Claudia and Her Dozen Foster Kids

Celebrating Black History Month 

While Black History Month began in the United States of America in the 1920s, it was first celebrated in the UK in 1987, the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the Caribbean, and happens every October. 

As we commemorate Black History Month, it is essential to recognise and celebrate the incredible individuals who have made a profound impact on the lives of others. Claudia, a foster carer with Progress, is one such remarkable individual whose journey into foster caring has not only transformed the lives of countless children but also shattered preconceived notions about who can be a foster parent. 

Claudia’s journey into foster care began with her profound love for children. From a young age, she was the go-to person for her cousins and their children, and children always seemed to gravitate toward her. In her own words, she shares, “I love kids. Ever since I was young, all my cousins would always bring their kids over, and the kids always basically love me and they just stick to me.” 

However, her official journey as a foster carer began while she was working as the Deputy Manager for a residential home catering to individuals with learning disabilities and mental health challenges. Claudia recalls this pivotal moment: “My journey started when I was a manager, Deputy Manager for a residential home for people with learning disability and challenges with mental health. I worked there for 11 years.” 

During her tenure at the residential home, Claudia encountered two young ladies who were struggling with severe self-harm and emotional issues. They made a heartfelt plea to Claudia, suggesting she adopt them or provide them with a nurturing home. Claudia shares their request, saying, “One of them said to me, ‘Why don’t you adopt me? I don’t have a place to live.’ And it resonated with me.” 

Claudia’s next step toward foster care began when her daughter left for university, leaving her with a three-bedroom house. Claudia’s response to this newfound space and her love for children was straightforward: “I was online looking for jobs, and I saw a pop-up about fostering. I just put in a message to say, ‘Can you tell me more about this? I always have kids. I’m a mother, I would say I am a carer, a giver and I’ve been working in care settings for kids or teens.” 

Over the years, Claudia has cared for numerous children, many of whom have stayed in contact with her and seek her guidance and support. In her own words, she acknowledges the lasting impact of her work: “I’ve got 12 of them, still in contact with a couple of them. They keep me busy, keep me occupied. I wouldn’t change it. I wouldn’t change it for the world.” 

When asked about her remarkable success as a foster carer, Claudia humbly attributes it to her upbringing and values. She cites her mother as a significant influence: “My mom has always taken in relatives’ children and looked after them. And even after we left, she was still having kids at the house. Maybe that’s something because I’ve grown up in that sort of environment.” 

Claudia’s dedication to fostering is even more impressive when considering her academic pursuits. She managed to complete her studies, obtaining a degree in psychology while working two days a week at a university. In her own words, Claudia explains her drive: “I like to stay busy because once your mind is busy, you’re learning, and I think you’re never too old to learn.” 

Claudia’s journey as a foster carer is a testament to the power of a single individual’s dedication and love to make a difference in the lives of children in need.  

As we celebrate Black History Month, her story serves as an inspiration to challenge stereotypes, embrace diversity, and open our hearts and homes to those who need it most. Claudia has not only given countless children a better future but has also enriched our collective history with her remarkable journey as a single Black foster carer.

Inquire about foster caring today, click here.

Thank You Team Oak

As part of the #CelebratingSocialCare initiative launched by Skills for Care, the Deputy Manager of Oak Cottage wanted to share his appreciation for his team –

At Progress we provide care and support to a large variety of needs; Oak Cottage is our specialist service that is a home to children with severe and complex disabilities. The home requires the staff within to be highly vigilant and respond promptly to challenges that arise from the complexities of the children’s health needs.

‘’Shifts are never the same, the carers looking after children can have challenges thrown their way within the glimpse of an eye. Recently our night staff team were faced with an emergency, regarding a child with epilepsy.

This child is fairly new to our home; despite this, all staff knew what to do, how to support her to be comfortable and relaxed given her situation and contacted the emergency services.

The carers within the home at the time were our night team, this meant that it was a very different type of emergency, given that night-time staffing levels differ to the day; Emergencies really do require people to come together to ensure the best outcome.

I can’t fault the team as, all the decisions made that night, right down to who would accompany the child to hospital overnight, to who was taking over the care in the hospital in the morning, were all correct and considered. All decisions made allowed the other children within the home to not be impacted, and thus, not feel the anxiety that situations like this can cause.

Our young person suffered multiple on-going cluster seizures for quite an extended time and thanks to cool, calm, and practical heads this young person was not only able to get the help she needed, but all the other children in the home were considered and thus, able to not worry about the situation.

Really proud of the team for pulling together and getting things completely spot on.’’

On behalf of Progress, we would also like to thank the amazing night team at Oak Cottage that evening, your quick but calm reactions to an emergency situation are what keep our young people safe and at ease during times that can be quite scary. You are a value to the Progress family.

#ThankYouTeamOak #CelebratingSocialCare #MadeProgressProud

Inspirational Wolverhampton teen is embracing life after leg amputation

Jude, one of our Stourbridge House residents, has revealed he feels “like a new man’ following his leg amputation.

Jude was born with Cerebral Palsy – and after a series of leg procedures that began in early childhood – Jude developed complex regional pain syndrome, which caused his leg to become stuck for the next three years – folded upwards at the knee towards his chest.

His case was described as one of the most severe doctors had ever seen, and unfortunately, the position of his leg left him unable to enjoy family car rides and trips with friends and even prevented him from wearing the clothes he wanted to.

After struggling for many years with excruciating pain from the awkward position of his leg, he decided to have his right leg amputated at the knee.

Having made the agonising decision to amputate his leg, Jude has revealed that he feels “like a new man” and is looking forward to a positive future.

Jude became a resident of ours in September and, thanks to the staff’s support, has since come on leaps and bounds and has regained his independence.

Jude says:

“I moved to Stourbridge House in September 2022 after a long stint in hospital – after spending a year indoors moving into my own flat has given me the level of independence I need. I’ve been able to interact with family and friends again, which I had missed for so long.

Prior to my arrival, staff came to visit me in hospital so I could get to know the people I was working with, I feel this helped – I was nervous about transitioning to Stourbridge, however, I settled in nicely thanks to all the staff.

Might I also add, I convincingly beat Kim at table tennis whilst at the hospital – Kim says I can’t leave until she has beaten me!

 Additionally, with the support of staff, I have worked on accessing the community, work, and my hobbies independently; this was something that I had struggled to do before.

Due to the position of my leg at the time, I had always struggled to wear, what I call, stylish jeans, I was determined to find a way, Sarah supported me as we went to Blooms in Wolverhampton where their tailors added discreet velcro to my clothing which allowed me to wear my ripped jeans again!

I arranged with staff to go to Edinburgh Scotland – this was my first overnight trip in over three years, where I went to a sportsman’s dinner with Mash – I couldn’t resist getting an interview with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, it felt amazing to be back doing my journalism again.

 The staff at Progress have been really supportive and willing to help in achieving my goals, they have made me feel comfortable whilst in their company and always listen to my football rambles! They also have good taste in music too!

I feel my time here has allowed me to rediscover doing what I love and I’ve had a great start to adulthood.”

We are really proud of Jude and how his positive outlook and commitment to his recovery have enabled him to achieve more independence and start fulfilling his dreams.

 

Progress Supports Local Community With Foodbank Donations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.