Local foster carers came together last week to share their views and experiences at Foster for Plymouth’s second annual fostering summit.
Foster for Plymouth is Plymouth City Council’s own fostering service. The summit provides a valuable opportunity for the Council to thank foster carers for their hard work, and also to listen to their feedback about the kinds of improvements that could be made to better support them and the children in their care.
More than 20 foster carers and Connected Carers (friends or family approved to care for specific children) attended the event, alongside more than 20 practitioners working in Children’s Services and partner agencies across health and social care. .
The first fostering summit last year led to the creation of a new package of support for foster carers that included increased financial allowances and more training and support.
This year’s summit was held at Dartmoor Zoo who generously donated the event space free of charge. This is part of the zoo’s ongoing support for Foster for Plymouth, which has also included giving all fostering households a free family pass to enjoy a day out at the zoo.
Councillor Jemima Laing, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, said: “Our foster carers are simply brilliant and it was fantastic to be able to say a huge thank you to so many of them in person at the summit. It is absolutely inspiring to see their dedication to their role and the passion they have for supporting children and young people in our city.
“I’d also like to say a big thank you to the team at Dartmoor Zoo for their ongoing support of Foster for Plymouth, they have been really generous towards our fostering families and it is greatly appreciated.”
David Haley, Director of Children’s Services at Plymouth City Council, said: “The summit provides us with the opportunity to recognise and value the vital role that foster carers make in the life of a child or young person from Plymouth and to listen to their feedback about the Foster for Plymouth offer and services that they engage with so that we can keep making the offer even better.
“This is incredibly important, because it means that we come away with practical ideas about changes that can be made that will not only support the retention and recruitment of foster carers but that will also mean better support for the children and young people in our care.”
At the summit, foster carers received an update about the success of the Mockingbird programme. Mockingbird uses an extended family model in the form of ‘constellations’, consisting of a central hub home which supports several satellite homes of other foster carers. The hub home carers are specially recruited for their experience and will help the satellite carers with peer support, social activities and respite care in the form of sleepovers.
The first constellation in Plymouth launched in November 2024 and has been hugely beneficial to the fostering families involved. The second constellation is due to launch this summer, so that more carers and children can benefit from family-style support.
About fostering
To be a foster carer, you need to be over 21 years old, have a spare room and have a genuine interest in supporting the wellbeing of children and young people in care.
There are fewer barriers to fostering than many people realise and foster carers receive financial, emotional and practical support to enable them to take on the role.
If you’d like to find out more, visit fosterforplymouth.co.uk.
