recruitment

I feel a touch bereft this morning. While I know a number of you will be grateful for TV returning to relative normal, for me, the summer of sport so far has been incredible. Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix have come as standard, but this has of course been a football World Cup year. We’ve also had the Grand Départ from Yorkshire for the Tour de France, which was breathtaking. There is the small matter of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow so all is not completely lost.

And breathe… or maybe not if you’re part of the team processing enquiries, doing home visits and more. But this is a good thing. Hopefully you’ve achieved your expectations and received enquiries from people who could become just the type of foster carers you need. If not, get in touch and tell me why.

There seems to be no let-up in the pace of this year’s Foster Care Fortnight activity, typified by the excellent work you’re doing in your local communities. Our media monitoring systems are reporting over 700 pieces of coverage across the UK. Many of you have been in touch telling me of activities still to come, so we may hit and surpass the magical 1,000 mark!

I start this month’s blog the day after April Fools’ Day, so rest assured that this month’s AKC blog is wind-up free… although I'm sure some will beg to differ!

The i’s have been dotted and t’s have been crossed, and we can now announce the 15 local authorities that we will be working with to March 2014 to support them in their recruitment of foster carers.

As the new term starts, I’m grateful that I’m beyond the age to be dragged around the shops to pick up new items of uniform, including shoes with enough room to grow into. Or in the latter educational years, packing up the car to be greeted with the bare brick walls of a new university hall, armed with only a familiar duvet cover and a wardrobe of decidedly odd clothes.

I seem to have been on a one man mission of late to share the virtues of becoming a foster carer with any friends or members of family who I think would be suitable… and are prepared to listen!

During foster carer recruitment campaigns, we often hear from foster carers who are confused by the messages that their fostering service needs more carers, when they themselves are without a placement.