Newsletter December 2007

Information and resources

The relevant standards from the Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care are listed for each resource.

Achieving best behavior for children with developmental disabilities : a step-by-step workbook for parents and carers by Pamela Lewis

Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2006, ISBN 1843108097
A workbook for parents and carers giving advice on how to manage different behaviours. This relates to issues covered in standard 5.
Available for purchase at www.jkp.com.

Adolescent substance misuse : why one person may be more at risk than another, and what you can do to help by Ian Sutherland

Russell House Publishing, 2004, ISBN 190385539X
The book looks at why one young person is more at risk than another from substance misuse. It identifies factors eg possibly because low self-esteem or low academic. achivement. A handy tool for a variety of professions including leaving care workers. This relates to issues covered in standard 3.
Available for purchase at www.russellhouse.co.uk

Book it! : how to set up your own reading group and keep it going

ContinYou, 2007
This resource acts as a guide for setting up reading groups for children. It includes information about funding sources and how to measure the success of your group. It also includes details of useful resources and organisations. This relates to issues covered in standard 5.
Available free at www.continyou.org.uk/files/documents/documents/doc_402.pdf

Bullying in schools : a survey of the experience of looked after children by Vidya Rao and Doug Simkiss

British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF), 2007
Adoption and fostering ; v. 31, no. 3, p.49-57
This article looks at how bullying effects looked after children and whether the type of bullying varies. It also considers how bullying can affect the health of child. This relates to issues covered in standard 6.

Care matters : time for change

National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations, 2007
Summary of the white paper setting out the proposals by the government to reform the services to children in care. This relates to issues covered in standard 2.
Available free at www.ncvcco.org.uk

Children to stay in care until 18

Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), 2007
This is a press release about the Right2bcared4 project which looks at the options for young people as they enter the leaving care phase. This relates to issues covered in standard 2.
Available free at www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2007_0176

Communication, disability and literacy difficulties

ICAN, 2006
This report looks at how having difficulty with oral communication can affect the literacy of children with disabilities. It makes recommendations as to how literacy skills can be improved and the skills that the children's workforce require in order to do this. This relates to issues covered in standard 4.
Available free at www.ican.org.uk

Contact by Jacky Slade

The Fostering Network, 2008, ISBN 1897869517
Advice and help for foster carers in dealing with the problems raised by their foster children's contact with their birth families. This relates to issues covered in standard 4.
Available for purchase at www.fostering.net.

Cyberbullying : a whole-school community issue

Childnet International, 2007
This section of the Digizen.org website contains information on cyberbullying including what it is, the law and cyberbullying and safety advice. This relates to issues covered in standard 6.
Available free at www.digizen.org/cyberbullying/overview

Cyberbullying : laugh at it and you're part of it

Directgov, 2007
This website, part of the larger Directgov website, looks at cyberbullying. It includes information for young people who may be being bullied or those who may be taking part in cyberbullying. This relates to issues covered in standard 6.
Available free at http://yp.direct.gov.uk/cyberbullying

DCSF: Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2007

Department for Children, Families and Schools (DCFS), 2007
This First Statistical Release gives statistics at a national level for 2007. This relates to issues covered in standard 2.
Available free at www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000741/index.shtml

Dontdisme.co.uk

This is a website for young people with disabilities. It has information about a wide range of issues including employment, going on holiday and housing and also hosts forums for young people to discuss their concerns. This relates to issues covered in standard 5.
Available free at www.dontdisme.co.uk .

Education and Inspections Act 2006 : the essential guide by Alan Parker, Alex Duncan and John Fowler

National Foundation for Educational Research in England and Wales, 2007, ISBN 9781905314362
This is a guide to the Education and Inspections Act 2006 which created local authorities' role as children and young people's champions and set up the new Ofsted. This relates to issues covered in standard 5.
Available for purchase at www.nfer.ac.uk

Empathy for the devil : how to help people overcome drugs and alcohol problems by Phil Harris

Russell House Publishing, 2007, ISBN 9781903855546
The book is a resource to help identify, bring about change and maintain that change in the case of alcohol and substance misuse. This relates to issues covered in standard 3.
Available for purchase at www.russellhouse.co.uk

Guide to the social services : social policy and legislation explained : 2007 - 2008

Waterlow Professional Publishing, 2007
A guide current at July 2007. It refers to legislation relevant in England and Wales. A directory covering such topics as current legislation, health, welfare, housing, employment, immigration and citizenship, tax, education, law and legal services, training and recruitment and other useful addresses. This relates to issues covered in standard 2.

Hands on Scotland

Playfield Institute; University of Dundee; Barnardo's Scotland, 2007
Hands on Scotland provides information and techniques for managing behaviour and promoting good mental health among children and young people. Topics covered include self harm, eating problems, anxiety and unusual behaviours. This relates to issues covered in standard 3.
Available free at www.handsonscotland.co.uk

If I could change one thing : children and young people's views by Every Disabled Child Matters

National Children's Bureau (NCB), 2007
This is about the responses to the Every Disabled Child Matters consultation about what disabled think about the services that they receive. This relates to issues covered in standard 5.
Available free at www.edcm.org.uk/pdfs/if_i_could_change_childrens.pdf

Independent inquiry report into the circumstances of child sexual abuse by two foster carers in Wakefield by Brian Parrott, Annie McIver and June Thoburn

Wakefield City Council, 2007
This is the report of the independent inquiry into the sexual abuse of children placed with a gay couple in Wakefield. It considers where errors were made and recommendations and learning for the future. This relates to issues covered in standard 6.
Available free at www.wakefield.gov.uk

Parents, carers and schools

Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted), 2007
This is the report of a survey undertaken to look at parents' and carers' involvement in schools. It lays out examples of good practice and makes recommendations. This relates to issues covered in standard 5.
Available free at www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research

Planting the knowledge tree by Angie Hart

Reed Business Information, 2007
Community care ; 18 October 2007, p. 28 - 29
This article looks at how foster care and those involved in it can help children in care to achieve good educational outcomes and attend university. This relates to issues covered in standard 5.

Reducing inequalities : realising the talents of all by Leon Feinstein, Barbara Hearn and Zoe Renton

National Children's Bureau (NCB), 2007, ISBN 9781905818204
This report looks at how methods of education can be used to reduce the differences in achievement between socio-economic groups. It also looks at how a child's socio-economic group can be used as an indicator as to how likely that child is to be socially excluded as an adult. This relates to issues covered in standard 5.
Available for purchase at www.ncb.org.uk/dotpdf/member%20only%20-%20phase%202/REDUweb.pdf

School exclusions

NCVCCO, 2007
This page on the NCVCCO website has details of how the Education and Inspections Act 2006 will be enforced in terms of children being in public places while excluded from school. This relates to issues covered in standard 5.
Available free at www.ncvcco.org/index.php?alias=School%20Exclusions

Special mates

Special Mates, 2007
This is a website aiming to provide support to people with disabilities. It has a range of resources including useful links and medical information as well as a section for information for carers. This relates to issues covered in standard 5.
Available free at www.special-mates.co.uk

Sum-it! : how to set up your own maths club and keep it going

ContinYou, 2007
Adoption and fostering
This is a guide for anyone wishing to set up an after school maths club. It has tips for setting up a group, measuring the success and how to find funding as well as details of useful organisations. This relates to issues covered in standard 5.
Available free at www.continyou.org.uk/files/documents/documents/doc_372.pdf

Taking part : making out-of-hours learning happen for children in care

ContinYou, 2007
This document contains information about the Taking Part initiative to include children and young people in care in out of hours clubs and activities. It has details of how children's services can set up such services and has details of useful organisations. This relates to issues covered in standard 5.
Available free at www.continyou.org.uk/files/documents/documents/doc_289.pdf

Teenagers in foster care : promoting positive relationships : a training course by Kevin Lowe, Jayne Hellett and Stephanie Stace

Trust for the Study of Adolescence, 2007, ISBN 9781871504873
This training course is aimed at foster carers and social workers who are working with young people in care. It is based on the findings of the Reducing risks for teenagers in foster care project. This relates to issues covered in standard 3.
Available for purchase at www.studyofadolescence.org.uk/publications

The cost to the nation of children's poor communication by Mary Hartshorne

ICAN, 2006
This report looks at how poor communication in children affects not just them but their family and wider communities. It looks at the contemporary issues around oral communication and how the skills of the children's workforce need to reflect the issues. This relates to issues covered in standard 4.
Available free at www.ican.org.uk/home/information/publications

Understanding looked after children : an introduction to psychology for foster carers by Jeune Guishard-Pine, Suzanne McCall and Lloyd Hamilton

Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2007, ISBN 9781843103707
This book is aimed at foster carers, prospective carers and others working with children in care. It aims to give a basic grounding in the mental health needs of children in care and how those caring for them can support them. This relates to issues covered in standard 5.
Available for purchase at www.jkp.com

Understanding the links : child abuse, animal abuse and domestic violence : information for professionals

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), [2007]
This report looks at the links between child abuse, animal cruelty and domestic violence. It suggests ways in which professionals can act if they see a cause for concern. This relates to issues covered in standard 6.
Available free at www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/publications/Downloads/understandingthelinks_wdf48177.pdf

Using health, education, housing and other services : a study of care leavers and other young people in difficulties by Claire Cameron

Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London, 2007
This is the report of a study done as to how easily care leavers and vulnerable young people can access services. It looks at some of the policy considerations. This relates to issues covered in standard 6.
Available free at www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/TCRU-01-07.pdf

Where to find information : a starter guide

National Information Forum; Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), 2007, ISBN 0951767038
This booklet provides an introduction to a wide variety of information sources such as libraries and the internet. This relates to issues covered in standard 7.
Available free at www.nif.org.uk

Working with children and young people with disabilities : briefing for foster carers

CWDC, 2007
This resource highlights issues that foster carers may face when working with children and young people with disabilities, gives details of sources of information and directs foster carers to appropriate training including accredited qualifications. This relates to issues covered in standard 5.
Available free at www.cwdcouncil.org.uk .