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What does foster care mean?

Posted on by Angeline Westley

To foster care you provide a family life for children who are unable to live with their own parents.

Across the UK, foster carers open their hearts and homes to children in need of love, care and attention. Sara has been a long time foster carer for Progress and spoke to us about what foster care means for her.

Foster care isn’t like raising your own children no matter what anyone tries to convince you. Your own children haven’t felt themselves lost into a world they hadn’t created or asked for. A world they aren’t to blame for.

This was the world my foster son couldn’t trust, from the moment he moved in he was scared every time he left the house. Scared he would be moving again, scared he wouldn’t be coming home.

It took time, understanding and a whole load of patience to build his trust. Most of the time, we would go out of the home, to one place then back. Just building the reassurance that yes, he would be coming home.

A visit to the shops then home.

A visit to relatives then home.

School then home.

No detours, just home.

This took time, in fact this took months but I never forget the day when after eating lunch out I asked if he wanted to go home and he signed later. He then asked if we could visit with family. I double checked, I tripled checked but he still replied later.

It may not seem a lot but in that moment, I knew he trusted us. He trusted in us and he felt safe. I didn’t let him see the emotion in me but I promise I could have cried.

Being a foster carer involves many different things but one of the most important to me is making sure a child feels safe and secure and trusts in me as a carer.

This was that moment and I remember it like yesterday.

“Home later, but home”

Want to to become a foster carer? Click here to learn how you too can change a child’s life. 

Q&A: Why foster care?

Posted on by Angeline Westley

Lola is currently going through an assessment to become foster carer. Having been through the process before, we spoke to her about her experiences and the big question: why foster care?

What is your day job?

I currently work as a senior social work assistant in a ‘Child in Care’ team in the West Midlands.  As part of my position, I support a group of social workers by arranging contact for looked-after children and their families.

How long have you been fostering?

I first became a foster carer 20 years ago for a private company and went on to foster 14 children from ages 1 to 16. I loved having young people in my home and supporting them in the best way I could. I always try to offer support that helps young people to eventually live independently and become responsible adults.

From budgeting, cooking and cleaning, to CV writing, it gave me a lot of personal satisfaction seeing young people gain life skills.

You took a break from fostering. Why?

Fostering had been my only focus and when my last young person left in 2013, it was time for a change.

I wanted to achieve other things, but the active nature of being a foster carer had not given me that. However, this was always going to be a break and not an end to fostering. I enjoyed bringing positive change to the lives of children and young people too much to stop.

What made you want to foster again?

During my break, I moved home, travelled and spent time with family and friends. Reflecting on this period and having had enough rest, I am in a place now where I can once again commit myself to giving a child unconditional support.

Why did you choose Progress?

Once I decided to return to fostering, I wanted to join an agency where I knew what they stood for and had values much like my own.

In 2005, I had worked for Progress as a social work assistant. I liked their focus on improving a child’s self-esteem, helping them gain valuable life skills and ensuring that each child achieves their full potential.

The staff and carers were friendly and approachable and they were as passionate about wanting to enhance a child’s life as myself.  So, when it came to approaching an agency, they were my first choice.

At Progress, there is a sense of commitment to the carers and children and a unity that is hard to come by. I have the emotional security and support needed to do my job well.

How has the process changed from the last time you applied?

The difference between when I first became a carer to now is time. For example, 20 years ago, the whole process took about 9 months.

Having a good relationship with an agency is important. In my previous experiences as a foster carer, there was no relationship building or set routine for the assessor to visit me. It felt like I was fitting into their schedule. I would have no idea how I was progressing in the evaluation and was never invited to panel or my yearly appraisal.

Today, the process is much shorter. There is better continuity of visits and the assessor and I have sat together regularly to complete assessments.

How have Progress helped you during the process?

So far, I have found working with Progress to be swift, stress-free and engaging. Although I have my assessor, I also know I can talk to any team member as and when I require it.

I think it’s vital that foster carers and the agency have effective communication because this ensures that children will benefit the most. Because Progress has already made me feel like part of the team and have always kept me updated to my status, I’m confident that working with them will improve my skills as a foster carer.

How do you feel about the future?

I am really looking forward to returning to fostering. It is a rewarding career and seeing young people laying the foundations for their futures gives me a lot of joy.

Do you feel you too could become a foster carer?

Click here if you want to change a childs’ life

Foster Carers’ Story: Toni and Ashley

Posted on by Angeline Westley

The names of the foster children have been changed to protect their identity.

‘We are happy because they are happy,’ says Ashley who gave up his job to foster twin boys with autism. ‘We say this is our family and we feel really close to them. We call them our boys.’

The twins came into residential care with Progress when they were 11 years old, following a foster care placement that had broken down.

Oliver struggles with social understanding and empathy. James is non-verbal and has more severe learning difficulties.

Oak Cottage became their home for the next few months

They settled in very quickly,’ says Margaret Hopkins, formerly residential manager at Oak Cottage and now Operations Manager for Progress’s residential services.

‘They made massive improvements while they were here with us.

James, who was incontinent, was learning to use the toilet. He started making sounds and was communicating using pictures. Oliver grew in confidence. He was cheeky and mischievous and loved to dress up as a superhero.

‘It was lovely to see how they were growing with us,’ says Margaret who fostered more than 100 children before she started working for Progress.

Finding Foster Carers

Meanwhile, the Progress residential and the fostering team were working together to identify the right foster carer.

‘We were looking for robust, resilient people,’ says Tina Bhardwaj, The Operations and Registered Manager for the fostering service at Progress.

They chose Ashley and Toni.

During the first meeting with the boys, Ashley felt nervous. Oliver stroked Toni’s shoulder and smiled at her. James ran into the garden and onto the swing.

‘They were just so caring and happy, and the staff only had positive things to say about them,’ says Ashley.

The couple started making plans immediately to put bunk beds in their spare room, they knew they wanted to give the boys home.

Ashley decided to give up his job as a senior autism practitioner so he could look after them.

The Transition Phase

During the next few weeks, they saw the boys regularly, first under supervision, then taking them out for a pizza or a walk or to their home alone.

The transition between the residential home and the foster home was like an adoption transition. Progress makes sure there are key people following the child through its journey, supporting them and making sure their wishes and feelings are heard.

‘It went really well,’ says Margaret.

An excited Oliver used to watch from his bedroom window at the residential home, looking for Ashley and Toni when they were due to arrive.

‘The bond with them was absolutely brilliant, you could see that,’ says Margaret.

‘The children and the carers had chemistry between them,’ says Tina. ‘The carers made all this effort to learn about the children, they created a bond with the children.  It became apparent that this was a good match and this was going to be the right placement for the children.’

When the boys left Oak Cottage for their new home, Margaret says it felt like a relief that they had somewhere they were going to be loved and nurtured.

‘It was a really positive ending for the children,’ she says.

A Loving Home

Before long the family moved house so that the boys could have a bedroom each.  Oliver chose red and black for his room and picked the accessories for his shelf. James, who loves to swing and to balance, has a swing in the middle of his bedroom, attached to a beam, he has laser lights and a sensory corner with toys and mirrors and cushions. In the garden, he has swing chairs, and hammocks and a trampoline.

The couple has seen massive changes in the boys since they came to live with them.

James’ behaviour has improved. ‘He showing he is really comfortable in his environment,’ says Ashley.

Oliver’s behaviour has improved too. ‘He is such a pleasant lad, so polite and so caring towards others,’ says Ashley. He says he loves his foster family.

Oliver is learning to cook at home, has piano lessons, and goes to a youth club. He is also sporting a spikey new haircut which he chose himself and has learnt to swim. James who wouldn’t even go into the water before now doesn’t want to get out of the pool.

It took James longer than Oliver to hug Ashley and Toni because of his disability but now he sits on the sofa and cuddles, and he waits for a hug with open arms.

Progress provides foster carers with training. They have support groups and supervision with a supervising social worker.

Tina says fostering for the twins has been ‘an absolute success,’

‘Every child deserves to live in a family setting,’ she says. ‘Every child deserves to have a quality family life.’

Inspired to become a foster carer? Click here to learn how you too can change a child’s life. If you would like to talk to us, email fostering@progresscare.co.uk, and we will be happy to help.

Progress Foster Carers Awards Lunch

Posted on by Angeline Westley
Foster carers are ordinary people doing extraordinary things…

Opening your home and ultimately your heart to someone else’s child is not easy, but is a hugely rewarding experience.

Celebrating this together is important, because our foster carers make it possible for Progress to contribute to improving the lives and outcomes of many children in our care.

These amazing people welcome children into their homes, families, lives and are invested in their futures, supporting them through their emotional challenges and cheering them on their way to university and numerous other personal achievements.

We recently had the pleasure of congratulating many of our carers at the Progress Awards lunch in Wolverhampton. The lunch was an opportunity to celebrate the fosters carers length of service, their selfless work and the many wonderful outcomes they have enabled for young people.

Highly experienced and brand new foster carers travelled far and wide to share stories, support and applause.

For Tina Bhardwaj who manages our fostering service, saying thank you personally is important. She said, “The children and young people who live with our foster carers have seen their lives changed for the better. To see a child happy and confident gives us all joy. We thank our foster carers for helping them achieve this”.

Inspired by what you have read? Begin your journey in becoming a foster carer today by clicking here

Working for Progress: Bria’s Story

Posted on by Angeline Westley

Bria joined Progress as a Student Fostering Social Worker and has become an important member of the team. We recently caught up with her to see how she’s been getting on in her new role and hear more about what attracted her to a career in Social Care.

“My Mum and my Stepdad are both social workers, so entering this world was a natural thing for me to do. Whether it’s helping an individual, families, or groups of people, I feel it’s important to look for ways that can improve people’s lives.

I did Health and Social care at school and through different experiences had worked with children too. By the time, I got to University my focus was to gain a degree that would enable me to develop a career in Social Work.

I did a BA in Primary Education at Birmingham City University and then followed this up with an MA in Social Work at Wolverhampton University. While at Wolverhampton, I was lucky enough to do over a hundred hours of placement within a Social Work setting. This gave me great exposure, but I still felt something was missing. It was great learning about aspects of the sector but being able to get hands-on experience is what I needed and wanted.

I came across the Progress Student Fostering Social Worker role via the internet and applied straight away. Having got through the recruitment process, I was delighted when I was offered the job. I could finally get stuck in!

Day one was nerve-racking, but since then I have had so many great experiences. From supporting and supervising foster carers to working with children and young people, it has been an eye-opener to see what fostering is all about. I have worked closely with four foster carer couples who represent a cross-section of society. To see them thanking you for your help is really humbling.

My colleagues at Progress are very supportive. Having been able to shadow them, I feel I’m now more informed about social work rather than having to infer things. For example, I’ve learnt to be professional in the circumstances you would normally let emotions get the better of you. Things like this are only learnt “on the job”.

Working for Progress allows you to grow your social and people skills. I have met a lot of interesting people whose lives we are impacting positively. My academic studies did not cover fostering in any detail, but my positive experiences with Progress means I’m positively reassessing my career and look at fostering as a career path.”

If you too would like develop your skills and build a career in social care, please click here to apply for one of our roles today.

Our Recent Investors In People Review

Posted on by Angeline Westley

We are incredibly proud of recieving GOLD in this year’s Investors in People (IIP) new assessing standards.

Since our last IIP blog, we have been under assessment which has come to an end in November. Over the festive period, we have been waiting for the results. Here’s what our HR Manager, Emma Ruffinato had to say: “I am absolutely delighted that we achieved gold this year. I knew it was going to be challenging, but the way the team have feedback is brilliant. I think the staff should be really proud of the recognition for working for a desirable employer and the reason, for them, is because of them.”

Over the decade that we’ve engaged IIP, from early on, we’ve managed to consistently uphold the gold status. Last year, IIP reevaluated their assessment criteria. They decided to create a more rigorous framework. They created a platinum level in which organisations can raise the bar up to.

We knew to get platinum straightaway with the updated framework would be unachievable. To maintain our gold status is brilliant. Especially when measured with the new standards. When we compare our new ranking to previous years, we can see the key areas where we have dramatically improved. Something we strive to do on a daily basis.

With the goal of evolving daily, we have taken the new framework and set to reach all qualifying targets. Improving our processes along the way. It is not a box ticking exercise by any means. Any changes we put in place only mean we are engaging with our staff teams in a better way; which is precisely what IIP is all about.

It’s not about the people in our care or us, but the people in our organisation; how they feel about working for the business and how much we hear their voice. It’s also about how much they can get involved in the decision making processes and how much they understand the overall strategy. Ultimately, IIP is the measure of a quality employer; highly IIP accredited businesses are recognisable as the type of organisations that you want to work for. To get gold is a direct reflection of the collective hard work of everyone here at Progress.

Emma states: “It’s not about the organisation it is about the team holistically. For me, this is an achievement everybody should be celebrating. We wouldn’t be recognised the way we are without them.”

What’s next? Of course, we do want the platinum level. For us, that means to dig deep, highlight the critical areas of improvement, and set to work. Since our last review 12 months ago, we’ve already seen significant results. Four of the areas in the framework we have improved on since last time and four we’ve already hit the ceiling and couldn’t do it better. Out of nine areas, we think this is fantastic news.

Fundamentally where do need to improve by 2019 is recognising and rewarding high performance.

The good news is we’ve already done a lot of the legwork to achieve this. We started by just talking to the team. Rather than assume what was important to them, it was important to us to hear from them directly. To ask how they felt. What made them feel valued. Sadly, we can’t hand out juicy fat cash bonuses (as much as we’d like to) but we can reward people in other ways that mean something to them.

This is our key area of focus. We set up the staff forum to give us a platform for the team to have their say. It is a handy tool to get an accurate picture to see how staff are feeling. To discuss what’s working well, what needs to change, what would they like to say, etc. It took a while to embed, but now people are feeling more confident. They are actively contributing, with invaluable opinions that we can put towards positive change. We look forward to watching the team develop on their own individual journey as we progress and grow. After all, we are all in it together.

Read more news here.

Step down to fostering

Posted on by Angeline Westley

Step down to fostering

Progress is a privately owned specialist organisation with strong values and a high commitment to delivering and evidencing positive outcomes for children living at home or in care. We offer an integrated service which supports disabled children on their journey, focusing on the least restrictive support and ensuring the right package or placement at the right time.

Progress has evidence of successful transitions to foster placements for disabled children, which not only produces better outcomes for young people but also reduces the burden on public services and funding. In many cases the costs are halved. Recent examples include…

 

  • A child with a physical and learning disabilities – transitioned into a fostering placement along with his brother who is not disabled but was also in care; bringing them back together

 

  • A child with severe learning difficulties, non-verbal, continence issues, challenging behaviour – transitioned from residential placement

 

  • Twins with Autism – transitioned from residential placement together

 

  • A child with severe Autism accessing home/community support and residential short breaks but being taken into care – transitioned straight into fostering placement

 

Progress offers Foster Carers ongoing support which is bespoke to the individual and the foster placement, from staff who know the child thus ensuring continuity of care and secure attachments for the child. This model also provides tailored advice, resulting in better supported carers and greater levels of placement stability.

 

Our organisational structure provides community based activities, short breaks and ongoing regulated care and support in the community. This enables young people who are reaching adulthood to try out independent living in our training apartments as they reach transitional age, supported by their Foster Carers and staff that are known to them. They can then make a seamless transition into semi-independence or independence.

 

If you’d like more information on transitions to fostering or any other pathways or services we provide, please get in touch today.

The Voice of the Child

Posted on by Angeline Westley

The recent Ofsted framework rollout and the pilot inspection which we were involved in December 2016, has highlighted how it important it is to us that our children’s views are heard and understood.

 

While a collaborative approach to everything we do has always been our standard way of doing things, we are always looking for ways to improve and enhance the lives of the young people that we work alongside.

 

One of the strategies we have in place, much like the new Ofsted framework, is carrying out a lot of unannounced visits. These are vital from a safeguarding standpoint as they ensure children are being kept safe. Turning up unannounced and speaking to children allows for unprepared and unprompted conversations; encouraging a natural response to what is going on and how happy they are. By putting both Carer and child on the spot, it is an excellent chance to make sure the home environment is the right one and provides the child the opportunity to have their say.

 

Additionally, we run monthly support groups with Carers. They write down achievements that month. One thing we have noticed with the recent framework changes is that, in the past when it came to a review, the focus on small moments was lost and only significant milestones were included. Seemingly insignificant, smaller experiences such as an individual learning to tie their own shoelaces, to us are tremendous achievements and they are the measurable building blocks to a child’s progression. We make a point of highlighting and celebrating these in our support group sessions.

 

In addition to the home visits, we have yearly appraisals incorporating written reports by everyone that works with the young person, including the individual. We include feedback on positive experiences within the foster placement from the Local Authority, the relevant school and staff within Progress.

 

We are consistently working hard to come up with creative, out-of-the-box ideas to better develop the work we are currently doing. As a result of this collaborative brainstorming, our ‘voice of the child’ themed big family fun day was born. We host family events and invite foster carers, young people and all of our team. During the day, there is food, entertainment and informal chats with the children. The feedback from the event tells us what is like from first person perspective to be looked after in our care; finding out what we are doing well and what needs improvement, what the individual likes, what don’t they like and how they believe we can improve. We wanted to give the opportunity for children to have their voice – directly and our family fun days provide that opportunity.

 

For more information about our fostering service, please get in touch today.

You can call 01902 5601066, email info@progresscare.co.uk or drop you details below.

 

Supporting positive change

Posted on by Angeline Westley

Progress

noun

ˈprəʊɡrɛs/

  1. forward or onward movement towards a destination.

 

As of April 2017, the updated Ofsted Social Care Common Inspection Framework (SCCIF) changed the way inspection took place within independent Fostering Agencies. The Ofsted fundamental principle of inspection is to focus on the things that matter most to children’s lives; they want to change the way most Fostering Agencies operate. Fortunately for us here at Progress, the voice of the child and fulfilment of positive development and experiences are and will always be our priority. This has been the focus of our company model from the offset.

To roll out the new framework, back in December 2016 there were pilot tests carried out on small, medium and large Fostering Agencies. Out of the 314 put forward, we were one of the three companies selected and were categorised as the medium Fostering Agency.

In the past, inspections came with fair warning ahead of time, and the framework of the review was central to lots of paperwork and documentation rather than capturing moments through conversations. During the pilot, 24 hours’ notice was given. 9am Monday morning we got the call to say we had been chosen and the weeks’ inspection began the following day.

The purpose of the new model is to look at children’s experience in foster care, personal progression, as well as positive experiences. The inspection quite clearly concentrated heavily on this improved approach and pinpointed how providers and agencies are making a difference in children’s lives, ‘from the mouths of babes’ rather than basing opinions on what has been written down.

With our four core values being care, trust, respect and progress and with progress literally being the name of our agency as well as underpinning our ethos and philosophy, we found this new framework interesting. Inspection week not only highlighted to us the fantastic work we are achieving but was also refreshing to see the regulatory bodies of the industry recognising where the priority of review should be focused; around the voice of the child.

During inspection week, the reviewers concentrated on talking to the Carers and young people, using the feedback given as a measure of how we are making a difference; by showing we are giving the right support and have the right resources indicated that we are doing something right. The quality of the relationships between Careers, professionals and children is important and we believe there is a direct correlation between how well prepared a Carer is, to the progression of a young person in placement with them.

The conversations that took place during inspection week strengthened our confidence that we were on the right track, especially as we specialise in supporting young people with disabilities. We make sure that Carers with specialist placements have the additional training and support they need and as required by the individual child.

A month after the initial pilot week, all Fostering Agencies were invited to go to the Ofsted conference to learn about the new framework. We were delighted that Tina Bhardwaj, our Fostering Manager was requested to run a training programme for the inspectors. We will be delighted to tell you more about our involvement or our agency – feel free to get in touch. You can drop us your details in the ‘Contact Us’ form below, call us on 01902 561066 or email fostering@progresscare.co.uk

 

Fostering Options

Posted on by Angeline Westley

Many people consider fostering, but taking the plunge and committing comes with many worries and concerns. You are taking a leap of faith into the unknown, where children are placed in family homes at short notice with rare opportunities to get to know the child before they arrive at your front door.

At Progress, we can do things differently! Our focus is on ensuring children are in the most appropriate placement and we offer a wide range of services for children. We do not rely on traditional referrals which tend to be for same day, emergency placements. This means we can work with our Foster Carers to build relationships with children and young people before they are placed.

We can give Foster Carers an opportunity to be a part of a plan for child, we do this through dual-track planning for children.

The first of these opportunities are to work with our residential teams where children are looking to move into foster care. We identify a child that might be suitable and discuss their needs in depth and look at what it means to care for them. If the Carer thinks they might be able to offer a placement, we arrange for them to go and see the child, meet them and see how they get on, and observe the child in placement. If the Carer wishes to progress, we look at what training would be needed and they have an opportunity to go and work with the child in the home; to build on the relationship and ensure they feel confident that the placement would be successful.

The plans for each child are bespoke, so we take it slowly, plan with the Local Authority and ensure that everything is in place, the Carer is confident and that the child wants the move. This gives the greatest chance of success.

Once the child moves into the foster home, the staff from the residential service continue to provide support to the Carers, be that face to face, or phone support. This enables young people to maintain relationships and gives Carers unrivalled support from people with hands on practical experience of the child.

When placements are made in this way, there is a high chance of a long-term permanent placement being agreed by the Local Authority. This gives Carers the stability and reassurance of long-term financial support, reducing the risks to the stability of their home life and reducing the uncertainty that can come with short-term foster placements.

We also work with children and families through our short breaks service and our community based support service. Our Foster Carers can become part of the support network for a family, offering short breaks where a child might stay with the Foster Carers for a couple of nights per month or as a shared care arrangement; where a child might stay with you for a few days a week, on an on-going basis. This work is extremely rewarding and Carers get a real chance to help families keep it together and build supportive and trusting relationships with birth families.

To talk to one of our Social Workers about any of these options, please get in touch with our fostering team today.

You can call our head office on 01902 561066 between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday or if you would like someone to call you back you can send your details to us via the enquiry form below or by emailing info@progresscare.co.uk.