LATEST SOCIAL MEDIA
WEEK ENDING 24TH NOVEMBER 2024
THE LATEST POSTS WE HAVE SHARED ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS THIS WEEK
Lot’s of big buzz, news and reports in the fostering sector last week, which we will look at this week.
Firstly the new Ofsted data for year 23-24 on recruitment and retention were published showing a drop in foster carers number for the third year in a row.
Robin Findlay, our General Secretary, was quoted in this Community Care article:
He said falling numbers were down to carers’ voices being “ignored” and them being “blamed whenever anything goes wrong”.
General secretary Robin Findlay said regional fostering recruitment hubs would not work when “current carers were leaving and advising prospective carers not to join”.
“Personal recommendation is the best way to recruit new carers but until the system is fixed and current carers treated fairly this will not happen,” he said.
Findlay said the union had put forward ideas to the DfE about changing the way allegations of harm or concerns about standards of care in relation to foster carers were handled.
He claimed that, currently, “fabrications take precedence over facts and evidence and the foster carers are often not invited to contribute to the fact finding until the matter has been selfinvestigated and decisions have already been made”.
Under the union’s proposed solution, providers and carers would both supply evidence to a legally qualified external adjudicator, who would determine the outcome.”
Be part of something bigger and feel protected – come and join us today!
Date: 18/11/2024
Last week saw FosterWiki’s Allegations Impact Report published.
It is a groundbreaking look at how allegations weave their way through every aspect of foster care and how they keep a workforce controlled working in a toxic culture that promotes a climate of fear, and how this directly affects recruitment and retention and the children in our care.
Our Senior Casework Manager Chris say in the report:
“In cases where the allegations system is misused, the consequences for children in care can be particularly severe. Children are sometimes moved from stable, long term placements due to allegations that are ultimately unfounded. Misuse of the system can occur for various reasons and these types of “manufactured” allegations disrupt children’s lives, removing them from secure and trusted environments where they have developed strong emotional bonds. As a result, children are used as pawns within a system meant to protect them, suffering emotional and psychological harm as they are relocated without clear justification.”
You can read the full report and Robin Findlay’s and Chris’s comments here: https://fosterwiki.com/2024-allegations-impact-report/
Join us: https://nupfc.com/membership/
Date: 19/11/2024
FosterWiki’s honest look at new Ofsted fostering stats;
“Sustainable reform requires a comprehensive overhaul of the culture of children’s services, the climate of fear foster carers operate in and developing a system that has independent oversight.
The new government’s pledge for additional millions for foster care indicates a willingness to address these issues. However, for these funds to have a meaningful impact, they must be directed toward initiatives that address the root causes of carer attrition, prioritising this over recruitment.
Simply increasing the number of foster carers while these underlying issues persist is both ineffective and short-sighted.”
Join us, become part of something and feel protected: Join us: https://nupfc.com/membership/
Date: 20/11/2024
Are you aware that the National Union Of Professional Foster Carers can legally advocate for youand talk at meetings regarding your work?
If anyone tells you otherwise they are wrong, it is against the law for any one in services, agencies, panels to deny you this, and we will take a strong stance towards any trying to do so.
Your Union will help you to prepare written evidence for your meetings and fact find prior to the meeting so you go in prepared.
⚠ Please information with the union as soon as you think there may be a problem. Don’t leave yourself exposed, if you are not currently a member join today at www.nupfc.com/join
⚠ Remember if you join after a problem has already started and need immediate help you won’t be turned away, but you will be charged towards the cost of the caseworker so it’s better that you join now and pay £10 per month to avoid this.
Date: 21/11/2024
Last week saw the publication of a new government policy paper.
Yet…there was a GLARING OMISSION
The government’s latest policy paper talks about fixing children’s care, but it misses a huge point, the thing that underpins the majority of children’s care, foster care. Over 70% of children in care are in foster homes, yet again foster carers are being ignored and undervalued.
We need 25,000 more by 2026 to meet demand, and yet this paper hardly acknowledges foster care?
The the solutions aren’t complex, but whilst this determination to ignore foster care continues, the crisis will continue, more unregulated homes, continued opportunity for the private sector (despite these ambitious claims of stopping profit, we all know that these policies will be circumnavigated) and of course worse outcomes for children.
It’s time to stop the narrative of foster carers as unskilled babysitters and start valuing them as the professionals they are, if the government are really serious about meaningful change.
Join us: https://nupfc.com/membership/
Date: 22/11/2024
Boost funds for our cause – Join our Lottery – It’s the easiest wat for you to Help Us raise money!
We are Trustpilot.
Your experience is important to us, and your review will be posted on Trustpilot.com to help other people make more informed decisions.
If we have worked with you, please visit the link below if you want to leave us a review.