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Hello, and welcome to the December edition of fostering news.
We ho ho hope you are all having a very merry lead up to Christmas, filled with festive activities. Here in the recruitment team, we have been comparing our Christmas decorations, tales of our tree decorating experience (team building exercise anyone?), elf business and talking about our festive plans and traditions. Lauren is looking forward to going with her family to the farm and see the new lambs and Lucy is singing in her annual Christmas concert and keeping cosy by the fire.
You know how much we like to try to get you involved in our social media posts on Facebook! So, we would love to hear about your Christmas family favourites, what are your favourite traditions? What makes you feel festive? Tell us your favourite item on your Christmas dinner plate - pigs in blankets are the winner for Lauren - or what you think is the best Christmas movie of all time?
Better yet, do you know any Christmas jokes? My favourite is, why did the scarecrow get a big Christmas bonus? Because he was outstanding in his field!
Send us your comments, pictures or suggestions for good things to do and we will share them on our @FosterNotts Facebook page.
Thanks for reading!
A message from our group manager
It makes me really proud to have joined the fostering service.
Your contribution towards the success of the children you look after and the wider service is much appreciated. I highly respect your efforts and wish to thank you for the commendable work which you deliver. Keep up the good work!
Have a wonderful Christmas.
Best Wishes,
Jenny Whiston
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Raising Awareness: Measles, Mumps and Rubella
Measles is now circulating in England and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that Europe is likely to see an increase in infections and is urging action to increase vaccination rates.
Childhood Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination rates are declining locally and nationally, and foster carers are being encouraged to check the vaccination status of all children in their care. You can check their their red book or contact their GP surgery to find out their vaccination status and and arrange for one or both vaccinations.
It is not just children who are at risk- there are also adults who may have missed out on one or both doses of the MMR vaccination. Foster carers are encouraged to check their MMR status and take up any missing doses. This is especially important for carers looking after those most at risk, namely the very young and people with weakened immune systems.
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Fostering Family Workers
We are proud to share we have five fostering family workers available to support our mainstream and friends and family carers.
Support can be given in-home and varies from therapeutic parenting approaches and therapeutic play, to virtual reality experiences of a young child’s life before coming into care. We also offer support within our foster carer's hub groups to offer advice and demonstrate activities for theraplay.
For more information on what our fostering family workers offer, and for how to access support, please see our flyer.
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Roll of honour
A huge congratulations to all our carers reaching milestones this year! Many of our carers have reached service milestones, and some of them have given us permission to publish their names on our roll of honour.
5 years’ service
Kerry Townsend and Duncan Frisby
10 years’ service
Jodie and Jody Walker
Joanne and Mark Rafferty
15 years’ service
Sarah Maiden
20 years’ service
Tracey and Owen Jervis
25 years’ service
Sharon and Mark Wilkinson
Caroline and Christopher Gibbons
Next year we will be holding our bi-annual long service celebratory lunch. We are in the very early planning stages of this event and invites will be sent out to all eligible carers in the spring.
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Do you know anyone who is interested in fostering?
As the new year comes around, we are looking to recruit more foster carers. Do you know anyone who is interested in fostering but wants to know more information?
We have a pop-up event on Thursday 18 January 2024 10am to 12pm at Kirkby Leisure Centre, Hodgkinson Road 1, Kirkby In Ashfield NG17 7DJ. We will be happy to answer questions and advise on how to begin the fostering journey! If you know anybody interested, please feel free to refer them to us, or even come along and say hello!
Remember, if you refer someone who goes on to foster for us, you will receive £1,000.
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A Mockingbird, Christmas, and A New Year!
Dear Nottinghamshire Foster Carers,
I hope that you are all well and getting ready for the festive period!
As another Christmas approaches, I want to take the opportunity to thank you for fostering for Nottinghamshire County Council. I very much appreciate all your great work in providing a fostering home and nurturing environment to the children in your care.
Our commitment to supporting you as therapeutic foster carers continues, and we will be rolling out the new training in 2024 to build on the skills and knowledge you have already learned. We have filled all our Fostering Family Worker posts, and continue to work with colleague across D2N2 to set-up recruitment hub to help with our foster carer recruitment efforts to recruit more foster carers, which locally and nationally continues to remain challenging.
We will also be introducing a Mockingbird fostering family hub model to improve foster care support and retention, supported by the Fostering Network.
It was lovely to see so many of you at our fostering conference and we have received excellent feedback about the event. By working together, 2024 will be a great year for fostering!
Wishing you all a merry and peaceful festive period, and a happy new year 🙂
Regards,
Ty Yousaf
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