Board of trustees
Board members
- Jim Bond Chair
- Viv Kind Vice Chair
- Mike Mercer Treasurer
- Adrian Clark
- Alan Torry
- Barbara Foster
- Chris Cutler
- David Hadjicostas
- Johannah Muckley
- Jonathan Broad
- Kenneth Warriner
- Lorraine Edington
- Marilyn Diack
- Michael Rosenbaum
- Philip Brown
- Sheila Patel
- Joy Allen
Jim Bond - Chair
Jim
has been fostering since 1994 and is currently Chair of Essex
Foster Carers' Council. He has many years experience of working
with charities, especially in training, fund raising, campaigning
and policy formation.
Jim says he is:
"committed to the development of a fully professional, adequately supported and properly funded foster care service throughout the UK"
Viv Kind - Vice Chair
Viv
and her family have been fostering for nearly 30 years, having
looked after children of all ages and backgrounds for a range of
different local authorities. She was a founder member of her local
foster care association, and has also been a children and families
social worker for the past 18 years.
Viv believes:
"fostering works because of the expertise, caring and dedication that foster carers provide. The challenge for us is to secure proper recognition of foster carers' key role in shaping the future of the children we care for."
Michael Mercer - Treasurer
Adrian Clark
Adrian has been a Foster Carer with his
wife, Brenda, for 31 years and has fostered over 60 children in
that time. He is also an IT Professional, currently employed as a
Finance Manager in the IT Department of a major UK Bank. Adrian is
also the Secretary of the Glasgow Foster Carers Association.
"I want to see Foster Carers once again treated with respect, fairness and dignity and, as the front-line child care Professionals they are, fully supported in their parenting role, all to the benefit of the children they foster."
Alan Torry
Barbara Foster
Barbara has worked in children's
services for 29 years as a social worker, team manager and
placements manager in London and Essex. She currently works on
foster carer recruitment, support and retention, especially
focusing on offering local placements to looked after children and
young people.
Barbara's main interests are:
the partnership between the local authority carers and staff,
the involvement of carers and young people in service plans and
developments, and the campaign to increase resources in
fostering.
Chris Cutler
Christopher has been a full-time foster
carer since 2002. He fosters a range of ages from seven upwards. He
is greatly involved in his local foster care association acting as
vice chair, newsletter editor and website designer. Christopher is
also an independent fostering panel member with experience as a
qualified teacher and IT professional.
Chris says:
"For any person or agency really concerned for the welfare of children in care, it must be self evident that support for the child is delivered by supporting the child's foster carer. Get that right, and the rest will follow."
David Hadjicostas
David is president of the Fostering Network - read David's profile.
Johanna Muckley
Johannah has fostered two teenagers
since 1999. She sits on Leeds City Council liaison, and Leeds
Foster Carers Association. She is particularly concerned with the
treatment of looked-after children when they leave the system at 18
and inadequacies of the current education system.
Johanna comments:
"My concerns for fostered young people are numerous. I deliberately haven't used the words "cared for" as I see more and more how they are uncared for."
Jonathan Broad
Jonathan has been fostering disabled
children for 13 years and is a prominent member of the email
support group for foster carers: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UKFoster-Adopt/
Jon feels strongly that:
"there is work to be done, particularly to protect both children and carers from the vagaries and injustice of the allegations processes and on the governance of the Fostering Network. In both I am determined that carers' voices and views will be presented effectively."
Kenneth Warriner
Kenneth has been fostering for just
over two years and has had 19 placements in that time. He is a care
leaver himself and keen to use his experience to help children
currently in a similar position.
Kenneth believes
"all children deserve to be heard."
Lorraine Edington
Lorraine has worked for children,
young people and their families for over twenty years, both in the
UK and overseas. Lorraine is a qualified and experienced social
worker, who gained knowledge of fostering through her work for the
Fostering and Adoption Team of the London Borough of Richmond and
by inputting into foster programmes in countries where fostering
was previously an unheard of concept.
Lorraine currently works in the Policy, Quality Assurance and Training Department of an Independent Fostering Provider.
"The majority of children and young people who are unable to live with their families are cared for by foster carers. Therefore we must train and support foster carers so that they are able to provide the best possible care for children and young people"
Marilyn Diack
Marilyn has been a foster carer for the
past two years and currently has two young people on a long-term
placement. Marilyn finds her role as a foster carer both satisfying
and rewarding. She is keen to contribute to the work of the
Fostering Network.
Marilyn says:
"Often it is a battle against the system to get young people's and their carers' views and needs listened to."
Michael Rosenbaum
Michael has experience as a social
worker, panel member, conciliator, helpline adviser and foster
carer. He was a trustee for the Fostering Network 2003-5. He was
also involved in launching independent support for carers' sons and
daughters.
Michael feels it is important to achieve
"better links between foster carers and Fostering Network Trustees"
Philip Brown
Philip has been a foster carer for 26 years
and has fostered 150 children. He fostered young children and
worked with parents on rehabilitation schemes. He actively supports
foster carers subject to an allegation and the establishment of a
comprehensive programme of foster carer professionalisation.
Philip feels:
"more work needs to be done to improve the methods by which foster carers can persuade authorities to fulfil the requirements of the law and its guidelines."
Sheila Patel
Sheila has been an approved foster carer
for over 15 years, and has also raised 5 children of her own. She
has completed an NVQ Level 3 and a City and Guilds counselling
course. She works with an independent fostering agency representing
carers and is also involved in the coordination of respite for
carers.
Sheila said:
"I believe the family to be the central element of any work with looked after children"
Joy Allen
Joy
Allen has been a foster carer for 15 years, mainly fostering
teenagers. She is also a member of the Fostering Network Northern
Ireland advisory group, and of the board of the Belfast Health and
Social Care Trust. Joy was a Chief Executive in the voluntary
sector for 12 years, and now runs her own business, delivering
training and consultancy on governance and leadership.
Joy believes:
"If fostered young people are to get the support they need, then foster carers must get the support they need"