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This project by The Children's Society aims to support 60 young people in building friendship networks and social independence. Resources were developed to raise awareness and train professionals on the importance of fostering friendships. The initiative also focuses on short break services, particularly for Looked After young people who may be socially isolated. The project involves reflecting on current practices, encouraging carers to facilitate friendships, and exploring potential cost savings. The goal is to capture good practices, evaluate findings, and contribute to training and resources for Short Breaks and Foster Care Services. Key stakeholders involved include foster carers, short breaks workers, educational psychologists, and early years teams. The project seeks to promote friendship aspirations within Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reforms.
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Friendship for All The Children's Society in York Lynda Corker & Anna Barrett Integrated Services Conference July 2014
Fun and Friendship 2010 - 2013 • 60 young people supported to build friendship networks and develop social independence. • Resources produced to raise awareness and train professionals. • Learning about opportunities for short break services, because some support is nearly always needed. • Looked After young people were some of the most socially isolated.
Reflecting on our own practice • Inspired us to look more closely at our own practice. • We were not taking simple steps to link up friends. • Carer taking on the role of ‘facilitator of friendship’. • Potential cost savings.
Friendship for All • Aiming to capture good practice in Short Breaks and Foster Care Services that can be replicated. • Collate and evaluate all the findings and good practice examples. • Contribute to the development of Short Break and Foster Carer Training. • Develop and disseminate practical resources and training and evidence based solutions. • Friendship aspirations within SEND Reforms.
What have we achieved so far? April 2014 In York we have met with: Young people, Foster Carers, Foster Care Team, Short Breaks workers, CANDI, Educational Psychologists, Early Years Team. Written to all families in receipt of short breaks including a questionnaire – results to be fed back to the Short Breaks team. Met with Short Break Providers and Foster Care workers in Newcastle. Made contacts and set up meetings with BAAF – Head of Training and Policy. In Lancashire: met with Children's Rights Team, Foster Care Panel, Social Workers delivering foster care service and short breaks providers. A worker in Leeds making contacts and arranging meetings. Made links with Short Breaks Network – arranged to be main speakers at the conference in November. July 2014
Looked After Young People “Keeping contact with friends is immensely important. As important, and sometimes more so, than contact with family.” Specialist Foster Carer Contact with children’s immediate families was generally well managed and promoted, although more could have been done to enable children to see friends and members of their extended family. ‘From a distance survey’ Ofsted 2014
Question for you…. • How could we as professionals be more enabling of friendships?
