Updates

Agency Updates

• NFA South East Half term

  During half-term, NFA South East celebrated all our wonderful children with a fantastic day of fun and togetherness! Families enjoyed delicious freshly made pizzas and a buffet, talented soloists took the stage, and an exciting science demonstration captivated everyone. Plus, arts and crafts were available for all to get creative. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us—it was a truly special day!
• Our partnership with Merlin Magic Wand

  We are incredibly grateful for our partnership with Merlin Magic Wand, which has allowed us to provide unique and unforgettable experiences for our foster carers and children. During our summer event, Merlin Magic Wand generously gifted us free tickets to Chessington World of Adventures. This gave us the wonderful opportunity to take our foster carers and children – many of whom had never experienced a theme park before – to a place filled with joy, excitement, and adventure. The different days spent over the summer were truly magical, as our families enjoyed thrilling rides, explored the park's attractions, and created memories that will last a lifetime. For some of the children, this was a first, and we could see how much it meant to them to be able to take part in something so special. We’re also excited to share that Merlin Magic Wand has kindly agreed to continue supporting our agency, ensuring that more children will be able to experience these types of magical moments in the future. The National Fostering Agency London North is thrilled to continue working alongside Merlin Magic Wand and look forward to providing even more children with the unique experiences they truly deserve. Thank you to Merlin Magic Wand for making this all possible and for helping us make a positive, lasting impact on the lives of foster children and carers. We look forward to many more adventures together!
• Christmas at NFA Scotland

  At NFA Scotland we love getting together with everyone. Due to the size of Scotland, wherever you live there will always be activities and get togethers for you to come along to. We recently held Christmas flower and Christmas Wreath making in the north of Scotland, Fife, Grangemouth and Gasgow. What a better way to start the festive season . We also have some very talented carers!
• Meeting Richard Baker MP

  We were recently invited to meet with Richard Baker, MP for Fife as he wanted to speak and learn about the challenges that Foster Carer face. Along with our Registered Manager Claire and some of our fantastic foster carers, we met Richard in his constituency of Fife. We all thoroughly enjoyed the couple of hours with him, he proactively listed to our concerns and our fears for the future and will take points forward for hopeful action.
• NFA Northwest worked in partnership with Jamie’s Farm, to send 4 of our Young People on a one week residential. The programme focuses on improving behaviour, engagement, wellbeing and essential life-skills. The programme offers a unique, preventative solution to empower young people to change course. The therapeutic residential with Jamie’s Farm is not formal therapy – they call it ‘Therapy on the hoof’, which is talking with trained professionals whilst “working” on a farm so feeding animals, gardening and doing activities they may not have experience before including cooking and woodwork. This approach feels more natural for young people and helps their brains to make new neural pathways for improved behaviours. We would like to maintain this excellent relationship with Jamie’s Farm and offer this experience to our other young people in the future. Feedback from one of our Young People on the last day Young person: “I was very scared that no one would like me, I was worried because I didn’t know anyone, I nearly didn’t come, but I’m glad I did, I’ve made friends with everyone and they have just accepted me for who I am without judging me, which has never happened before.”
• Meet the Team day

  NFA Scotland held their annual Meet the Team day last week. It's one of the highlights of our calendar, where everyone comes together for some great conversation and to meet the team in a casual and relaxed manner. This year, they were delighted to host the executive team in Grangemouth. It was a great opportunity for our carers and staff to ask questions.
• Celebration for Ofsted Result

  NFA London North had a great time in Kew Garden's celebrating their recent Good rating at Ofsted. The team celebrated with a lovely afternoon tea! The team would like to thank all of their staff, foster carers and children in the work that continues to be done to provide their fostering families with the best care!
• NFA London South team

  We went out as a team to celebrate our OFSTED Good rating and to thank the team for all of their hard work leading up to the inspection
• Carer Awards 2023

  Our Carer Awards event in 2023 was held at Venue 28 in Beckenham. We gave out awards to our carers for their long service with NFA and Appreciation Awards for our carers who had gone above and beyond for our young people in 2022/23. We had a DJ and an amazing Caribbean buffet and lots of dancing, as you can see! Our next Carer Awards event is coming up soon and we’re hoping we will do even better this year!
• Black History Month 2023

  In October 2023, we held our annual Black History Month celebration in Beckenham for our foster carers and looked after children! We had face painting, food and cultural songs and stories, and a performance from two singers from The Lion King musical. It was an amazing day and everyone really enjoyed it!
• Meet one of our Foster Carers – Selome

  Celebrating Selome: A Pillar of Our Fostering Community Selome, who has dedicated nearly 23 years to fostering, became a foster carer driven by a desire to make a meaningful difference in the world. Believing that every child matters, she has since cared for over 35 children, offering them a nurturing and loving home alongside her husband and own birth children. Selome's role in the community extends beyond fostering. She is a devoted mother, grandmother, wife, and friend, and an accomplished chef who delights in cooking for the children in her care as well as her family. Her culinary skills bring joy and comfort to those around her, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere in her home. Moreover, Selome serves as a highly valued mentor to newly approved carers, guiding them through their assessment and approval processes. Her kindness, care, and extensive experience make her an invaluable asset to the fostering community. Selome's dedication and compassion exemplify the profound impact that one person can have, and she continues to inspire those around her every day. Selome said: “The whole fostering experience has been magical for me. Each child I have fostered has had their own special characteristic and has had an impression on my life. It doesn’t matter how old you are, whether you live by yourself or how much money you earn, the only thing that matters is having space in your heart and in your home. The National Fostering Agency has equipped me with all the resources I need to do what is best for each child.”
• The Children are our Heroes – through the eyes of Jo, family support worker.

  “As a support worker, my greatest joy comes from helping and supporting children. Over the years, I've had the privilege of working with many children, each with unique needs and outcomes. It's immensely fulfilling to see the positive impact of my efforts in their lives. Recently, I worked with a child who was preparing for a settling visit with a new carer. I knew this transition could be daunting, filled with anxiety about meeting a new household. To ease the child's nerves, I turned to a powerful tool: music. Music has a magical ability to comfort and engage children. I asked the child about their favourite music and played their chosen artist in the car. To my delight, the child started singing along and sharing fun facts about the music and other artists they liked. It was heartwarming to see how this simple act of playing familiar tunes helped calm their anxiety. The child seemed less worried and more open, either chatting with me or immersing themselves in the music. In another case, I worked with a young person nearing their 18th birthday. Our focus was on developing independence skills and providing ongoing support as they transitioned into adulthood. When they moved into their new place, I received a message from them, sharing how well they were doing and how happy they were in their new home. Knowing that my support contributed to their success and happiness was incredibly gratifying. Building strong, trusting relationships with children is at the core of my work. When children feel safe to open up without fear of judgment, I can guide them more effectively. These moments of connection and support are the most rewarding aspects of my job. Seeing children thrive and knowing I played a part in their journey fills me with profound joy. I truly love my job and the opportunity it gives me to make a positive impact on the lives of children.”
• Getting Crafty!

  Our Uxbridge office recently hosted a delightful Spring flower arranging event, inviting carers and the young people in their care to unleash their creativity. With the guidance of an experienced local florist, participants crafted their very own personalized bouquets. We are thrilled to offer such engaging and bespoke activities for our carers and plan to host various creative sessions across London in the coming months. The young children enjoyed a variety of fun activities, including dancing competitions and creating their own personalized bracelets with our team. These activities provided a wonderful opportunity for them to express themselves and have a great time. One carer shared their experience: "I love being able to be creative and do something I never thought was possible! I have never had green fingers, but I was amazed that I could produce something so beautiful! I also enjoyed meeting new carers and reconnecting with familiar faces. I look forward to the next event!" We are excited to continue offering these unique experiences that foster creativity, connection, and joy for both carers and the children they support.
• The agency with carers recently attending a water park and paintballing sessions. These events provide both our carers and their children to have fun, relax and enjoy what is on offer in our beautiful region
• In the Northwest at NFA we have been running an Introduction to Counselling Skills, Level 2 course which allowed participants to gain a formal qualification from the counselling and psychotherapy central awarding body (CPCAB). The course was taught by Nicky Saggerson, Psychotherapist. The 10-week course has now come to an end, and we took the opportunity to congratulate Foster Carers and Staff on gaining their qualifications by holding a celebratory lunch and small graduation celebration to mark this achievement. The course was a great success and feedback from participants was extremely positive. One person reported the thing they most enjoyed about the course was, "The group of people I was on the course with and how much I have learnt about myself and what it means to truly listen and hear someone." When asked if they would recommend the course one carer reported; "Yes, I would say it is really interesting what you learn about yourself on the course and how past experiences shape us as humans." The course looks at all aspects of active listening as well as considering how our life experiences have shaped us and our view of the world, ourselves, and other people. We’re looking forward to offering the course again soon. We also offer a course on Therapeutic Parenting is highly effective in fostering a deeper understanding of complex and developmental trauma, as well as the types of experiences that can adversely impact a child’s development, ability to bond, and communication skills. It emphasises recognising that all behaviour serves as a form of communication and encourages the use of reflection to continually learn and enhance our effectiveness as foster parents.