Inspire For Life

Inspire for Life, an event, over 2 days, offered to all corporate parents across Rotherham borough.

Background:

This event resulted from a collaborative planning session between Inspire Rotherham, the Get Real team and the Foster Carer learning and development team. Inspire Rotherham is the literacy campaign for Rotherham with funding from Yorkshire Forward to support the development of literacy up to the age of 11 and beyond. The Director of Inspire Rotherham had asked for this meeting to discuss the most appropriate way to support looked after children in Rotherham with literacy in the home.

In November 2009 a questionnaire was sent from the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) to 432 foster care providers to gather data on implementation progress of the TSD standards for foster carers, and to identify any barriers to implementation. The CWDC states that 118 reasons were cited for existing foster carers having not completed the TSD standards. One of the top 3 reasons was literacy and language issues (18%), including dyslexia, learning difficulties, and second language issues.

Following discussion regarding Foster Carers’ own literacy barriers and literacy skills in the home of looked after children the popular outcome was that Inspire Rotherham should support an event which promoted literacy, would support the elements of the induction standards which refer to communication, equip Foster Carers to support their children and provide workshops to develop appropriate skills and signpost to support. Foster carers often express concern about helping children with their schoolwork. Through this event the partnership endeavoured to offer practical ways to help carers understand how numeracy and literacy are currently taught in schools and how they can improve children’s skills at home by using everyday resources.

Inspire Rotherham contracted with the Get Real team to ensure the mission remained focused on the corporate parents of the looked after child. The Get Real team publicised the event across RMBC, targeting families and workers appropriately.

Further to this a pack was developed to give to all Foster Carers, which pulled out the relevant elements of the induction standards, providing a reflective journal, linked to the workshops at the event and demonstrating how the standards could be achieved through reflection within the workshops at the event.

The event:

Speakers, presenting at the event included:

Martin Fittes, Assistant Head of School Effectiveness Service – Vulnerable Groups
Gani Martins – Director of Safeguarding and Corporate Parenting Services
Dorothy Smith – Senior Director, Schools and Lifelong Learning
Lemn Sissey – Poet (Lemn presented on his background in care – an aspirational speech)
Rona Barbour – Storyteller (Rona presented on life stories, including her own – adopting 2 children)

Workshops:

• Inspire Rotherham – Story boxes how to create literacy activities from everyday objects – shoe boxes.
• Inspire Rotherham – Communication Friendly Spaces – how to create literacy spaces in the home – the importance of personal space for reading, talking, listening, etc.
• RCAT – raising aspirations for learners in year 6 and year 8.
• Rotherham Family Learning – Creating Story Sacks – age 3-6 years.
• Reading Matters – Improving Reading and Changing Lives – all ages.
• Get Real Team – Therapeutic Story Writing.
• Libraries – Sharing stories.
• NHS Speech and Language Team – Communication development, ages 3-6 years.
• The LAAC Team – Narrative Story Telling.
• Get Real Team – Raising aspirations, year 10 and year 11.
• Risky Business – Raising awareness of sexual exploitation.
• Libraries – Internet and communication safety.
• Rona Barbour – Story telling with children of all ages.
• Imagination gaming – creative use of games to improve communication.

Further stands, providing advice, information and guidance include:

• Get Real Team
• Therapeutic story writing
• LAAC Team
• Rotherham Titans Rugby Club
• Letterbox club
• RCAT
• Gemma books
• Adoption team
• LAC Council
• Imagination gaming
• Reading Matters
• Library service
• ICT into literacy
• Emotional literacy
• Right2Rights

• Dearne Valley College
• Speech and language
• LAC Nurse
• Action for Children
• Early Years
• Sheffield Uni
• U-Explore
• Connexions
• Family Learning
• Hallam University
• Fostering Team
• Bookstart
• Imagination Library
• Learning support
• TR College
• South Yorks Fire & Rescue

Resources:

Every Foster Carer received a bag, full of resources, based on the age group, abilities and possible interests of the children in their care – totalling value of at least £25 each.

Outcomes:

The event was organised over the 2 days to accommodate those who may be in work and a crèche was available to ensure childcare was on offer. Over 200 people attended the event over the 2 days.

The following demonstrates outcomes for 49 of the attendees who completed the evaluation forms over the two days of the Inspire for Life event of which 12 male and 37 female.

When asked if they would like to be added to a database and informed of future events 40 said yes and 9 said no.

Attendees were asked to provide their comments on the day and the table below lays out the questions and answers.