Hello and Welcome to the Chrysalis Care blog spot


Chrysalis Care is an independent fostering provider, looking after children in London and the home counties. We have been operating since 1997 and have an ‘outstanding’ reputation.

As you will be aware there are many issues and topics highlighted by the media regarding looked after children, foster care, social services and children not being taken into care with tragic consequences.

The Chrysalis Care blog spot will be a forum where some of these topics, issues and other thoughts associated with fostering and looked after children will be discussed by staff, foster carers and perhaps some young people. I hope you enjoy them and please feel free to comment.

Allé Pflaumer, Director

Wednesday 23 May 2012

A right Royal celebration!

Our Registered Manager, Ian Dixon, attended the Fostering Network’s ‘A celebration of Fostering’ event last night, at the Royal Festival Hall. The event gave an opportunity to celebrate the fantastic work of foster carers nationwide and in light of the recent focus upon adoption, through the well publicised ‘Give a Child a Home’ initiative, the spotlight upon foster carers was extremely welcome.

Amongst some fantastic and powerful testimonies, speeches and performances from care experienced people and foster carers who also represent the Fostering Network at Board level, Tim Loughton MP, the Children’s Minister, gave a speech to be reckoned with. The speech, which Ian describes as ‘impassioned’, can be found at: http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/speeches/a00202579/timloughtonspeaksfosteringnetwork . Importantly, Tim Loughton asserted that the drive to support the fostering task is a priority, that there is a need to reduce bureaucracy and to recognise the professional autonomy of foster carers, stating that: “Foster carers are consummate professionals and we need to treat them as such. For too long, this simply hasn’t happened.” Hear, hear. Tim went on to say: “I am very clear that we must continue to support foster carers to do the best possible job. To make them feel valued. And to recognise the life changing role they play.”

The voices of children and young people and the wider foster care workforce have been rightly centralised, so if you have anything to contribute to the growing dialogue about the importance of foster care, ‘Tell Tim’ at:

http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/families/childrenincare/telltim

Joanna Oliver, Strategic Development Executive

Wednesday 2 May 2012

Blog – Preparation for Leaving Care?


I’m not a great fan of labels. In fact, I am possibly diametrically opposed to them, for the restrictions that they can place on the individuality of people, especially people who may experience social oppression and systematic stereotyping, such as our children and young people who are looked after. Today, my position is in jeopardy as I consider all of the young people who are about to leave the care system and who though in age are ‘ready’ (yet, are many of us really ready at that age?), do not have the emotional capacity to manage the transition. I’m talking about the young people who may be expected to move from the containment of their ‘specialist’ school to an FE college. I’m also talking about the young people who have not been formally assessed (and won’t be) for dyslexia but are showing clear signs that they are. Then there’s the young person approaching the age where they are expected to be able to budget and navigate public transport but this is in no way feasible for them because they are demonstrating signs of Aspergers syndrome.


None of these young people have formal labels and hence, none of them are receiving additional support or considerations that they do not and will not fit or meet the criteria for a smooth transition into independence. In the absence of a label, there is of course the tacit knowledge of the foster carer, who may have the insight into the specific needs of a young person but without the label are not supported by the system to source what is needed to meet these needs.


So no, I’m not a fan of labels but I am considerably more opposed to young people not receiving the support they truly need, to be who they truly are and who they can be, in society. Surely this is the true intention behind ‘preparation for independence’?


Joanna Oliver


Strategic Development Executive