National Forum of Foster Care Associations

National Forum of Foster Care Associations

31 October 2008

1.00pm-3.30pm

Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund

County Hall, London SE1

Present

George Luker, Suffolk FCA

Neil Roberts, Taunton, Wellington and West Somerset FCA

Pam French, LeicesterCity Foster Care Partnership

Heather Cox, LeicesterCity Foster Care Partnership

Richard Lyndon, Cornwall Foster Carers Network

Wendy Lyndon, Cornwall Foster Carers Network

Alan Chandler, Telford and Wrekin FCA

Jane Goodman, Bromley FCA

Janet Okeleke, Lewisham FCA

Ann Hayward, South Somerset FCA

Afia Choudhury, Tower Hamlets FCA

Pauline Renda, Tower Hamlets FCA

Heather Hamilton-Watson, F.A.C.E (Enfield)

Annie Webster, Kent FCA

Ann Holder, East Sussex FCA

Denis Holder, East Sussex FCA

Mark Malwah, Sutton FCA

Keith Fielding, Kirklees Fostering Network

Andrew Bottomley, Kirklees Fostering Network

Mandy Everson, Medway FCA

Judith Williams, Poole – a foster carer’s voice

Jim Bond, Essex Foster Carers Council

Shirley Allen, F.U.N (Newham)

Philip Brown, Peterborough FPA

Joanna Adande, Development Manager (Membership)

Fiona Healey, FCA Development Worker

Jade Barton, FCA Project Administrator

Jacky Slade, Regional Consultant (South West)

Bob Broad, Project Evaluator

Apologies

Paul Kind, York FCA

Jacqui Clarke, Coventry FCA

Anne Friday, Coventry FCA

Olive Francis, Essex foster carers council

Carmel Stott, Salford FCA

Heather Clegg, North Tyneside Fostering Network

Sara Taylor-Coolahan, Wandsworth FCA

Cedra Jarvis, Hackney FCA

Linda Taylor, Southampton FCA

Paul Wilson, Solihull FCA

David Hadjicostas, Southend-On- Sea FFC

Vicki Betts, CWDC

Agenda

1)Introduction

The FCA project team and Jacky Slade introduced themselves and then invited the attendees to introduce themselves.

2)Project Update

Fiona Healeyupdated the forum on the development and future developments for the FCA Project and the Fostering Network.

2.1Lobby in June 2008 was attended by 70 Foster carers, a lot of representation from FCAs making up numbers. Fiona thanked attendees that were involved.

2.2In July 2008 eight representatives from FCAs and Independent Fostering providers attended meeting at parliament in relation to looked after children. This gave decision makers a valuable insight into what it is like to be a foster carer.

2.3The corporate parenting campaign which revolved around informing counsellors about the looked after children in their constituencies involved the FCA project sending a set of postcards to the Fostering Network’ s affiliated FCA members to send on to their counsellors encouraging them to find out more about the looked after children in their area . The FCA project would appreciate any feedback and responses that carers may have got after sending these postcards out. Please contact Vicki Swain: 0207 620 6434,

2.4Regional forums: Fiona thanked those that had attended and looked forward to working with those FCAs that don’t yet have a regional forum.

2.5Helping Hands: Every year this voluntary organisation send us a bunch of quilts to distribute amongFCAs that can be used as raffle prizes to raise additional funds for the FCA. Everyone that has been given some quilts has also been given the address of the organisation and it would be great to feed back to them how the quilts have been used.

2.6Upcoming events: On 26November 2008 there will be a Focus on Fostering debate in Bath for foster carers and supervising social workers to attend. There is also Allegations Seminars on the 11November in Oldham and 26February in Darlington. Please contact the training department for further booking forms on 0207 620 6429.

2.7The FCA Project conference 2009: The theme is Achievements and Aspirations and will be taking place over the weekend 26-27 June. It will be an exciting event of guest speakers and workshops. The FCA project will be heavily promoting the conference from January and will be targeting local authorities and encouraging them to pay for their carers to attend. Carers are encouraged to do the same and also to book early as places do go pretty quickly.

2.8E-Newsletter: The FCA Project are aware of the high volume of emails that are sent out to FCA representatives and so to combat this have developed an e-newsletter that will combine all of the news and requests for participation in one and that will be sent out every 6 weeks to all affiliate members. As always feedback on the e-newsletter once it is launched will be welcome and also any suggestions that you may have for news items and features.

3. Joanna Adande Feedback

3.1 The FCA project is applying for funding for continuation of the project and encouraged attendees to complete the FCA Project: The way forward questionnaire that has been included in delegate packs.

3.2 Restructuring of the National forum. We will be asking regional forums to elect two members to sit on the National forum body.

3.3 Hard to reach foster carers project. This is a project designed to encourage participation in training for hard to reach groups such as men who foster, kinship carers etc and will be running up until March 2009 leading to the development of a toolkit. If you are interested in participating in the project then please contact Joanna: or Jade Barton:

4. Feedback from regional coordinators

There were five regional coordinators present and the following feedback was given.

4.1North West region: Keith Fielding stated that their regional forums were well attended and this was because they often moved the meeting locations around. The North East region has now split as they were originally part of the North West forum. The North West used their meetings to focus on one particular issue that representatives would then go away and investigate and come back with information for the next meeting. This seemed to be working very well.

4.2South West Region: RichardLyndon’s feedback wasthat the forum was small and that they were trying to expand but that local authorities werereluctant to pass on information on other FCA’s in the area. The South West forum meets every three months and is attended by committed carers.

4.3Midlands region: Alan Chandler’sfeedback wasthat the Midlands regions forum was re-launched six months ago and that they had eight different FCA representatives atthe last meeting. They were the first regional FCA forum and were used as a structural model for other regional forums and the Fostering Network’s FCA Development project. The Midlands stated that Peterborough were welcome to attend their forum meetings.

4.4London: Heather Hamilton-Watson stated that she had recently taken over as regional coordinator of the London forum and that there were sixteen FCA members from nine different authorities at their last meeting in September.

4.5Southeast region: AnnHolder reported that the last south east meeting had to be cancelled because of lack of attendees and that this may be because carers find it difficult to get to the Fostering Networks London office for the meeting. Anne will be liaising with Fiona Healey to look at how to pick up attendance.

4.6Yorkshire and Humberside & North East regions: Fiona Healeygave feedback for these regions and reported that the Y&H region meet every 2.5 months. They are going from strength to strength. There are not many FCAs in North East at present but there seems to be interest from many Local authorities in supporting the development of new FCAs.

1. Children’s workforce development Council (CWDC)Training Support and Development Standards ( TSD)

Attendees were invited to ask questions on aspects of the TSD standards they felt were unclear. Issues raised included.

• NVQ qualified carers and whether they should still be taking the certificate course if they are at this stage
• CWDC standard course for secondary carers, or partners of carers.

Attendees then got into groups to complete a short quiz on the TSD standards and then Joanna Adande and Jacky Slade went through common questions and answers that had been supplied by CWDC.

Attendees were asked to get into groups again to complete a further quiz before Joanna Adande and Jacky Slade went through specific questions and answers supplied by the CWDC.The complete question and answer sheet can be found on the CWDC'swebsite at:

5.1Attendees then put forward their thoughts on the CWDC and how things were working in their areas some of which are listed below:

• Carers should keep an eye on the CWDC website as there should soon be some further information on there and opportunities to participate in workshops. Also good to get as involved as possible in the consultation process.
• In Leicester the CWDC workbook is completed and signed off online and CWDC may look at extending this to other areas.
• In Somerset Trainer and trainee work together and have trouble shooting sessions before implementation to help iron out any issues.
• Medway are involved in a pilot scheme where these carers then mentor other carers and once completed the workbook carers are given an incentive lump sum payment.
• In Tower Hamlets there are workshops that carers can attend to help them evident their skills and those with NVQ qualification are able to fast track the TSD standards.

5.2 A question was also asked about the one off educational payments for looked after children and what the guidelines were. This consists of a one off £500 payment per child for schooling needs and this is to cover all educational needs such as books or uniforms.

6. AOB

Next meeting due to be held in April 2009 in London.