A new programme will mean greater family-style support for foster carers and the children and young people they look after.
Foster for Plymouth, Plymouth City Council’s own fostering service, is introducing the Mockingbird programme with support from The Fostering Network.
Mockingbird uses an extended family model in the form of ‘constellations’, consisting of a central hub home which supports several satellite homes of other foster carers. The hub home carers are specially recruited for their experience and will help the satellite carers with peer support, social activities and respite care in the form of sleepovers.
Initially, there will be one constellation set up in Plymouth involving up to ten foster families. The first hub carers, Jo and Duncan, will be working to support the satellite families in a variety of ways.
Jo and Duncan are very experienced carers having looked after numerous children over the last 22 years. They said: “When we heard that the Mockingbird model was coming to Plymouth, we were very excited as we had read so much about it. We are really keen to be involved as we can see how much this will help foster carers and the children in their care.”
Foster for Plymouth’s first constellation recently came together to enjoy a celebratory festive movie night, which was a big success.
Being part of a Mockingbird constellation is not compulsory, but rather an additional offer for foster carers. It has been shown to help alleviate the sense of isolation that carers can feel and means they can access immediate practical and emotional support, in the same way that a non-fostering family might be supported by friends and family.
The constellation operates like a family, which means hub carers get the chance to know the satellite families and the children they support very well, building a nurturing family community, which benefits everyone involved.
The hope is to create more constellations of Plymouth fostering families to ensure that more carers can benefit from this innovative model of support. A dedicated Mockingbird Liaison Worker has been appointed within the Council’s fostering team to ensure the smooth rollout of the Mockingbird programme.
Councillor Jemima Laing, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, said: “Mockingbird is an absolutely fantastic concept and I am really pleased that we are now rolling it out in Plymouth. It will mean that foster carers receive the extra support they need from a tight-knit community filled with peers who understand exactly what they are dealing with.
“We are immensely grateful for all our foster carers who play a vital role in keeping children in Plymouth safe and helping them to thrive and reach their full potential. It is such a valuable role, but it does bring both emotional and practical challenges, which is where Mockingbird comes in and will offer an extra helping hand. We’re really excited to see how our first constellation gets on, and for our foster families to enjoy the benefits of this new community.”
Bethan Drew, Coach at The Fostering Network said: “The Fostering Network is thrilled that Plymouth City Council are launching their first Mockingbird constellation. We have seen the amazing impact Mockingbird has for fostering families in the South West and are so pleased that Plymouth has joined the Mockingbird family.”
To become a foster carer, you must be over the age of 21, have a spare bedroom and have a genuine interest in the welfare and wellbeing of children in the care of Local Authority.
If you’d like to find out more about fostering in Plymouth visit fosterforplymouth.co.uk.