Page 42 - Issue 112 May-June 2021

42 Supporting Young People and Foster Carers Throughout the Pandemic! The Foster Care Training Hub recently met with Compass Fostering to get an insight on the impact of the pandemic in relation to mental health in young people who are fostered and those who look after them. Compass reached out to their foster children and asked what their main worries were during the pandemic, and many of them said that they were worried about when the pandemic would end. They also said that they were struggling with not being able to see their friends as they normally would. It is important to know how young people have been dealing with lockdown, so they were asked what helped them feel happier when they were feeling a bit down. Five-year-old L said, ‘‘My foster mum did lots with me, we went out for bike rides and she helped me do schoolwork.” Thirteen-year-old J said, “It gave me some time to let me focus on myself and try and help my mental health to get better soon.” Sixteen-year-old S said, “I haven’t been in a good place at times and if it wasn’t for my carers, I don’t know what I would do. After some things have happened, I’ve felt lost. I still feel like that; a bit lost but not alone. If that makes sense.” At Compass, they make sure to check in with their carers and young people to ensure they feel supported and that they know who they can go to for advice. It’s been a tough and challenging year for foster families to not have their usual face-to-face meet-ups. But Compass have made sure to keep on running their support groups virtually. Carers Dan and Ash said, “We’ve been able to keep support groups going which has been a positive. Often, just talking to someone in a similar boat to you is a comfort.” Compass offers foster carers psychological support as well as their looked-after children. It is helpful for adults to be familiar with any of their own trauma or potential triggers in order to be an effective therapeutic carer. Compass has had to adapt due to social distancing. So weekly supervisions, training, annual review panels and support groups have been held over phone calls or video calls. Foster carers have enjoyed attending training online, and say they’d be very likely to attend more even when restrictions are lifted. Being able to meet other carers is important to local groups and is a great way to be able to build up a strong support network. The Foster Care Training Hub is the UK’s most popular provider of online training designed specifically for foster carers and young people who are fostered. To set up your free account today, please visit: thefostercaretraininghub.co.uk Some of the many benefits of joining the Foster Care Training Hub include: • 800 specialist online courses • 31 free mandatory online courses • 200 free preventative and life skill courses for young people • 150 wellbeing online courses If you’re thinking about becoming a foster parent or want to find an agency with the right support for your family, you can speak to Compass Fostering (https://bit.ly/2QcDjfQ). You will be supported on your fostering journey every step of the way. Compass provides training, resources and a caring community to help you become a confident carer – get in touch to find out more (compassfostering.com/get-in-touch). SEN112 senmagazine.co.uk Foster care training promotional content