New scheme puts faith in fostering families
By Graham Clifford
 Traditional methods of dealing with children with problems have seen them placed in care. Now a new initiative is changing all that, as Grham Clifford discovered.
For decades now the normal practice in Britain has been to place children and young teenagers with severe behavioural problems into residential care.
But now Hammersmith and Fulham Children’s Trust in London are about to revolutionise the way these young people are looked after and developed. The slightly impersonal, not to be mention costly, residential route will be replaced where possible by foster care.
Many of the young people involved have had multiple placement breakdowns and therefore have poor inter-personal relationships hindering self-help. One young woman from another London borough was placed in 15 different care facilities last year alone.
Louise Hocking, project manager of the treatment foster care programme, believes there are as many as 25 young people in the borough who could avail of the new initiative though she accepts the key to success is finding the right foster parents. She told me: “We are hoping to get responses from would be foster parents who have an interest in how these young people think, they don’t need to have a child psychology degree or anything like that. “Even if they watch those new ‘troubled children’ programmes on TV then it shows they have some kind of interest in helping such young people”.
The local borough in connection with the West London Mental Health NHS Trust were successful earlier this year in attaining a £400,000 government grant despite strong competition from other local authority project proposals.
The foster care programme has been running successfully for over 20 years in the US state of Oregon. Its prime aim is to give these children and young people a chance to move out of residential care and perhaps ultimately to return to their own families. Many of these children are of Irish descent and Project organisers are hoping to attract Irish foster carers also.
Louise explains that people up to the age of 65 are eligible to foster under the programme. A comprehensive support structure has been put in place while the project staff is constantly on hand to assist.
She said: “When an individual or couple approach us seeking information we supply a full pack telling them what the position entails. Through our funding we are able to provide a salary for the carers which obviously makes the scheme unique from other fostering programmes.
“Parents whose children have grown up may be perfect to avail of this challenge. Often children who have been alienated in society for a variety of factors just need some structure and stability in their lives so that they can develop their social skills.
“This is especially true of the younger people at whom this programme is aimed as they are easily influenced and normally flourish in a stable unpressurised setting. “Ideally parents with personal qualities such as good parenting skills and a good sense of humour would best suit the scheme”
Weekly meetings between the foster carers and a team of professionals attached to the scheme will also take place so everyone is kept up to speed on the young person’s progress as well as allowing carers to ask any questions they may have.
The team will include a clinical psychology teacher, a child psychologist, various therapists and a dedicated therapist who will liaise with the birth families of the young people.
While the ideal scenario would see young people re-establishing close links with a birth parent this is not always possible as Louise explains: “Some parents whose children have been put into care have a very negative attitude towards social workers for obvious reasons.
“However the birth family therapist on this scheme will have had no link with any previous family history and hopefully will not be seen in such a light.
“If both parties agree we can organise some meetings between the child and the family, full integration may not occur but once both are talking again it will be a positive move forward for everyone involved”.
The scheme obviously has certain ground rules which must be adhered to such as there can be no other young people living in the house at the time. Due to the fact the household will receive one salary it would be possible for one parent to work while the other remains at home to work with the youngster.
In summing up the objective of the programme Louise says that: “These young people have had very few breaks up to now. This is an opportunity to really make a difference with them and give them a fighting chance in life”
Its exciting times at project headquarters on the New Kings Road in Fulham but all the work achieved in securing the grant and getting the right professionals on board will come to nought unless foster parents can be found.
An information night will be held at the centre on Wednesday September 14, but in the meantime all information can be attained by phoning 020 7736 3684. |
