The 15-19 November 2021 marks Anti-bullying Week. Organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA), this year’s theme is ‘One Kind Word’. The apt theme follows a year of isolation for people around the world and ‘One Kind Word’ highlights just how important the act of kindness is in helping to “break down barriers and brighten the lives of the people around…
Being a son or daughter of a foster carer is a unique experience. As a family develops into its role as a foster family, the sons and daughters all play a key role in fostering. The whole family fosters and everyone needs support and training. October is the month we celebrate how sons and daughters contribute to the fostering community.…
We’re excited to be holding a coffee morning and catch up with the team on Friday 24 September 2021 raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support for its World’s Biggest Coffee Morning. Whilst it will be a virtual meet up, we’ll relish the time with each other for a cuppa and a chat. It’s such a great initiative that we’ve regularly…
Yvette Stanley, Ofsted National Director Regulation and Social Care, sent our community a message on 12 June 2020 where she spoke about the social care community being profoundly moved and affected by the tragic death of George Floyd. We too have been powerfully moved by the events happening around the world as protests highlight racism and discrimination. This has affected…
Recruitment of foster carers continues at OwnLife If you are looking to become a foster carer or transfer fostering agencies, OwnLife Fostering is still able to progress applications for foster care during these unprecedented times due to coronavirus. Just like many businesses and other fostering services, we’ve been following government guidelines regarding the workplace and all employees are settled in…
The Ofsted research project, Good decisions for looked after children, is looking at the matching process between carers and children, incorporating what constitutes good decisions for children, and this includes who they live with and where. Ofsted want to know what works well in fostering because we still need over 8,000 new carers. Since 2014, the number of children needing…
To support our carers looking after children and young people with a range of complex needs, OwnLife has commissioned a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist. She has over thirteen years’ clinical experience working with children, young people and families in NHS settings, schools, and private practice. This therapeutic supervision is in addition to the support supervision foster carers receive from their…
The newest addition to OwnLife Fostering’s training support for foster carers. Our foster carers now have a new set of practical advice and training based on the Fostering Changes programme. This is a unique model drawing on ideas and research concerning parenting techniques, CBT positive behaviour strategies and developing positive relationships with children. This is an immensely helpful approach to…
The recent ‘Help, Protection, Education: concluding the Children in Need review’ published by the Secretary of State for Education, concluded that every child deserves the chance to fulfil their potential and achieve the best educational outcomes possible, whatever their background and whatever their path. Our foster carers support children with their education, advocating on their behalf, and working in partnership…
The Fostering Network raises the profile of the importance of foster carer’s maintaining an ongoing connection with children formerly in their care. The Fostering Network’s latest campaign is about keeping foster carers and children connected. In fact, their ‘Keep Connected’ campaign is “calling on everyone – including governments, social work professionals, fostering services, foster carers and adopters – who plays…