Memorandum submitted by Pam Barrow-Jones
I am writing to you because I am a foster carer in
Folkestone, I care for mother and their baby, teaching the parents
how to care for their baby safely and teaching them every day
skills in order to help parents care for their baby.
I have been fostering for 16 years, and I am passionate
about the work that I can do with young people, especially if
they have learning difficulties.
I am a lone carer, and open up my home and my heart
to try and achieve goals whenever possible.
I am a level 2 carer, and work for mid Kent fostering.
My fostering social worker informed me that new rules set by OFSTED,—
have now got to be carried out, regarding children staying in
their own home whilst a carer needs time to attend meetings etc
. This ruling is absolutely silly, I find it very difficult to
find another carer to come into my home and sit with a mum and
baby with learning difficulties, and due to the shortage of carers,
this has to be supervised by an experienced carer, so with the
new rules that now have been put into place, I am going to find
training even more difficult to do.
This ruling really has not been thought through,
especially with mum and baby placements. We work 24/7 and I do
not pass the babies that I care for around to other carers, when
children come to my home, they are treated like my own children,
as I believe that attachment is vital for children's wellbeing
and stability.
November 2010
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