A blog by the Sparks Fostering Registered Manager
When I was a child, I wanted to be a police officer. I liked the idea of being part of the justice system and creating a better society.
Then as I got older I leaned more towards wanting to help people so decided to explore a career in psychology. I completed an undergraduate and a Master’s degree in psychology and started work as a Psychologist; however, I soon learned that psychologists complete assessments with people and do a bit of work, but they don’t tend to have a long-standing relationship with their clients.
So then I stepped across to social work and completed a Master’s degree in social work. I haven’t looked back since. I’ve worked with offenders (in the community, in prisons and in maximum secure units), with child protection teams, adoption teams, and I also did some work in adults teams. I find working with children to be the most rewarding because children can make big changes in short space of time and by helping children, I am giving them a better future and it may also have a knock-on effect on other people in their lives. By helping a child, they may grow to have better relationships and then they’ll also be better parents to their own children.
I was drawn to foster care because of the opportunity to work with families who can support the most vulnerable children in our society. Most children in foster care have suffered significant trauma in their family homes. And the vast majority of children in foster care have been moved to live with strangers – that experience in itself would be difficult for anyone (adult or child).
As the registered manager, I support social workers, who support foster carers to give the best possible care to the children. The carers take traumatised children into their home and they help them to heal. As professionals, we provide the support needed for that work to happen.
I love my work because it’s my legacy. I can be confident that, despite any mistakes and shortcomings I have, I have contributed to creating a better world will more healed people.
If you want to foster, or work in foster care, contact us at Sparks Fostering and join us in our mission to heal as many children as possible and help them to reach their potential and thrive.