contact foster carer Kate Wells on 07403 237273 or supervising social workers Michael Williams/Juvy Romero on their usual office numbers.Future dates will be shared when available but usually fall on the last Thursday of the month. All the children need to be dropped off and collected by their parents.
FOSTER SQUAD UPDATE
Welcome Alexandra Lambert, our new social worker for the Family and Friends section of the Fostering team.Alex joined us on 10 June. Alex said: “I qualified as a social worker in 2016 and have worked in both fostering and adoption. Initially, I was employed by the Independent Fostering Agency, Together Trust. It was my role to assess prospective foster carers and provide ongoing support once any child was placed. I then started working for the Regional Adoption Agency, Together for Adoption, in January 2018. While in this role, it was my duty to assess prospective adopters and place children within their care. “At Brighter Futures for Children, it’s my role to complete assessments for connected persons as foster carers or special guardians. I am looking forward to working within this team, as it is an area of social work that is new to me and will provide me with some new learning opportunities!”
NEW FOSTERING STAFF
7
Alex Lambert
new fostering staff
We would like to welcome and introduce Mandip Bilkhu to BFfC who joined us on 10 June as the marketing officer for fostering. Mandip comes from a public sector background, predominately in education, and has more than 15 years’ experience in marketing and communications. Mandip said: “I am excited to be working at BFfC to help create more awareness in Reading about fostering to ensure we have more foster carers join our fostering family and help us give children a brighter future (pun completely intended!).“My main focus will be building links in the community and with local businesses to deliver informative, interactive and fun presentations to increase the awareness of fostering in Reading alongside social workers and foster carers who can tell their story. “I will also focus on social media, profile raising events across
MANDIP HAS MARKETING ALL MAPPED OUT
Reading, producing copy for the foster carers newsletter, working on case studies with foster carers, updating the website with good news stories and much more that relates to spreading the word about fostering in Reading. “I am looking forward to meeting all our foster carers and I’m hoping that by working together we can recruit more wonderful people to become foster carers and keep children in care local.”You are encouraged to take part in the presentations to share your views and experiences of fostering alongside BFfC to prospective foster carers out in the community and in local businesses. Full training will be given and a small payment will be awarded for your time to assist us. Please email Mandip on: [email protected] for more information if you’re interested.
Mandip Bilkhu
SOCIAL WORKER ALEX JOINS THE FOSTERING TEAM
Our Trauma and Therapeutic Thinking Schools training was launched recently with 15 Head Teachers and senior leaders being trained in this Reading-wide approach to understanding and managing behaviour and exclusions in schools. The Therapeutic Thinking approach is central both to BFfC’s Education Strategy and our Early Help Strategy and will be underpinning all systems and pathways across Reading.
The Mental Health Support team will be live from January 2020, but will have a ‘soft launch’ with a slightly lower availability of services from September 2019.
Brighter Futures for Children’s Mental Health Support team will be working with schools, parents/foster carers, families, GPs, health and voluntary agencies to provide a sustainable emotional and mental health service for children and young people in the 16 schools that are part of the project.
It is focused on offering services to children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties. It is part of a wider local offer of the Schools Link Mental Health Project, the ONE Reading Partnership and our Early Help and Hub offer.
BFfC’s a trailblazer for mental health support in schoo
It is an approach that is fully inclusive and recognises that children’s experiences, and their unique neurology, drive their feelings and that these result in behaviours.The approach seeks to ensure that all children have a positive experience in school that is well matched to their needs. This follows the Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools guidance from the DfE, published last November.
TRAUMA AND THERAPEUTIC THINKING TRAINING FOR TEACHERS IS LAUNCHED
8
31 July, 2019
UPDATES ON BRIGHTER FUTURES FOR CHILDREN
Even though we are an Independent Fostering Agency, our parent company is Brighter Futures for Children and, as we - or rather you - care for children looked after who are supervised by BFfC, it’s important you know what’s going on in the rest of the company.Here is a small update on activities in the new company. If you’d like to have more of this in future newsletters, please let us know.
BFfC is developing a new, much bigger website and our fostering IFA will have its own pages on it, rather than a separate site. This will include a secure section for you, as our foster carers, which can’t be accessed by the general public.BFfC has also offered Reading Carers Link the chance to have a page and further discussions will take place soon. The new website should be up and running in the autumn.
Invitations for the annual Children Looked After Awards will be coming out shortly. Please make sure you RSVP promptly, so we know numbers for catering. It should be, as always, a fantastic event.
9
The dates for the TSDS workshops are as follows:
30 July – Avenue Centre – meeting room 1st West, 1-2.30pm15 August – Civic Centre – committee room 2, 1-2.30pm 17 September - Civic Centre – committee room 2, 1-2:30pm17 October - Civic Centre – committee room 2, 1-2:30pm14 November - Civic Centre – committee room 2, 1-2.30pm11 December - Civic Centre – committee room 2, 1-2.30pm.
Training Support & Development
Standards (TSDS) workshops
dates
The Training, Support and Development Standards Booklet should be completed within 12 months post approval for Brighter Futures for Children foster carers and within 18 months for connected persons foster carers.
It’s a one off piece of work and it is a great way of gathering evidence for the Annual Review and to demonstrate personal development during the first year as a foster carer.
The workshops will cover one ‘standard’ per session and will be on a rolling basis. They are a great way
to meet other newly approved foster carers and to share experiences. The booklet can seem a bit daunting but the workshops will help to identify evidence that can be used and hopefully make it less of a chore.
Please liaise with your supervising social worker and let them know if you are interested in attending. Please note the change in venue - in July we are meeting at the Avenue Centre and from August we will meet at the Civic Centre. The times will always be 1-2:30pm.
6
Queens Road
10
MOVIE STARS
We have made a film for other children coming into care. It will have a première on Tuesday, 23 July at 6pm. Afterwards, it will be on the website for everyone to see.We will also visit all the social work teams
after the event to show the film. We have BBC Radio Berkshire coming to the première, who will be recording the atmosphere and interviewing foster carers and staff. Just like on the red carpet, minus the pictures!
We have been running presentations on what we do and don’t like about being in care for Brighter Futures for Children staff. We call ourselves Care2 listen? and we recently held a workshop for 16 members of staff. This was received really positively, with some great feedback from everyone who attended.
We outlined what we did and didn’t want from social workers while we’re in care and you can see those lists from that session here.
Children in Care Council update
In the May half term we put together a rock band with electrical instruments. The young people played 4 songs and each had a go on the keyboards, electric guitars, drums and vocals. They rocked!
Rock stars
We went to the Museum of Reading and had a great day walking around the Abbey Ruins. We listened to stories and the children made their own stories.
This is the group trying to put a historical map of Reading together.
Day at the museumANYONE IN FOSTER CARE WITH BFfC CAN JOIN IN
The Children in Care Council has three groups - one for fun, social events, one to help make changes and be heard and the other is for care leavers. Please help promote the groups to your foster children and encourage them to join. For more information, contact Catie Blundell. [email protected]
Workshop
11
These training dates are for prospective foster carers. We would like more of our existing foster carers to join these training sessions to share their stories and experiences of fostering. This can also include your child looked after and/or your own child as their stories are invaluable.
If you would like to volunteer we would only need an hour of your time and lunch will be provided. Please contact Hilary Kemp ([email protected]) who will arrange a suitable time slot for you. September 201912 Sept – 19.00 - 21.00 Committee Room 4b Civic offices Bridge Street14 Sept – 10.00 - 16.00 Committee Room 4a Civic offices Bridge Street21 Sept – 10.00 - 16.00 Committee Room 4a Civic offices Bridge Street24 Sept – 10.00 - 16.00 Venue to be confirmed November 201914 November – 19.00 - 21.00 Venue to be confirmed16 November – 10.00 - 16.00 Civic council chamber Civic offices Bridge Street23 November – 10.00 - 16.00 Civic council chamber Civic offices Bridge Street26 November – 10.00 - 16.00 Venue to be confirmed January 202016 January – 19.00 - 21.00 Venue to be confirmed18 January – 10.00 - 16.00 Civic council chamber Civic offices Bridge Street25 January – 10.00 - 16.00 Civic council chamber Civic offices Bridge Street28 January – 10.00 - 16.00 Venue to be confirmed March 202012 March – 10.00 - 16.00 Venue to be confirmed14 March – 10.00 - 16.00 Civic council chamber Civic offices Bridge Street21 March – 10.00 - 16.00 Civic council chamber Civic offices Bridge Street24 March – 10.00 - 16.00 Venue to be confirmed
Skills for Fostering training dates
Queens Road
Rock stars
Classification: OFFICIAL
Classification: OFFICIAL
Fostering Team 2019
Strategic Lead Corporate Parenting Carolyn Connor
Tel 01189374559 Em
ail: Carolyn.connor@
brighterfuturesforchildren.org
Panel Advisor/Fostering Manager
Christine Allen Tel: 01189373155
Email:
Team M
anager Steffi Roth
Tel: 01189373216 Steffi.roth@
brighterfuturesforchildren.org
Assistant Team
Manager
Janet Angbing Tel: 01189374859
74859 Higher Specialist Social
Worker
Carolinne Wilson
Tel: 01189373661 Em
ail: Carolinne.W
ilson@bright
erfuturesforchildren.org
Social Worker
Toni Myers
Tel: 01189374076 Em
ail: Toni.m
yers@brighterfutu
resforchildren.org
Social Worker
Angelita Francisco Tel: 01189373628
Email:
Angelita.francisco@
brighterfuturesforchildren.org
Higher Specialist Social W
orker M
ichael William
s Tel: 01189372462
Email:
Michael.w
illiams@
brighterfuturesforchildren.org
Assistant Team M
anager W
endy Goddard
Tel: 01189373189 W
Assistant Team M
anager Sally M
ylton-smith
Tel: 01189372356 Sally.m
ylton-smith@
brighterfuturesforchildren.org
Programm
e Supervisor Pippa Hutchinson Tel: 01189374454
Social Worker
Fenny Nyatsanza
Tel: 01189374589 Em
ail: Fenny.nyatsanza@
brighterfuturesforchildren.org
Social Worker
Monica Sacalos
Tel: 01189373618 Em
ail: M
onica.sacalos@brighte
rfuturesforchildren.org
Social Worker
Michelle Daley
Tel: 01189374899 Em
ail: M
ichelle.daley@brighterf
uturesforchildren.org
Social Worker
Grace Am
ps Tel: 01189374860
Email:
Grace.am
ps@brighterf
uturesforchildren.org
Social Worker
Cathy McCorm
ack Tel: 01189374831
Email: Cathy.
McCorm
ack@brighter
futuresforchildren.org
Higher Specialist Social W
orker Hilary Kem
p Tel: 01189373692
Email:
Hilary.kemp@
brighterfuturesforchildren.org
Social Worker
Hafsah Shuaib Tel: 01189373139
Email:
Hafsah.shuaib@brighte
rfuturesforchildren.org
Higher Specialist Social W
orker Juvy Rom
ero Tel: 01189373068
Email:
Juvy.romero@
brighterfuturesforchildren.org
Lead Facilitator &
Clinical Psychologist
Jo Medw
ay Tel: 01189374861
Email:
Jo.medw
ay@brighterf
uturesforchildren.org
Co-ordinator Jem
ma King
Tel: 01189372758 Em
ail: Jem
ma.king@
brighterfuturesforchildren
.org
Social Worker
Mara Plum
ley Tel: 01189373122
Email:
Mara.plum
ley@bri
ghterfuturesforchildren.org
Responsible Individual, ADM, Designated
Safeguarding Lead- Jackie Hooper Tel 01189374377
Email:
Social Worker
Alex Lambert
Tel: TBC Em
ail: Alex.lam
bert@brighterfut
uresforchildren.org
Queens Road
