Mockingbird: better together and bright times ahead
Mockingbird constellations are led by a hub home carer and liaison worker who support six to ten satellite families to form a supportive community based on an extended family model – the first constellations in the UK launched in late 2015. We are marking this five years anniversary by sharing the experiences – this time from Mockingbird at the Royal Borough of Greenwich – of foster carers, young people and staff in services to hear how it feels to be part of the programme.
Since joining Mockingbird in 2015, the Royal Borough of Greenwich has developed four constellations made up of 34 fostering families – these communities have proved vital over the last year.
Throughout the pandemic the four hub home carers worked together to organise events that brought their communities together and fought feelings of isolation: from a multi-hub ‘Mockingbird’s Got Talent’ event on Zoom in lockdown one, to a socially distanced ‘sparklers in the park’ activity at the end of last year. These shared experiences brought entertainment and connection when it was needed most.
Friendships and fun
Speaking to two young people that are part of the Greenwich constellations, Tyler, 15, tells us ‘being part of a hub means you know all of the people that are part of it and form friendships.’ Kira, 9, adds: ‘Mockingbird is where we all have fun. I always have friends to play with, there’s always lots of things to do.’
Raluca, a Mockingbird liaison worker, says she has seen how, as part of a constellation, children and young people are more relaxed and comfortable making friendships, as they feel less likely to be judged and labelled as a ‘looked after child’.
Joanne and Graham, Greenwich hub carers and foster carers for 13 years, agree: ‘Mockingbird helps children and young people meet and mix with other families who are in the same situation in a friendly environment, where they can receive and offer support.’
These connections do not only sustain placements but also support families through tough times, as illustrated by the findings of the 2020 independent evaluation of the Mockingbird programme. It found that almost all children and young people (98% in 2018 and 97% in 2019) said that they had an adult who they trusted, who helped them and who sticks by them no matter what.
Peer support
Tony, who has been part of Mockingbird since 2015 and is now a hub home carer, told us ‘if it’s really run well, foster carers can come to rely on you when there is trouble. When you are a foster carer on your own, it can be a lonely place. But we’re always there for the foster carers as well as the children.
The independent evaluation found that ‘feeling well supported is a key factor in retaining foster carers, and foster carer peer support was seen as a fundamental part of the Mockingbird constellations.’ Survey responses also show that ‘foster carers who participated in Mockingbird were 82% less likely to de-register than households who did not participate.’
In Greenwich, supportive networks reach beyond individual constellations. ‘We, the hub carers, have our own support group once a month’, says Jennifer who launched her constellation in 2019. ‘We call each other as and when. We share ideas and pick each other’s brain. We also share experiences and activities that have gone well and recommend activities and local visits.’
Five years of community
To mark the milestone of five years of Mockingbird hub home carer Linda, whose constellation launched in 2015, made a 48 mile round-trip dropping off celebratory cupcakes to everyone’s doorsteps so they could enjoy a sweet treat together. Everyone dialed in for a slide show of photos of their five years as a community and guests shared fond memories. ‘The celebration was a bit of a tear jerker’, Linda remembers, ‘and a lovely a trip down memory lane.’ ‘It was very emotional at times’, agrees Jennifer. 'It was surprising to see how far we had come together and the changes in the children over time.’
Bright times ahead
Ishara Tewary, fostering service leader, tells us that Greenwich are also looking forward to launching their fifth constellation in 2021. It will not only support mainstream fostering families but also a number of young people who are currently in local residential care placements.
The benefits of Mockingbird for fostering families are clear, and it is due to the strength and warmth of these communities that the programme succeeds. Kira, 9, sums it up best when asked what she would tell a young person who might be joining Mockingbird: ‘Everyone would be kind to you and you would be part of our family and have lots of fun!!!’
To see how Mockingbird communities supported each other in 2020 watch our film Mockingbird in Lockdown and visit the Mockingbird webpage to learn more about the programme.
