The Difference Fostering Can Make, from a Supervising Social Worker.

Ange has been a Supervising Social Worker with Capstone Foster Care since mid-2019, however, her caring career spans more than fifteen years with her starting out in the charity sector.

“I fell in love with doing the assessments, when I made the move to Capstone it was the best move I ever made.”

What is a Supervising Social Worker?

For Ange her role is all about showing that all important support to her foster carers, so that they can be the best they can be. She positions the foster carer role as one that is a parent, yet professional.

Part of her role is to ensure that her carers are well trained, and equipped to handle the day to day life as a foster carer. Many young people in foster care have experienced trauma, so for Ange it is always being that back up to the carers and helping them to tailor their parenting approach to suit the needs of the individual child.

She is also aware that fostering is a 24/7 job, so she acts as her carer’s confidante, someone they can always rely on to reassure and remind them why it is they do it.

“When you are a foster carer sometimes you can get lost in the day-to-day trials and tribulations, so every now and then I like to make them step back and see the long-term impact they are making.

They are changing the future.

We here at Capstone wouldn’t be anywhere without them!”

Ange is currently looking after eleven fostering families, this number allows her to build real relationships with all of her families. This is so important as it means less breakdowns within the fostering home.

What difference can fostering make?

Before we had finished this question Ange had the biggest smile on her face and we knew she had a good answer.

She talked with so much joy about a young girl, who has been living with her fostering family for the last six years and is eleven years old. After coming to live with the family her confidence grew when she took up ballroom dancing.

Fast forward six years and now she is competing in national competitions, travels all over the country to dance and has even danced in Blackpool Tower. Her foster parents are so proud, investing thousands into beautiful costumes and taking every opportunity to watch their foster daughter perform.

“What I love most about my foster carers,” Ange tells us, “is that they don’t expect anything less. They have such positive outlooks about the futures of their foster children, there are always talks of university and careers, and achievement.”

“So many in society would write these young people off. But so often I see looked after children excel in the right setting, and their foster carers don’t expect anything less.”

All we can say is, wow, well said Ange!

Foster Care Fortnight is our opportunity to raise the profile of fostering by showing the positive impact that fostering can have and how it changes lives. If you are interested in finding out more about fostering with Capstone, please call our friendly team on 0800 012 4004.