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Progress Supports Local Community With Foodbank Donations

Posted on by matthew

As the festive period grew closer, we explored new ways to help those in need and ensure that as many people as possible get the magical Christmas they deserve.

Over the past month, our team has been bringing non-perishable food items such as soup, cereal, and crisps for us to donate to the local food bank.

At the weekend, we delivered all the food donations to a food bank run by the charity Every Family Counts. The scheme is based at Low Hill Nursery School and aims to provide food for families in need at the school and around the Wolverhampton area.

The food bank is open every Wednesday and Thursday at Low Hill Nursery School, Low Hill.

How you can get involved

The scheme is always looking for additional donations to help provide nutritionally balanced meals to children and their families. If you would like to donate or find out more about the scheme, please click here.

Progress Proudly Supports Derek’s Tree Charity

Posted on by matthew

This year, our head office staff decided to support Derek’s Tree Charity instead of doing Secret Santa. 

Derek’s Tree is a long-running charity in Burton which brings joy to thousands of youngsters every year. 

Derek Liddle, now aged 82, launched the scheme from his Branston living room back in 1995 and has since won the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award for his efforts.

The scheme was set up to ensure disadvantaged children in the local area receive a gift at Christmas just as much as everybody else. 

At the weekend, we delivered the presents to the very busy folk at Derek’s Tree on their last weekend of trying to make sure there was a present for every child on the list. 

Volunteers will deliver the presents to children in the area during the run-up to Christmas day. 

We’re pleased to support such a meaningful charity and are delighted to help disadvantaged children benefit from a bit of extra Christmas cheer this year.

If you’d like to read more about Derek’s Tree, or find out how you can get involved, head to their Facebook Page here.

Progress Shortlisted for Prestigious National Award

Posted on by matthew

We are thrilled to announce that we have been shortlisted as finalists for this year’s LaingBuisson Awards in the ‘Children’s Services’ category.

Now in their 17th year, the national LaingBuisson Awards recognises and rewards providers’ invaluable contribution to the care sector.

The Children’s Services category celebrates service providers who have made an outstanding contribution to children’s fostering, residential, and school services.

In addition to recognising businesses that set new standards of excellence within their industries, the awards raise vital funds for Young Minds – a charity fighting for children and young people’s mental health.

The awards are judged independently and will be presented at a high-profile Ceremony and Dinner, which will take place on Thursday 17th November 2022, at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London.

We want to take this opportunity to thank our staff for their continued hard work and commitment to our young people.

We wish everyone the best of luck!

Aviva and Innovation Group join forces to deliver garden ‘DIY SOS’ makeover for Progress

Posted on by matthew

Thirty kind-hearted volunteers joined forces to complete a DIY SOS project at one of our homes recently, which supports children with very complex needs.

Loss adjusters from the leading insurer Aviva, swapped their day jobs for paint brushes, trowels and shovels as they pitched in to help drainage, geotechnical and subsidence specialists from Innovation Group plc to transform the outside space at Oak Cottage.

It is the first time the two specialists, have come together on a challenge and in just six hours they successfully managed to fix block paving, build planters and raised beds, improve wheelchair access and install a number of sensory boards and new swings.

The biggest task of the day was also completed in style, with over 200 wheelbarrows of soil removed to create a new, safer ground floor home for the trampoline.

More than 180 hours of time went into the garden makeover, which will now allow the eight children who live in the home to enjoy a great outdoor space and lots of fun activities that will stimulate their senses.

Our Managing Director, Claire Rogers is keen to see the future impact of the project: “Austerity and funding cuts have caused our sector a lot of issues and we are always looking to partner with kind-hearted businesses that can help us deliver the best possible facilities and living experiences for the children we look after.

“All of them have complex needs and physical disabilities and the garden is such an important place for them to relax, play and, in some cases, learn. The outside space needed some ‘TLC’, so we were delighted when a chance conversation with Aviva employees turned into this fantastic DIY SOS.”  “I can’t believe the difference and how quickly it was achieved with the volunteers all working together to bring the garden to life. Our children are already enjoying spending more time outside, as this has become so important after we spent a lot of the last two years isolating due to Covid-19.”

Aviva, is committed to supporting the local communities it operates in and offers all employees up to three ‘volunteering days’ every year. So when the project at Progress was raised, a team of seventeen loss adjustors put themselves forward, travelling the length and breadth of the country to take part. Due to the complex nature of the DIY SOS challenge, the company reached out to Innovation Group, one of its leading supply chain specialists, to help it with drainage, block paving and subsidence work in the garden.

Tanya Bellamy, Commercial Field and Major Loss Leader at Aviva, commented: “The response to the Progress project was fantastic, with many of our volunteers travelling hundreds of miles to take part.

“They really threw themselves into it, working closely with the more experienced Innovation Group staff to paint, dig, plant and repair. It’s a bit different to their day job but judging by all the smiles during the day and the reaction we saw from the children, it was six hours well spent.”

Tony Kilgannon, Regional Manager Northern Division at Innovation Group, added his support: “As soon as I visited the home and met some of the children we’d be helping, I had an emotional attachment to making the outside space as good as it could be, the same attachment that I know the rest of our staff had during the day.

“Working with our good friends at Aviva, we have created a sensory garden in just six hours, making it an accessible, safe and fun space with lots of things to do, whether that is trampolining, playing on the swings, enjoying the 3D spinner or touching the different textures of the flowers we’ve put in.

“The children have very challenging lives, so this project was all about giving them something to smile about and a place where they can experience new things.”

Progress would like to say a big thank you to Aviva and Innovation Group for what they have given the children.

The story has been featured in the below news outlets:

Birmingham Mail

Black Country Radio

Business Daily

Business Desk West Midlands

Business Mondays

KQ Education Group

UK Daily News

 

Why I foster: Helen

Posted on by Angeline Westley

In a new series of interviews we have asked Progress foster carers why they foster care and how fostering changes lives.

Helen has been caring for James and Perry with her husband, Henry. This is her story.

When you have a child of your own, you realise what a positive influence they can have on your life. My husband Henry and I had reached a stage in our lives where we did not want any more children of our own, but we did want to support and care for a child that was less fortunate than others.

Whether it is for a week or full-time, if Henry and I could change a child’s life for the better, we would.

Some of my work colleagues had experience as foster carers. The more they spoke to me about how fostering works, the more it seemed like a great way to help children.

When you start fostering, prepare for your life to change.

You will go through a lot emotionally and looking after someone else’s child will take a lot out of you. In some cases, you may only have a short time with a child or young person, maybe a year or two so it may feel like everything is happening quickly.

However, you must remember that the time you are in their lives, could be an important period for them. It is for this reason that Henry and I put all our energies into ensuring we can make a difference.

When Progress told us about James and Perry we wanted to help. The boys did not have the structure of regular family life, so we expected things to be a little chaotic. In all honestly, they were just two sweet little boys that needed love and attention.

Henry and I were nervous about the rules we wanted to implement in the house. We did not want them to feel intimidated but knew that the rules would stand all of us in good stead.

James and Perry have been fantastic at going along with everything. The boys say please and thank you and eat three meals a day, as opposed to the junk food they ate before they arrived. Routines like brushing their teeth and going to bed at set times, have helped them to live a normal life.

As a couple, Henry and I appreciate having a network of other foster carers. Progress hosts the “Voice of Progress”, a monthly club for foster children to get together and participate in fun activities. The foster carers tag along and use it as a chance to talk to each other about our experiences.

There is no set rule book for what makes a good foster carer. We all bring our uniqueness to any given situation. Having some life experience and being a caring and patient person helps.

Fostering is my way of making a positive difference in the world. Henry and I feel that giving a child the chance to succeed in life is not only good for them, but for everyone in society. If you can offer a child a home, along with the help and support they need at a difficult time in their life, then you must get involved.

If this story resonates with you, perhaps you could be the next carer to make a positive difference in children’s lives. Get in touch to find out more about being a foster carer.

Brand-New £250,000 Resource Centre in Wolverhampton is Now Open

Posted on by matthew

We are delighted to announce the opening of our brand-new Resource Centre, Progress House.

The brand-new state-of-the-art facility will help individuals with additional needs learn new skills, gain employment, access therapies, participate in activities and make new friends.

Set to benefit hundreds of Black Country families, the £250,000 multipurpose space is a result of 12 months of development. It boasts a fully equipped kitchen, sensory room, computer/quiet rooms and an open plan space to host group activities.

At Progress, we are committed to preventing family breakdowns, increasing resilience and reducing dependency. The Resource Centre helps us achieve this by blending a range of community-based services to support semi-independent and independent living.

The inspirational new site was officially opened by Mr John Crabtree OBE, Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of The West Midlands, accompanied by our founder and CEO Bal Dhanoa, Managing Director Claire Rogers and the rest of the Progress Team.

John Crabtree OBE said: “I had the great pleasure to be invited to open the Resource Centre and to learn about the forward-thinking and creative ideas being presented by Progress.

“The organisation has created a range of services which will be delivered and coordinated from this new facility. It will provide early intervention, learning and education, preventative support, and solutions to avoid or reduce crisis situations that come at a high cost to all involved. I wish Progress every success in its latest venture.”

Bal, our Founder and CEO said:

“Covid-19 has definitely had an impact on how care and specialist services have been delivered, and as we head back to a more normal life, we want to make sure we have the facilities and the people in place to help families in the Black Country,”

“The Resource Centre will provide a hub for local children and young adults to come together and access skills and support that will help them live the most rewarding lives possible.”

“We have a big focus on giving people the right to live independently, and our new Resource Centre will further support this objective,” added Claire Rogers, Managing Director.

For further information, please visit www.progresscare.co.uk. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why I foster: Jane

Posted on by Angeline Westley

In a new series of interviews we have asked Progress foster carers why they foster care and how fostering changes lives.

Jane has been caring for Fariha. This is her story.

I have worked with and cared for young people with complex disabilities for over twenty years. I may be biased; but welcoming a young person into your home is hugely rewarding, especially when you see the positive impact you are having on their life. It is an absolute pleasure for my husband Mark and I to provide foster care.

We took a break from fostering a few years ago, to recharge our batteries and then went back to Progress with a renewed optimism to help a child. Progress informed us about Fariha, and we really wanted to care for her.

Fariha has severe disabilities and was residing in a home. She is a wheelchair user, has significant learning, speech and language delay as well as some visual and hearing problems. Fariha had an few unsettled years; having moved from place to place.

Imagine if you went through that?

We were so pleased when Fariha was placed with us.

Mark (who worked in the police force for over thirty years), was initially worried about fostering a child with complex needs, due to his lack of knowledge and experience. However, he felt more confident once he took part in the training and support Progress gave us.

In preparation for Fariha’s placement, our home was assessed by occupational health professionals and some adaptations were made.

One such example was the fitting of several small ramps inside as well as handrails, so Fariha could move freely around the house.

We asked as many questions as we could about Fariha’s needs, personality and behaviours, so she would be comfortable in her new home. A transition plan was sent to us, to ensure we had a good understanding of her daily requirements and routines, and this really helped.

Fariha’s bedroom was decorated to her own individual needs and although she cannot verbalise her preferences, we ensured her bedroom had a calming atmosphere to encourage and promote sleep and relaxation.

Taking care of a child with disabilities can seem quite daunting, and you will face a lot of challenges. Giving unconditional love to a child is a given, but you must also have patience and understanding. When you can do this, you will see many wonderful things.

At one of our first meetings, we were told not to expect any hugs or sitting on laps from Fariha, and that she would be stationary. Mark and I would always encourage her to reach out to us. Within the first month, Fariha reached out to Mark, insinuating that she wanted to be picked up! I could not believe it! Fast forward to today (with a little bit of work) – Fariha will raise up on her knees to be picked up for a cuddle or to sit on your lap.

It has been wonderful, getting to understand the faces she pulls and the noises she makes when she is happy or sad. This may seem like a little thing, but knowing where she was, to where she is now, these moments are huge! Fariha has also settled well into her new school. Her initial phased start to the term has now turned now into a full-time schedule. We are so proud of how Fariha has coped with this.

We own a caravan and take trips across the country with Fariha. She loves the beach and the noises of the waves crashing and the feeling of the wind on her face and hair.

Mark and I have committed a lot of time caring for Fariha. You must think about the demands that caring for a child has on you as an individual, a couple and wider family. As a couple we try to get away when we can and spend time together.

That said, our lives have become much richer by looking after Fariha. When I see her smile, I realise what a special girl she really is.

If this story resonates with you, perhaps you could be the next carer to make a positive difference in children’s lives. Get in touch to find out more about being a foster carer.

Progress Celebrate Outstanding OFSTED Rating

Posted on by matthew

We are absolutely delighted to announce that following an inspection by OFSTED in November 2021, we have been awarded the highest possible rating of ‘OUTSTANDING’.

The inspectors were full of praise and noted that:

“Children are cared for by carers who know them incredibly well and make exceptional progress from their starting points.”

“Children have excellent relationships with foster carers and benefit from stable, long-term placements.”

“The exceptional nurture and care children receive from their carers means that children feel valued and part of their fostering family.”

“Child-centred practice by foster carers and staff is driven by a therapeutic understanding of children’s needs with an excellent wrap-around service to ensure that everybody works together.”

“All carers spoken to shared that it did not matter who they spoke to in the agency, it felt like they knew them and their children well.”

“New foster carers state that they feel welcomed and valued by the agency.”

“The registered manager is a strong advocate for children and has ensured that children and carers have bespoke support so that children’s needs are met to a high standard”

“The registered manager is passionate, dynamic, and inspirational. She is highly visible and helped the agency to grow and develop. The registered manager has been at the forefront of the agency’s drive for excellence.”

“Foster carers are prepared well for their role, which contributes to the high levels of care and stability for children.” And “foster carers are provided with a range of training that equips them with skills and knowledge to meet the individual needs of the children placed in their care.”

 

 

We are thrilled with the result!

We are beyond thrilled to have received this feedback from OFSTED. Over the last few years, the staff at Progress have worked tirelessly to improve and develop the agency into the caring and nurturing space it is today.

Operations Manager Tina at Progress said:

 “I am delighted with the honour of achieving an outstanding inspection- the immense hard work and support by everyone in the Progress family has brought excellence in care and support.  We pride ourselves in quality and this been ratified by OFSTED and that feels wonderful.”

A fitting celebration

Through their hard work, dedication and care, every single member of the Progress family has contributed to our OFSTED ‘Outstanding’ rating and therefore deserves to be recognised and rewarded.

To commend this achievement as a team, we held a celebration and handed out awards to staff to express our recognition and thanks.

Once again, a huge thank you goes out to every member of the Progress team who has played an integral part in helping us accomplish this accolade. We are immensely proud of this achievement.

Click here to read the full OFSTED report.

If you would like to explore a fostering career with a family-owned, OFSTED-rated ‘Outstanding’ agency that cares, speak to our team today.

Why I foster: Joanna

Posted on by Angeline Westley

In a new series of interviews we will be asking Progress foster carers why they choose to foster and why despite some challenges, fostering can bring a lot of joy.

Here’s Joanna’s story.

“You don’t help someone to get a pat on the back. My husband and I foster because we love it. Seeing a child smile because of the support we have given them makes us so happy.

For twenty-two years I was a primary school teacher, including a period where I was a foster mother in nurseries. Back in the 1980s I was also a foster parent but trying to devote time to three children of my own and a foster child was difficult. I’ve always felt that every child needs an equal amount of love and care and one should not be neglected over the other.

I learnt a lot working at the school. One of the biggest things being a child’s behaviour is not always down to them being unreasonable, it may be because they are not understanding their current situation or behaviour expectations. You can’t take things personally. I found that if I was able to nurture a child’s skills and behaviours things could change in a positive way.

Once I retired the idea of fostering kept coming back to me. Wherever I turned I saw fostering. Facebook, the internet, TV, it was everywhere! This was not a coincidence. I debated the pros with my husband, and we decided to go ahead and look for fostering agencies.

I first heard of Progress when I saw them at a summer carnival in Birmingham where I found the staff were friendly and open. I got to learn more about fostering and the different types of foster care we could provide. I went on to speak to another four agencies but found Progress the most professional. So, we chose them as our fostering agency.

The process of becoming a foster carer is rigorous. You have to be completely transparent as a couple and a family. My husband and I have been married for over forty years, so we took everything in our stride.

Once we were confirmed as foster carers, we decided that we wanted to provide short breaks. This type of fostering gives families or a parent without a support network a chance to recharge their batteries, especially when a child has a disability. Looking after my own grandchildren five days a week, meant we could make a realistic contribution to fostering of a weekend once a month without compromising our families or personal well-being. There is currently a huge demand for respite foster placements.

We ended up fostering two brothers. The younger boy was able to communicate but his older brother couldn’t. Of course, we were nervous when we began, however, you soon build a rapport with the children. Learning the fostering guidelines has helped as well as the support from Progress. We have taken part in a lot of training which has been essential for our development as foster carers.

The brothers are very active. We now take them swimming every month, go to parks, museums and nature trails – we have had some really great times.

We’ve also worked on how we could communicate better with the older child by restricting the amount of time he spends on his tablet (while in our care). We hoped he could join in conversations and use a visual timetable to communicate. I read stories to the boys and we play games like “I spy” in the car. One day I was reading the brothers a book and the little one was joining in. Suddenly the non-verbal older brother shouted – BOO! I nearly fell off my chair!

The children are now able to increase their vocabulary and interact with others. It’s wonderful when they tap me and try to say something or count.

Sometimes fostering can be hard. I make sure there’s enough time for me and my husband. We go for walks, spend time with my children and grandchildren and go to church too – we’re very close.

To anyone thinking of fostering I’d say having the ability to change a child’s future for the better is one of the most rewarding things you can do. Every child deserves a safe and secure family environment”.

If this story resonates with you, perhaps you could be the next carer to make a positive difference in children’s lives. Get in touch to find out more about being a foster carer.

 

A Foster Carer’s Story: Gail

Posted on by Angeline Westley

 

Fostering with Progress
Gail with Tina (Progress Operations Manager)

Foster carers are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Opening up your home and heart to children is not easy, but as Gail explains, it’s a rewarding experience.

Gail, a foster carer, was in the kitchen when Amy received the telephone call to say she had passed her GCSEs.  Amy was a teenager who had no confidence in herself. ‘Why do you bother with me?’ she used to say. ‘I’m useless. I’m no good.’  But Gail believed in her. And she was there to throw her arms around Amy when she heard the good news. ‘She couldn’t believe that she had achieved those results. I was just pleased for her,’ Gail recalls. ‘And that’s when you think this is worth it.’

Gail, who is divorced, has been fostering as a single parent since 2010. She enjoys long term fostering and looking after teenagers. Her house was always full of teenagers as her own two children were growing up and when they left to go to university it seemed quiet. Gail, who also used to run the local Brownies, decided to start fostering.

‘I have a big house,’ she says. ‘I felt quite privileged and I wanted to put something back. I like to be busy and to have people around me.

‘Sometimes I find it hard work and a challenge but I also find it a pleasure. It enriches your life.’

She says it is the challenges that make fostering worthwhile and also the difference she can make to the lives of young people.

‘They come with all their worldly goods, and sometimes it is not a lot, which is quite sad,’ she says.

One twelve-year-old boy was smoking 60 cigarettes a day and wouldn’t go to school when Gail gave him a home.  ‘He had tantrum after tantrum,’ she recalls. ‘He was quite a challenge.’ Gail showed him that she cared. ‘I would sit for hours talking to him,’ she says. He had a hood over his head and his arms folded. ‘When he left here he wasn’t smoking, he was a smart young man, he was at college, he was doing really well, and he was really proud of himself that he had turned his life around’ she says.

Gail knows that Progress are always on the other end of the phone, day or night, whenever she needs help. She has received training and been on the courses they offer and also goes to regular support group meetings where she meets other foster carers.

She has held open days at her house to recruit more foster carers. ‘I believe it is important,’ she says.  ‘I think it is better for a child to be brought up in a family environment. There are lots of children who need homes.

‘I want to recruit foster carers who want to give a child a home, not just a room to live in.

‘I don’t know what I would be doing if I wasn’t fostering. It has given me purpose.’

In the evening Gail and the two teenagers who live with her eat together in the kitchen at the heart of her home. Amy gives her a goodnight kiss every night and says: ‘love you.’ Sarah gave her a card with a heartfelt message inside: ‘Thank you for everything you do.’ Gail cried when she read it.

She tells the girls: ‘I know I am not your mum but you are part of my family.’

‘I love them dearly,’ she says.

If this story resonates with you, perhaps you could be the next carer to make a positive difference in children’s lives. Get in touch to find out more about being a foster carer.