This Foster Care Fortnight we’re joining in with The Fostering Network campaign #WhyWeCare to share messages from our brilliant foster carers and staff in the hopes of inspiring other people to consider fostering. We’ve had some really amazing contributions, so thank you so much to everyone who joined in! We have created a video with all the contributions included, which you can watch on Facebook - please share our post if you can, to raise as much awareness as possible of the invaluable role foster carers play in our communities! 

Watch our video

Also this Foster Care Fortnight and beyond, we're spreading our recruitment activity wider to include some exciting new advertising opportunities, so keep your eyes and ears open! And don't forget, if you refer someone who goes on to successfully become a foster carer, you get a referral reward!

Our first online FLAG meeting was well attended last month and we want to thank all the fostering households that were able to come (we realise it’s bath and bedtime for lots of foster families so it’s not going to be an option for everyone.)

Read the meeting minutes

The next FLAG meeting will be on Monday 12 July, and we will send out reminders and further information nearer the time. We are still in need of a Chair and Vice-Chair to run the meetings so please email Ty.Yousaf@nottscc.gov.uk if you would be interested in either of these posts.

The Big Ask is the largest every survey of children in England ever carried out. It will determine the future offer of children’s services both nationally and here in Nottinghamshire. We want as many young people to take part as possible, and to have their voices heard, particularly those who may be harder to reach. The survey will take the opinions and experiences of children in the county, to identify barriers preventing them from reaching their full potential, so that the Childhood Commission can put forward solutions and goals for the future.

The Big Ask

The Care 2 Work programme launched last month and will run again in May for the employability workshop in which young people can earn a Level 1 AIM Award in Personal Presentation at Work. This is then followed by ongoing support to secure work placements in a field of interest to the young person. The programme is being delivered by Broxtowe Youth Homelessness (BYH) who made an appearance at the Achievement Service launch.

This is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness for our young people of work place expectations, build experience, gain references, a qualification, invaluable employability support and perhaps even permanent employment. The workshop will be held at the main site in Stapleford but additional locations can be arranged depending on demand.

If you have a young person who is not in education, employment or training [NEET] then please share this leaflet and encourage them to attend. We can assist with transportation arrangements so there are no barriers for our young people to attend. If anyone is interested, please send Kat an email containing names and she can keep a record to pass on to BYH. She is also happy to tag along to any upcoming visits or make direct contact with the young people to provide more information. Please email kat.lathrop@nottscc.gov.uk

Nottinghamshire County Council’s Children in Care Council recently met virtually with the Children’s Commissioners Office to discuss their care experiences and their views on services and the care system.  

Lots of well thought out comments and questions from the young people who had worked hard alongside youth workers from our Youth Service to explore what young people felt worked well and where there could be positive changes. 

Discussions were around social worker involvement, pathway plans and preparation for adulthood. A future visit from Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza is also planned, where she will be presented with a welcome card on behalf of young people in Nottinghamshire. 

Update from Billie Parker (Chair of Children In Care Council for Nottinghamshire) 

“In the first lockdown, I discussed what would be best to keep the CiCC running with the youth worker. We decided to maintain the group on Microsoft Teams. This was quite a good turnout and when we could meet up face to face, we did our meetings at The Mill.  

"We are supposed to be creating a film about roles of other professionals, but this has been postponed due to Covid-19. I have started my A levels – health and social care, sociology and food tech.  

"We had a virtual No Labels meeting – young people met at the Mill and professionals met us on Microsoft Teams. This was good, we spoke about residential home inspections, and what we had been up to in the CiCC meetings.  

"During the lockdown, I have been using the gym that we own. We went camping with our respite carer in August. I had a surprise birthday party on the garden, we had a BBQ.” 

If you have a young person in your care who you think would like to join the Children in Care Council then please email Emma Betteridge from the Youth Service to learn more: emma.betteridge@nottscc.gov.uk