December 2018
Posted: Thursday 10th January 2019
In December 2018, we advertised for an additonal Senior Practitioner role within the fostering team, to free up management time to focus on the development of the service and the Mockingbird project. The post has now been appointed. The team now has one vacancy remaining to fill.
Due to a packed agenda our December presentation to the Chief Officers Team was rearranged until March. However, a paper was presented to both our Scrutiny Committee and our Cabinet setting out the Mockingbird project, which was very well received. So much so that the Council has now included its commitment to foster care as a priority within the Council Plan.
We presented Mockingbird to the fostering team and other team managers and undertook a "planning to fail" exercise. This has provided a list of potential issues from various staff prospectives, to be addressed.
Individual discussions were held with a diverse group of foster carers, to recruit influencers in the engagement of carers. This has provided a list of possible questions and concerns from a carers' prospective.
We have put together our research plan, with a list of actions. This now needs a clearer timeframe for the actions.
Dates have been booked for 4 engagement events with foster carers to be held in February.
We have been allocated an experienced Mockingbird coach and due to meet at the end of January.
We have been in touch with Tom (The Fostering Network) who is responsible for data collection for Mockingbird projects elsewhere. He is happy to meet with YLab.