They Sold You Out! You’re just the Cash Cow

This week, The Fostering Network meets with the National Union of Professional Foster Carers, then goes straight to the DfE to dob them in, so what exactly was said, why were they dobbing the union in, and whose side are they really on? Then we look at the money, appointments and cosy connections in the fostering establishment, and ask who’s benefiting while carers are left in despair.

In the second half, we turn to Allostatic Load, the cumulative toll that chronic stress takes on the human body and mind. What happens when the demands of fostering never let up, recovery becomes impossible, and the system fails to recognise the damage? Because the question isn’t simply whether foster carers can cope. It’s what the system is doing to them.

Useful Links

JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY: https://fosterwiki.com/register/

NFCQ: http://education.nfcq.co.uk

Allostatic Load in Foster Carers: https://fosterwiki.com/wiki/allostatic-load-in-foster-carers/

Carer Hotline Contact Emails:

info@fosterwiki.com

louise@louise-allen.com

If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you!

All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body.

Clarification:

In a previous episode, during our discussion about the selection of foster carers to the government's Fostering Advisory Board and their connections with established sector organisations, we suggested that one of the appointed foster carers might be a trustee of the Fostering Network.

We have since established that this is not the case and are happy to clarify that point.

We are, however, currently seeking clarification from this individual as to how they were originally selected for the Advisory Board, including whether their appointment was facilitated through the Fostering Network or another route.

That information has not yet been forthcoming, but as soon as it is, we will update listeners when further clarification is available.

The Gloves Are Off...Is the old order cracking?

This week, Sarah and Louise ask whether the old order in fostering is finally beginning to crack. From the Government’s 10,000-carer recruitment campaign to the growing row over who represents foster carers, we examine the spin, the power plays and the rise of independent carer-led voices challenging the status quo.

On the Naughty Step, we take on a recruitment story that sparked an extraordinary response from foster carers, questioning the way fostering is being sold to the public, the misleading focus on money and the failure to put the realities of children’s lives at the centre of the story.

Plus, in Carer Hotline, we explore the frustrations of inconsistent supervision and ever-changing social workers. And Sarah introduces Allostatic Load, the cumulative cost of prolonged stress, and what happens when the people holding the system together are given too little support to recover. Perhaps the question isn’t why carers struggle to cope, but what we’re asking them to carry.

Useful Links

JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY: https://fosterwiki.com/register/

NFCQ: http://education.nfcq.co.uk

Allostatic Load in Foster Carers: https://fosterwiki.com/wiki/allostatic-load-in-foster-carers/

Carer Hotline Contact Emails:

info@fosterwiki.com

louise@louise-allen.com

If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you!

All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body.

The Big Lie: The Spin, Promises & Propaganda Behind the Latest Government Launch

This week, Sarah and Louise take apart Josh MacAlister’s grand launch of the Government’s national fostering recruitment campaign. Millions for recruitment, promises of 10,000 new places, glossy videos and a Minister claiming to have rewritten a rulebook that has no rules.

They examine the furious reaction from existing carers, the millions spent on recruitment initiatives that have failed to deliver, the conspicuous absence of independent foster carer-led organisations from the launch, and the uncomfortable question nobody in Westminster seems keen to answer: why recruit more carers while driving experienced ones out?

And that claim about rewriting the ‘rule’ book? We have a few things to say about that.

More spin, more slogans, more money, no substance?

Useful Links

JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY: https://fosterwiki.com/register/

NFCQ: http://education.nfcq.co.uk

Carer Hotline Contact Emails:

info@fosterwiki.com

louise@louise-allen.com

If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you!

All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body.