Meet our carers

Teacher, works full time and single foster carer
Type of foster carer: short term for three years

Fostering was something I had been considering doing for a long time.  I had made enquiries outside of Angus in the past but had been given the impression that working full time wasn't suitable for fostering.  I saw the advert for fostering in Angus and decided to go along to their drop-in information session.  The people there were very welcoming and that's when I “signed up“ to being a short break foster carer.

Being a single carer

I imagine it's just like being a single parent – you get on with it and organise yourself around your commitment to the young person.  It's good to have a support network of friends, family and other carers who you can talk to, if you need advice or just need somebody to talk to.

Working full time

I've never seen work as a barrier to fostering and vice versa.  Most of the short-term care is Friday to Monday which fits in with my work schedule, but there have been young people who have stayed slightly longer.

There was one teenager who stayed full time for just over three months and we established a routine, dropping him off in the morning and picking him up later in the afternoon, so there is a degree of organisation involved.

Being a foster carer

I've fostered 13 different children so far. One of the boys who comes for regular respite, likes playing games such as chess, Stratego and Monopoly, as well as watching box sets on Netflix together.  We also have a Queen playlist in the car! When we came out of Covid lockdown no.2 and it was summer, we tried to go out and do a bit more, such as visit the zoo.

I’ve recently had an 18-year-old staying who I’d previously cared for a few years ago.  When he first stayed, he genuinely taught me how to kick and pass a football, with more success than any PE teacher from my school days. During his last stay we were back out with the football again. He also likes a talk during mealtimes, and it’s good to still have that positive relationship that was quickly established the first time he stayed.  He’s coming back again for two weeks soon, and it's good to have someone who's almost an adult, as a contrast to looking after the younger children too.

Sometimes going food shopping is a good icebreaker, and often necessary if somebody is placed with you at short notice, or you don't really know their likes or dislikes.

I think whatever age the young people are, it’s about trying to get them involved and making them feel welcomed into your home, especially if it's just for a weekend.

Support available

I think the most valuable support is the meetings with other foster carers.  It's good to hear and share experiences.

The regular support meetings with social workers are helpful too. The social workers and support workers involved with the young people are always supportive, there to listen, and mindful of my other professional commitments I may have and are happy to work around these where and when possible.

What would you say to someone thinking about fostering?

There is no harm in enquiring and taking the first step. There might be a few bumps along the way, but across the last three years, the positive times and rewarding experiences have far outweighed any of the few difficult days.

And teachers thinking about fostering...

I think my role in teaching, which is in pastoral care, has helped me.  I think that teaching as a whole has become more nurture focussed and the profession has become much more aware of adverse childhood experiences, then it definitely helps in some way to understand the needs of young people who need to be fostered for the short or longer term.

If you can remember the positive differences you make in your career to all the children's lives (which you will have done) and these were in classroom situations, just think of the difference you can give one or two young people in a short or long term fostering placement.

Full time foster carer
Type of foster carer: permanent

Originally, we looked at fostering in the mid-1990s but after discussion with the fostering team we reflected that as we were in our early twenties, we didn't have enough life experience.

Once we had our own family, we decided to relook at fostering. We had three young children, were working long shifts which meant I missed out on them growing up. I wanted to be able to be at home to support them and to make a difference to another young person’s life.

Becoming foster carers

We were initially interim foster carers and started out caring for teenagers supporting them to move onto independent living (when they were ready). We then changed to caring for young children as our own children became teenagers.

We decided to become permanent carers for two of the young people we were fostering as we had been on a five-year journey with them and they had become part of the family. Together we like to go to boxing, skiing, rugby, riding our bikes and dog walking.

It can be quite challenging at times, but I get great satisfaction being an advocate for my young people, watching them achieve even small amounts is very rewarding.

Support available

The support I have received from Angus Council has been fantastic from being available for a chat/rant to coming out to our home when times are difficult. There are other foster carers you can gain support from and also support groups.

Impact on own family

I am very aware that fostering can have an impact on my children but have worked hard to offer them individual time on a daily basis. We've learnt new skills such as horse care to support my daughter. We reflect daily as a couple and check in with our children; we are a fostering family and we need them to make this work. Our daughter can also receive support from the fostering and permanence team if she needs it.

What would you say to someone thinking about fostering?

Why not give it a go, no harm in finding out more. Our fostering journey has changed our lives.

Full time foster carer

Type of foster carer: interim

A conversation about fostering was had quite a few years ago, but at that time we had our blended family of five still living at home. Fast forward six years and after hearing an advertisement on the radio, the conversation was being had once more. Only now, we had just one of our own children living at home. This meant we had empty bedrooms, capacity and a whole lot of enthusiasm to welcome and care for other children in our home.

Becoming foster carers

We sent an email enquiry which was quickly followed up by a phone call from the council’s social work department. The phone call was followed up by a home visit. After the home visit, we boarded the fostering train to begin our assessment to become short break carers.

Our assessment journey was during Covid times, so other than an initial home visit before lockdown, the rest of the whole process was virtual. Virtual became the new norm but we found the process ran very smoothly. Our training, meetings and catch-ups were all done from the shoulders up at home. Although virtual wasn’t ideal, we always felt supported during our assessment. Our designated social worker was lovely, always on hand to answer our many questions and she always offered honest and sound advice.

We became approved short break carers (for one child) early in 2021. Within a year our approval had changed to interim carers for two children! It’s funny how quickly things can change in the world of fostering, sometimes a child or children can come into your life and they steal your heart, change your life plan and create a new journey for you.

Interim foster carers

Our new journey as interim carers meant that for us, I gave up my part time job. I’d been working within children’s services for almost 20 years. I still run my own Children’s Wellbeing Services business which fits around the children living with us and my husband works full time on a shift rota.

We love our role as foster carers and we love being able to offer a safe and nurturing home to young people who need love, security and a dependable homely environment. Our wider family are all very supportive of our fostering and include themselves to be part of the fostering family. In fact, only very recently, two members of our family have become approved support carers.

Support

We have always found our designated support workers (we are on our second one) to be nothing short of brilliant, we have felt and continue to feel very supported by them and at different times, the wider fostering team too.

It’s been nice to start meeting other carers at trainings and support meetings now that face to face contact is happening once more, this only widens the support network available. The training and courses offered to carers vary and well presented. There are so many opportunities to further your learning.

Why foster

Would we recommend fostering? Yes. The rewards are immeasurable, seeing a child grow, thrive and loving life is very special. If you are considering becoming a foster carer or are keen to find out more information about fostering, go for it. Even if you find out that the time isn’t quite right for now, you might (like us) come back to the idea in the future.