 Welcome to our September edition of Fostering News! The Foster Carer Conference is nearly here, we have an update on Max Cards and a great opportunity for our care leavers with the Civil Service. Happy reading!
This month we are really excited to host our first ever virtual fostering conference on Wednesday 15 September via Microsoft TEAMS. We hope as many of you will be able to join us as possible as we have a great line up of speakers and trainers in relation to this year's theme “The Voice of the Child”.
The meeting will be open from 9.30am ready for a 9.45am start, so when you are ready to join us on the day, click the button below. We will finish around 2.30pm so those with school pickups to do can get off in time.
If you have any questions beforehand please email us at fostering@nottscc.gov.uk
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After weeks of waiting, we have finally received a delivery of Max Cards! We have a list of carers whose cards are due to expire soon as well as those newly approved carers who have been waiting for one. We will be sending the new cards out over the next couple of weeks so please keep an eye out for them landing on your door step shortly. If you haven’t received one by the end of October, please drop us an email and we will look into it for you.
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The Autumn course guide from Inspire is out now and there are lots of interesting and useful community courses you can book on. Our foster carers can book onto the Community & Family Learning Courses for free so if your foster child is going back to school this month and you have some free time, why not take advantage and find something that takes your interest? From Pilates and meditation to Christmas wreath making and learning a language, there really is lots on offer. Check out the prospectus to find out more!
Do you have a young person on a staying put policy or are you still in touch with any care leavers? Please share this fantastic opportunity with them!
The Civil Service Care Leaver Internship Scheme is open for applications until 24 September 2021.
As many of you will know, the scheme provides care leavers with the opportunity to apply for Ring-Fenced 12-month paid internships in the Civil Service.
This will be the fourth year that the scheme is being run across Government. The internships provide exciting opportunities which enable care leavers to experience working in central Government. The aim of the internships is to help them to develop skills and competencies which we hope will strengthen their career prospects for the longer term.
The internships will be hosted across various Government Departments and agencies, which have offices in locations across England, Scotland and Wales. We will share the locations for these roles once they are finalised by the various participating Government departments and agencies, and further information will also be available on the government website.
No qualifications are required to apply for the internships, but applicants must be a care leaver aged between 18-30 years old.
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It is important to check the training platform My Learning, My Career regularly, as new dates for training events outlined on your Fostering Development Plan are being continually being added.
There are also training opportunities available via the Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children Partnership. Follow the training pathway relevant to your length of fostering approval, as access to some events have a requirement for having completed an event prior to booking certain levels of training. Take a look at the training options here and book via My Learning, My Career.
If you find an event is full, please add your name to the waitlist and you will be contacted if a space becomes available.
Remember to discuss your training requirements or any difficulties in access with your Supervising Social Worker in your supervision as this can inform the commissioning discussions and lead to new events being researched and offered to our foster carer community.
Introduction to PACE
Monday 4 October 2021, 6pm-8pm via Zoom.
Introduction to PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy) is a model of caring/parenting, which helps support and form secure attachments with children and young people who may have experienced difficulties in early life. The PACE model is being recognised more and more as an effective model of care for both fostering agencies and residential resources when working directly with children within their care.
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand attachment, trauma and brain development
- Explore what PACE actually is
- Explore how foster carers and childcare workers can integrate PACE into their work
- Understand how foster carers and childcare workers can help children with attachment difficulties
- Discuss the difficulties that may be involved in using PACE as a model of care.
If you are a new member of staff or a newly approved carer who has not under taken PACE training before, please log onto your My Learning, My Career portal and book on to this introduction course.
We are currently offering a £250 payment to any of our foster carers who successfully refer a family member or friend to the recruitment team who then goes on to be approved at panel. You can either send us their contact details and we will be happy to get in touch or you can sign post them to us. Please see the bottom of this email for our contact details.
The next recruitment event (via Microsoft TEAMS) is:
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