New research highlights expertise and support provided by social workers in Flintshire

With over 7,000 young people in care across Wales, the need for more Foster Carers is increasingly pressing.

There are currently 105 children in foster care in Flintshire, who are cared for by the 77 in-house local authority foster carers. As the number of children coming into care continues to rise, more new foster carers are needed to ensure that children and young people can remain in their local community, when it’s right for them.  

In January the national network of 22 Welsh local authority fostering teams, Foster Wales, launched a campaign to recruit an additional 800 foster families by 2026. 

Foster Wales Flintshire joined the campaign, ‘Bring Something to the Table,’ to share realistic experiences from the fostering community to respond to common barriers to enquiries.

Some of these include a lack of confidence, misconceptions around criteria, and a belief that that fostering doesn’t fit with certain lifestyles.

The latest phase of the campaign focuses on the role of foster care social workers and the ‘support bubble’ that exists around foster carers, to provide potential carers with: 

1) Information and understanding around the social workers’ role, and how the wider fostering community can support them. 

2) Confidence and assurance that social workers are caring, pro-active experts who work hard to support both young people and foster carers. 

3) Motivation to start the process to become a foster carer via a Local Authority. 

In a recent public YouGov survey only 44% respondents said social work was well-respected and nearly two fifths (39%) of adults polled felt social work practitioners “often got things wrong.” While only 11% of social workers currently believe social work is well-respected.

The latest ‘Bring something to the table’ campaign is guided by a newly commissioned survey to better understand preconceptions and motivations of social workers.

There were 309 respondents and key findings include: 

• 78% social workers surveyed said they entered the profession to support and help families 

• 18% foster carers said negative perceptions of social workers were because of News coverage

• 29% foster carers said before meeting a social worker they thought they would be ‘people with heavy caseloads and lots of paperwork.’

• 27% social workers surveyed believe potential carers fear being judged by professionals

Helen Murphy is a Mockingbird Social Worker for Foster Wales Flintshire and has spent 2 and a half years in the role. 'Mockingbird' is an innovative programme developed by The Fostering Network that offers support and relationships to foster carers, as an extended family would provide. Flintshire is The Fostering Network’s first mockingbird partner in Wales.

Helen said:

“I started working with Foster Wales Flintshire as a student in October 2021. I had never considered a career as a social worker for foster carers before, but I quickly became inspired by their dedication to supporting children who cannot be cared for by their own families. Our carers provide empathetic, understanding, and loving support to children and their families. Foster carers are strong, resilient, and adaptable individuals who are highly skilled and continuously seek personal and professional development to ensure each child receives the best possible care when they need it.

I take pride in being the Mockingbird Liaison Social Worker for Flintshire. This role involves a community family model where a team of hub carers provides practical support to other local foster carers, such as childcare or simply being there for a chat when needed. Our Mockingbird carers also organise local social activities, and as a group, we have many enjoyable times together with the children. In this role, I am more than "just a social worker," and I absolutely love it.”

Sue a Foster Carer in Flintshire said:

”I’m grateful that Helen is there to get me through the good times and the more challenging times” 

In the research, foster carers highlighted the importance of close and long-lasting working relationships to support young people to overcome challenges. They were also keen to dispel myths about social workers and the support you receive, and paid tribute to the dedication of their social workers.

Sue has been fostering with her local authority in Flintshire since 2020 and is also a Mockingbird Hub carer. 

She said:

“I have known the social workers in Flintshire for many years, and I have been a Mockingbird hub carer for 2 years. Helen and I have developed a great relationship. I can reach out to her for what I need, and she is always on hand to help. Helen listens to me and helps me believe in myself and my capabilities. Helen and I work well together, we both have strong empathy, compassion and relationship building skills, and these are at the very heart of the roles we do. 

When there are challenges, we deal with them together, as the Mockingbird community is like one big family. It is so rewarding to see children and foster carers enjoying each other’s company and feel supported through play and communication. We have had many enjoyable times together, and Helen is as well-known as myself among the children and carers. We know our foster carers and children well; everyone is comfortable with each other, and we can cater for everyone’s individual support needs. I’m grateful that Helen is there to get me through the good times and the more challenging times, my role as a hub carer is so rewarding!”

To find out more about Mockingbird at Foster Wales Flintshire, please visit: 

Mockingbird at Foster Wales Flintshire

For more information about fostering, or to make an enquiry, visit: 

https://www.fosterwales.flintshire.gov.uk/en/contact-us.aspx