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Welcome to our December Fostering News bulletin - Christmas is always a busy time of year for families and none more so than foster families. Within this bulletin you will find top tips for foster carers at Christmas, a message of thanks from the Fostering Service Manager, and we're delighted to also share our Roll of Honour for our long standing carers. The bulletin also features updates and news along with a ‘save the date’ for 2019’s Fostering’s Got Talent.
 Dear foster carers,
I want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you for all that you do for the children and young people that you care for.
I would also like to thank your families and your children for supporting in the fostering task and for your commitment to fostering for Nottinghamshire County Council. I am extremely proud to be the service manager for fostering and privileged to work with such wonderful and dedicated foster carers as yourselves.
Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you all.
Warmest wishes,
Dawn Clark-Cain, Fostering Service Manager
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 Christmas can be a difficult period for children in care and for foster families it can seem a daunting time of year.
The fostering advice service, Fosterline, has written an excellent article about preparing and tackling Christmas as a foster family, including how to approach issues which could arise. Read their top tips for a successful and happy Christmas for all.
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 Each December we recognise the long service milestones of our carers across the county. A big well done and thank you to all carers who have served the looked after children of Nottinghamshire for so many years!
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10 years
Sue & Lee Henderson – South
Janet & Richard Smith – Central
Margaret Newbury – South
Victoria McKinlay – North
Bev & Carl Wilkinson – Central team
Lillian & Tony Britton – Short Breaks
15 years
Joanne & Dennis Rhule – South
Coral & Paul Painter – Fostering Futures
Vivien Kitchener – Central
Kelly & Phil Holmes – Central
Tracey & Owen Jervis – North
Jeanette & Martin Smith – Central
(and 15 years for Derbyshire too!)
Susan & David Skinner – Central
Susan Whiting – Central
Tracie & Simon Barlow – South
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20 years
Annie Chappell – Central
Lara Chamberlain – Central
Christopher & Caroline Gibbons – Central
Mark & Sharon Wilkinson – North
Toni & Paul Harbor – Fostering Futures
Michele & Jason Williams – South
30 years
June & Roger Bonser – Central
Susan & Derek Peck – Central
Cath & Stuart Gullen – Central
John & Michelle Phimister – South
50 years
Tony & Linda Beech – North
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Many of you will be familiar with the theraputic parenting style called PACE.
Download the full size bright and colourful poster below, which helpfully outlines the key points of PACE that you can use at home with your foster children.
[Shared from the nibblesandbubbles website]
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All Nottinghamshire County Council foster carers are now able to book yourselves onto upcoming training courses via our new 'My Learning My Career' site.
You can also access and complete online learning from the comfort of your own home, all of which can count towards your mandatory 20 hours of training to be completed each year:
If you need assistance logging in please contact your locality fostering support officer, or if you are logged in but are still having difficulties, please email trainingadmin.pr@nottscc.gov.uk.
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In the summer holidays, we took a group of sons and daughters of foster carers' to the Mill Adventure Base as a small gesture to say thank you to them for opening up their homes and for sharing their families with other children. In October, all our sons and daughters were also sent a certificate of appreciation and gift voucher.
Read about the event to see how they got on.
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The FJYPB have devised these top tips for social workers who work and engage with children and young people in the family courts to encourage best practice. The list was written by the children attending the youth justice board and is a clear message for the way the children wish to be treated and listened to by any worker involved with them.
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Next year’s Fostering’s Got Talent event will be on Friday 10th May 2019 and we are excited to announce that, for the first time, each entry will be receiving a prize! In previous years, only the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places have won a prize, however next year all our entries will be winners! Whether you, your whole family, your children (both birth and foster) wish to participate or just want to be in the audience, please get this date in your diary so we can make 2019’s Fostering's Got Talent the biggest and best yet! |
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This October we said goodbye to Pam Morland, supervising social worker from the Short Breaks Team. Pam worked for the Council for 33 years and we wish her a very happy and well-earned retirement. She will be hugely missed by all the staff and carers who she supported for many years.
Dear foster carers,
I would like to thank all of you who have taken part in our consultation. We have had an excellent response which once again demonstrates the commitment you have to the rewarding but challenging task you undertake. Your input into the process has been invaluable and we have listened to your ideas and suggestions about how we can improve not only our support and offer to our current carers but how we can recruit more internal carers to care for the looked after children of Nottinghamshire. Given your experiences as carers this will be invaluable to any future decisions and planning. Myself and Steve Edwards, Service Director, Children's Social Care, have been extremely impressed with the carers we have met and spoken to and we are excited about the future of fostering within Nottinghamshire. We are in the process of arranging dates in 2019 to hold fostering conferences and want to make these a useful and valued event that you will all be committed to. We will be in touch again in the New Year with further details.
May I also take this opportunity to wish you, your families and all of the children you care for a very Happy Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year.
Claire Sampson
Group Manager - Looked After Children, Leaving Care and Regulated Services
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