Author: Tay Jiva

Tay is the Registered Manager of Sparks Fostering: This means that Tay is responsible for the overall running of the agency. Tay has worked in social care for over 20 years, is a qualified social worker and was honoured with an MBE for her work recruiting foster carers and adopters. She has also studied for 3 Masters degrees (including a Master’s degree in social work). Tay’s previous employment included youth offending teams, prisons, mental health institutions, Cafcass, child protection and of course adoption and fostering providers. Tay has a particular specialism of recruiting and supporting Muslim foster carers and Muslim children who are looked after. Tay has written several guidance documents and delivered considerable training on the topic, including editing guidance documents with the British Board of Scholars and Imams. Tay has previously received government funding to do work in this sector and she has contributed to published research on the topic. Tay lives in central Manchester and has previously lived in various areas of the North West, where she is proud to base the agency. Tay considers the North West to be a friendly, diverse and thriving area, which is perfectly aligned with fostering principles. Tay’s ambition for Sparks Fostering is to streamline processes and for all members of the agency to feel confident about what is expected of them and to enjoy their involvement with the agency. Tay is also a mother to 2 children, who are very patient and supportive of Tay in the amount of time and effort she has given to improve the lives of vulnerable children and also to set up and run Sparks Fostering.

The best social workers have boundaries

As an experienced fostering social worker, I sometimes find it awkward and uncomfortable to tell foster carers (or others) that I have to limit the time I can spend talking with them – it has the risk of creating a distance and formality in our relationship that can sometimes feel unkind. But I do enforce […]

Racism in social work pushed me to set up a fostering agency

My journey to getting an MBE and owning a fostering agency 8 years ago I was in my first fostering role (after 13 years of working in other children’s social care sectors), as a supervising social worker for a large Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ fostering provider in Manchester. I was one of three new starters, and the […]

Fostering Ukrainian Children

Can I Foster Ukrainian Children? Recent months have seen a sudden increase in the number of families offering to support Ukrainian families. Some people may have a specific desire to support Ukrainian children who are fleeing the war in Ukraine; however, whilst the crisis in Ukraine has impacted on large numbers of people, the number […]