Supporting foster families in caring for vulnerable (but wonderful!) children is often challenging, exhausting, frustrating but also enormously rewarding.
Our foster carers do a remarkable job under incredibly difficult circumstances on occasion, but the difference they make in children’s lives can be life changing and life lasting….quite an achievement, but they couldn’t do it without the support of The CFT staff.
And of course this past few years have been some of the most challenging for us all, but none more so than for our foster carers. Never have they needed good quality support, a listening ear, encouragement and a familiar voice on the end of the phone more, and our teams were there with them every step of the way……as one Ofsted Inspector commented “the Trust feels like one big family, all supporting one another and all with the same intention, to ensure the children are listened to and cared for as they should be”.
In just over 12 months we have been inspected in three regions and awarded two ‘Outstanding’ judgements and one ‘Good’. Quite an achievement after living, working and trying to grow through the unprecedented turmoil of the past two years or more. Of course, none of this could have been achieved without the resilience and commitment of all our teams and a very real desire to ‘get it right’ for our children and foster carers.
We have no doubt that the coming year will be tough, but with our outstanding support and continued hard work and commitment we’ll carry on doing what we do best….making all the difference where it counts in children’s lives.
A message written by our CEO Marina, to all our foster carers this christmas.
Dear all,
I hope you are well and your Christmas preparations are well underway……unlike my own!
I want to take the opportunity of Christmas and all the thoughts and reflections that come with this time of year to thank you for all you continue to do for our most vulnerable children. Your personal sacrifices, commitment and contribution to their lives is without doubt immeasurable at this stage.
However, in doing what you do, day in and day out providing them with real stability, family life, love and care, empowering them to believe they can be who they want to be and realize their aspirations, not only gives them the very best chance at life, but potentially ‘breaks negative cycles’ and changes the lives of future generations…..just a reminder of the impact your care has not only right now but in years to come too…..
And a very recent bereavement also left me thinking of you all….a reminder for me of just how precious our time is….it is without doubt our most valuable commodity, but once spent can never be bought again or replaced. And only the wise spend it well…..which makes you all enormously generous, selfless and incredibly wise, and serves to remind me of how very fortunate we are at the Trust to work alongside each and every one of you……
So thank you all. I know it’s been a very tough and challenging few years for us all, but none more so than for you. I will continue to do all I can by listening to you, making changes wherever possible to improve the lived experiences of our children and enhance the support we provide for you all…….
I wish you a very happy, chaotic, fun filled festive season and a peaceful (!) healthy and eventful 2023……and once again my enormous thanks for hanging on in there..
The staff, trustees and I remain eternally grateful to you, my warmest wishes, Marina.
