 Hello, and welcome to the August edition of fostering news.
We hope that the weather is not affecting activities you have got planned for the summer holidays too much. Here in the recruitment team we have been talking about our favourite things to do in the summer. Mine is visiting a farm to pet the animals, Charlotte’s is riding a zip wire and climbing, and Clair’s is going to the beach. What is yours?
You know how much we like to TRY and get you involved in our social media posts on Facebook! So we would love to hear about your summer family favourites, are you Team Penny, Team Charlotte or Team Clair, or something different?
Send us your comments, pictures or suggestions for good things to do and we will share them on our @FosterNotts Facebook page.
Before you get on with your day, take a quick coffee break and check out this month’s newsletter where you will find news about Barclays Digital Eagle online events for our young people looked after, reminders about reduced price breaks at Hagg Farm and our upcoming Sons and Daughters event, and some updates from the training team, along with minutes from the latest FLAG meeting.
Thanks for reading!
Hagg Farm activity breaks for fostering families
In the last newsletter, we let you know about opportunities for our fostering families to enjoy reduced-price weekend adventure breaks with accommodation at Hagg Farm.
The team at the farm has been in touch to let us know that there are still dates available for foster carers:
- Friday 22 to Sunday 24 September
- Friday 13 to Sunday 15 October
- Friday 10 to Sunday 12 November
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Fun activities with Notts Outdoors and Mill Waters
Go wild at Mill Waters with their new Wild Families! adventures at the Mill Adventure Base, Kings Mill Reservoir.
Wild Families! Camping and Crafts
Tuesday 15 August
Den building with tents and tarps, knot tying, rope games and tent tales with Wild Sue in the meadow and little woodland.
Wild Families! Kingfishers
Tuesday 22 August
Meet our mascot, the Mill Waters Kingfisher, find her friends, catch some fish and join her for kingfisher facts and crafts.
- Sessions are 10.30am to 12pm or 2pm to 3.30pm
- Best for families with children aged 1-8
- £8.50 per child
- • 20% discount available for siblings age 1 and over
- Siblings under 1 are free. If the booking is for just one child under the age of 1 the normal costs apply.
- We'll be outdoors so come prepared for all weather
Coming in September...
Wild Kids! and Wild Tots! Explorers
Starting Thursday 7 September for 6 weeks
Can be booked as a block or single sessions
Wild adventures for tots and kids with activities such as den building, woodwork, fire lighting and campfire cooking all in a supported and safe environment!
Wild Tots! is suitable for families with children aged 1-4.
£7.50 per session
Sessions run am and pm, sibling discounts available.
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Wild Kids is suitable for families with children aged 4-8
£8.50 per session
Sessions run 4pm to 5.15pm, sibling discounts available.
Sons and Daughters Day event - Wednesday 23 August
The Mill Adventure Base is ready, set, go! for our arrival for ours Sons and Daughters event, with Charlotte at the helm.
We are beyond excited to see everyone, including some new faces this year, and are raring to go and enjoy the day with the kids.
The packed lunches are ordered and next week we will send out a final email to those who have signed up to let you know what time to arrive on the day.
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Free boxing sessions for girls age 12 and up
The Nottinghamshire Police children in care and care leavers officers are offering a brilliant, free boxing/circuit class for girls aged 12 and up.
Designed to get fit and build self-esteem in a safe, positive environment with a professional coach at the gym of former welterweight world champion Jawaid Khaliq, at the Sycamore Centre, Hungerhill Rd, St Ann's every Wednesday from 4.45 to 5.45pm.
If you care for a girl aged 12 or over who might benefit from this, get on your toes, box clever and get in touch with one of the officers to find out more:
Sam Flint 07816245663
Ginette Ferguson 07917267906
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From the training team
The training team wants to let you know about some of the available training at the moment
Car seat safety training
If you foster children under the age of 11, this course is a must for you. It comes highly recommended by other foster carers, including some who have been using car seats for many years and thought they knew car seat safety inside out. Available to book now on My Learning My Career.
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NSCP child criminal exploitation
Part 1: Wednesday 22 November, 9.30am to 12pm, online
Part 2: Thursday 23 November, 9.30 to 11am, online
These events aimed at anyone working with children and young people who may be vulnerable to child criminal exploitation.
To gain a full understanding of child criminal exploitation and its impact on children and young people, we would recommend that you book on to both events. Attending both events will raise your awareness of contextual safeguarding issues, help you consider the different types of exploitation, including county lines, understand how to recognise signs of exploitation, understand the impact it has on both the child/young person as well as parents/carers and, at the same time, consider the guidance and procedures to follow if you have concerns.
These courses are available to book on My Learning My Career
FLAG Meeting
The FLAG Meeting took place recently and was well attended.
The next meeting will be on 16 October at 7pm online. We encourage everyone to attend as it is an opportunity to have your voice heard and hear from different professionals across children’s services. This time there will be someone from the Special Educational Needs Team coming
Meanwhile you can check out the latest FLAG minutes below.
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Wishing a fond farewell to our very own Penny and Charlotte
Finally, here in the recruitment and assessment team we are getting ready to say a huge thank you and a fond farewell to two of our very own fostering support officers.
Penny and Charlotte are moving on to new opportunities an adventures within the council and will be finishing their fostering team roles at the end of August.
We know many of you will have met Penny and Charlotte and will have appreciated the skills, experiences and smiles they brought to theirs roles here over the years - they will be missed!
Therefore this will be the last newsletter that Penny will send out to you (we snuck this last part in while she wasn't looking!), so thank you Penny for doing such a great job on this and for all your hard work in the years you have been in post.
We would also like to thank Charlotte for all her hard work over the years, and particularly for her contribution arranging the up and coming Sons and Daughters event.
So, please join us in saying a big thank you and good luck to them both!
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