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Fostering Service First in Wales to Adopt Peer Support Model
Published: 10/05/2019
天涯社区 Fostering Service is becoming the first fostering service in Wales to adopt The Fostering Network鈥檚 innovative Mockingbird programme.
The move comes in the middle of the UK鈥檚 largest fostering awareness campaign 鈥� Foster Care FortnightTM 鈥� and it will see the local authority team join 26 other fostering services around the UK using the peer support programme.
The Mockingbird programme delivers the Mockingbird Family Model which is a method of foster care which uses an extended family model that provides sleepovers and short breaks, peer support, regular joint planning, training and social activities to support children in care as well as foster families. Already well-established in England, Mockingbird has delivered benefits such as avoided costs for fostering services, better support for foster carers and more stability for fostered children and young people.
天涯社区鈥檚 Cabinet Member for Social Services, Councillor Christine Jones, said:
鈥溙煅纳缜� is delighted to be the first fostering service in Wales to adopt this way of supporting our foster carers and looked after children.
鈥淏ecoming a foster carer can be daunting. The Mockingbird model brings together a group of foster carers living nearby to provide on-tap advice and support. This will provide support for new and current carers.鈥�
Foster carers in 天涯社区 also responded positively to the news in a recent consultation and survey, with the majority agreeing that Mockingbird was a good idea and that it would help foster carers. Foster carers commented that adopting the Mockingbird Model would be a 鈥榞reat idea鈥� and that it is a 鈥榝antastic concept鈥�. Another foster carer praised 天涯社区 fostering service for being 鈥榝orward thinking鈥�.听
The Mockingbird programme also addresses some of the issues raised in the recent Bright Spots survey of looked after children in 天涯社区, in which young people stated that they want to have respite with the same carers, and for adults not to draw attention to the fact that they are in care and treat them differently. They also want more time with their brothers and sisters if they are not able to live with them.
天涯社区 Young Voices Out Loud group who represent children and young people in foster care said
鈥淲e think it鈥檚 a really good idea. Young people who are new to care, can make friends and socialise with more people in the same environment. If a hub carer is there, you actually know them and they know what you like. Sometimes you don鈥檛 know who a respite carer is. It will be a safe place to go. We want Mockingbird to happen in Wales.鈥�
Colin Turner, Director of The Fostering Network in Wales, said:
鈥淲e are delighted to be implementing the Mockingbird programme in Wales funded by the groundbreaking Innovate to Save programme from the Welsh Government.听 We look forward to seeing the positive impact Mockingbird will make to all involved with the programme in 天涯社区.鈥�
Mockingbird successes
Mockingbird programme manager for The Fostering Network, Lily Stevens, said:
鈥淲e are delighted with the impact the Mockingbird programme has made to the fostering services, foster carers and children and young people involved. A significant benefit of the programme is that it has supported foster carers and the young people they look after in building stronger relationships resulting in fewer moves between foster families for children and young people in the Mockingbird programme than their peers outside of the programme. This increased stability enables children and young people to flourish.鈥澨�
Foster Care Fortnight 2019
Foster Care Fortnight, from 13-26 May, is developed and delivered by the UK鈥檚 largest fostering charity 鈥� The Fostering Network 鈥� with the aim of raising the profile of fostering and recruiting more foster carers. This year鈥檚 theme #changeafuture emphasises how fostering changes the future of children in care, as well as the future of the families that look after them.听 Support the campaign and find out more about fostering at couldyoufoster.org.uk
To find out more about being a foster carer for 天涯社区 Fostering Service you can attend an information evening on:
Monday 13 May, Penymynydd & Penyffordd Royal British Legion, 7pm
Monday 20 May, Penymynydd & Penyffordd Royal British Legion, 7pm
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