What we can achieve by working together

“I can talk with passion about what I do because I fully believe in it” says Phil McDonald who is at the helm of The Hub, which helps children and young adults with disabilities to get the absolute most from life. Phil started his working life at the tax office, but feeling unfulfilled, took a...

Deciding which foster agency to choose can be hard. There are so many factors to consider. Charlotte is currently waiting to become a foster carer for Progress and spoke to us about the process she went through in deciding which foster agency to choose. What is your day job? I am an assistant headteacher in a mainstream...

It was 7am on a cold January morning in 2012 when Adam arrived for his first day as a support worker. He stepped inside what looked like any other house, to a new career and a new life. Within minutes he was answering questions from curious teenagers, finding his way amongst young people whizzing around...

We want to be able to share with your the amazing things Progress carers experience in their job every day. Mark is a Progress carer and has been supporting Jay for nearly three years. This is his story: Jay is very high on the spectrum of autism and has minimal vocabulary. Despite this, Jay’s Mum really wanted...

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....

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...

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...

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...

The memories of a day at Reading Festival still stay with Roma and hold a special place in her heart.  She had taken a teenager from Wellcroft House to the festival, and Roma could see the joy on her face as the young girl got out of her wheelchair and danced. ‘It was brilliant,’ she...

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...