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26/10/2017
Dear Foster Carer,
You
may be unaware but, as a foster carer registered with Devon’s Fostering Service
you are automatically accepted as a member of Devon Foster Carer’s Association,
whose aims include, among others, to create opportunities for children, young
people and foster carers to meet together and to promote communication and
understanding between carers and others involved in fostering in Devon.
We
have been approached by the Association who have requested access to your email
address as it appears you are not currently on their mailing list. The Association would like to rectify this,
to ensure you are able to be informed about the wide range of activities and
support available through the Association.
Therefore,
we are seeking your permission to share your email address with the
Association.
Of course, you do have the right to ‘opt out’ of this sharing of
information and if you DO NOT wish
for us to share your email contact details with the Association, please inform
us by the 1st of November 2017. By emailing childsc.fosteringoperationsmanager-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
Luke Chapman
 An Unmissable Family Pantomime
A big night out to say a big thank
you and celebrate the achievements of Devon Foster Carers.
Fostering Devon want to say a
huge thank you for all the hard work of their Foster Carers. So on the evening
of the 5th of January we have purchased every seat in the house to see a
spectacular new staging of Dick Whittington, starring Exeter’s
most popular Dame - Steve Bennett and directed by one of the country’s
leading pantomime directors, Tony Lidington.
With his faithful Puss by his
side Dick leaves his Exeter home for the bright lights of London in search of
fame and fortune. Follow his adventures as he reaches the big city and
travels the high seas. Will Dick find his fortune? Can he and Puss defeat the
evil villain King Rat and return home triumphant?
Expect plenty of audience
participation, live music, magic, mayhem and lots of laughter – the perfect
recipe for a Christmas panto treat!
The performance will be
followed by an Award Ceremony to mark the achievements of Foster Carers from
across the county.
As tickets are limited the
event is for foster carers only, giving you a evening off from the children and
an opportunity to have a great laugh with likeminded people.
We are allocating 100 tickets
to each of the four areas and tickets will be allocated on a ‘first come first
served basis’. Please submit your expression of interested by sending an
email to childsc.fosteringoperationsmanager-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
. Please put in the Subject line of the email ; PANTOMIME followed by your
area i.e. South. In the email please state if you require one or two
tickets and the name of who you would like to attend.
Please note that this is an
expression of interest and not securing the tickets. If you are successful more
information will follow.
Crealy Foster Carer Flexi-Memberships
Thanks to Cathy Parker and Annie Monaghan for
approaching Crealy to discuss the introduction of Flexi-memberships. So now
instead of having to take out new memberships each time carers have a new child
in placement, the flexi-membership will allow each individual carer to transfer
the account to another child’s name when they find themselves with a new
child in their care.
Just like their regular memberships, each flexi-foster
membership will be valid for a 12 month period and will admit one named person
per visit. The names of all children under the care of the foster parent
will need to be registered, and they understand that there will be some cases
in which the pass holder will not be expected to supply an identifying
photograph.
These flexi-memberships will be available from
Saturday 21st October and the scheme will be promoted through
Crealy’s social media sites.
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Individual memberships for Fostering Network.
As you are aware we have agreed to purchase 6 individual
memberships for Fostering Network.
This will enable members to fully represent Devon carers
views on local forums and groups run by Fostering Network.
As these memberships are limited, If you are
interested in applying for one of these memberships please email Luke Chapman; luke.chapman@devon.gov.uk directly
outlining your reason for applying and we will do the rest.
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Introducing your Peer
Guides…
This week it’s the turn of
Family and Friends Peer Guide Marie Taylor to introduce herself… Remember - all
your Peer Guides’ contact details are included on our newsletters – just look
out for the link.
My name is Marie
Taylor. I foster in South as a family and friends carer for my
granddaughter. She has lived with me for two and a half years and I
became a foster carer a year and a half ago.
The journey for a family and
friends carer starts differently to a main stream carer. For me it was
quite a daunting and worrying time, feeling almost like being thrown in at the
deep end. I am sure that without the help and support I have and still do
receive my placement would have had a high risk of breakdown.
The help and support I have received has helped me achieve so
much and although fostering is not something I have ever considered I am now
enjoying the ups and downs of being a foster carer.
If you are a family friends
foster carer and it would help to speak to someone who has been in your
position, please get in touch! tylerthoney@gmail.com
or 07508117816
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Devon
Children in Care and Care Leavers Team
The Devon
Children in Care Nursing team has some new faces this year, including
Bryony Williams, our Business Support contact who got married this summer
(hence the sash!).
The team
also have new contact details and can be reached via the Single Point of
Access (SPA) team on tel no 03300 245321 or their generic email
address VCL.DevonChildrenInCare@nhs.net
The team
are available between Monday to Friday to help with any health issues
regarding Children and Young People in care and Care Leavers..
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NHS
Choices – An essential source of reliable health information available in over
100 languages.
NHS Choices (www.nhs.uk) is
the official website of the National Health Service in England .It provides a
comprehensive health information service with thousands of articles, videos and
tools to help people make the best choices about their health and lifestyle.
NHS Choices provides information around all areas of
health which could impact on our young people, for example healthy eating, immunisations
and dental care. There are even specific
areas of information specifically designed for teen girls and teen boys,
addressing areas of interest for them.
Did you know that NHS
Choices also allows you to translate any of this information in to over 100
different languages? At the top of
any of the pages viewed, there is the facility to click on the ‘translate’
button and you can choose the language you require. NHS Choices is an excellent resource which
provides accurate and easy to read information.
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Virtual School Autumn Newsletter
Virtual School Newsletter – click here to
read’
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Support Groups
Please click here for the Support Groups Calendar.
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Training Opportunity - The
Autism Spectrum and Vulnerability
The fostering service has been
made aware of a training opportunity for foster carers in relation to this
topic. Please click here to see the flyer with training dates and times and
details of how to book on to a course.
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Equality & Diversity
There are are still places available on the Equality and Diversity training course on the 20th November at North Devon Leisure Centre. The course will begin at 10am and will finish at 1pm.
If you would be interested in attending this course, please email; fostertraining@devon.gov.uk by 12:00pm on Friday 27th October.
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Helping Children When They Must Move
There
are still places available on the Helping Children When They Must Move
training Course on the 28th November at Follaton House. The course will
begin at 10am and will finish at 2pm.
If you would be interested in attending this course, please email; fostertraining@devon.gov.uk by Monday 30th October.
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AC Education - Online Training
For some useful information regarding this new service please click here
For the AC Education student guide including details of how to log on to the system please click here
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Training Manual
For the 2017 / 2018
Training Manual - Please Click Here
Fostering
Devon Key Contacts
Strategy
Group Members
Peer
Guides
Devon Duty
 
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