An overview of the fostering service delivered in Scotland by Core Assets – including an introduction to the team parenting model. To include an overview of international developments and the Core Assets journey into Europe, Australasia, North America and East Asia. Contributor: Core Assets

1. Providing Quality
Foster Care
Local and Global
Core Assets Scotland – Team Parenting
Wendy Brown
Senior Therapist
Core Assets International Developments
Gabrielle Jerome
Head of International Social Work
Social Services Expo and Conference
Edinburgh March 19 2013
www.coreassets.com

2. Quality Care in a Family Setting
Core Assets founded in 1994 in England by Jan Rees and Jim Cockburn.
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Core Assets founded in 1994 by Jan Rees and Jim Cockburn, operating in England
Core Assets founded in 1994 by Jan Rees and Jim Cockburn, operating in England
• Core Assets Scotland was set up by Estella Abraham, our founding Director, and celebrated its 10th Anniversary in October 2012.
• We have cared for over 1,600 children in Scotland and currently have over 350 children and young people in placement
Core Assets Scotland was set up by Estella Abraham, our founding Director, and
• Over 265 foster carers are supported by nearly 100 staff members
celebrated its 10th Anniversary in October 2012.
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Our vision: to make a positive and lasting
difference to the lives of children and
We have cared for over 1,600 children in foster care in Scotland and currently
have over 350 children and young people in placement.
Over 265 foster carers are supported by nearly 100 staff members
Our vision:
To make a positive and lasting difference to the lives of children and young
people
• young peopleCore Assets founded in 1994 by Jan Rees and Jim Cockburn, operating in England

3. Where Are We in Scotland?
1 Core Assets Scotland’s Head Office – Glasgow
8 local offices:
2. Glasgow & West - Stepps
3. Central & Lanarkshire - Hamilton
4. Edinburgh
5. Perth
6. Scottish Borders - Selkirk
7. Ayrshire - Prestwick
8. Inverness
9. Aberdeen

4. Care Inspectorate Inspection Report 2012
• Quality of care and support – 5. Very good
• Quality of staffing – 5. Very good
• Quality of management and leadership – 5. Very good.
• www.scswis.com

5. What Team Parenting Means
• Team Parenting suggests that a looked after child should be
“surrounded” by carers and professionals who understand
the child‟s emotional and developmental needs
• Team Parenting emphasises the impact of traumatic
experiences on a child‟s ability to form attachments
• Team Parenting perceives that a child‟s attachment
difficulties are often central to their inability to fulfil their
potential
• Team Parenting hypothesises that looked after children
have specific therapeutic needs because of their history and
experiences

6. Our Team Parenting Model

7. ATTACHMENT
THEORY
THEORY
Theoretical Base
SYSTEMIC
SYSTEMIC
THEORY
THEORY
TEAM PARENTING

8. Team Parenting
• Suggests that a child‟s early experiences are
likely to be “acted out” again at a later date,
either by themselves or by the wider system
• Suggests that a child‟s behaviour may be an
expression of survival within their history of
trauma and poor attachment
• Suggests that carers should be supported
within a process of understanding, empathy
and non-blame, given the enormously
challenging task they undertake

9. Therapy Services input to Team Parenting
Individual Child
Recharged Therapy
Ensuring a system of
Joint carer Reflective and systemic
and child practice across staff and
sessions carers
Team parenting
Meetings
Consultation to carers
Consultation to staff and training for
carers, including new carer groups,
ADAPT and other similar groups

10. Education Services input to Team Parenting
Year 11 Ensuring an ethos of education
tuition attendance, attainment and
achievement.
Education crisis
support work
Attendance at education
meetings/reviews & team
parenting meetings
Carer training and staff and
carer advice
Accessing & maintaining a school
place and gaining education
information about the child

11. Key components of Team Parenting
• The creation of a metaphoric „therapeutic
space‟ community around the child
• The belief that carers are the „primary
agents of change‟
• A systemic approach that works to combat
the fragmentation and fracturing of the
lives of children lives who are in care
• A dynamic, vivid and experiential
appreciation of how a child has come to be
the way they are
• „Emotionally intelligent‟ team members
willing to consider how they interact with
and impact on the system and vice versa

12. TEAM PARENTING:
creating a parenting team around our children
Thank you!
Wendy Brown
Senior Therapist

13. Core Assets Group

14. Our Services
• Children‟s Services Recruitment &
• Fostering Resourcing
• Education
• Children‟s Domiciliary Care
Resourcing and
• Therapy recruiting in health and
• Independent Social Work social care
• Adoption Support Whole team solutions
• Disability Services
• Children's Centres
Learning & Development
• Consultancy Work force Development
• Social care Interventions Training
• Outcome based accountability Creative Learning
programme
Early Years Training
E Learning

15. Our Story

16. Working internationally since 2005
• World wide shortage of foster carers
• Realization that our model of care is not common practice
in other countries and its transferable.
• Culturally relevant
• Human capital is locally-based, we can be a bridge and
catalyst for change, building-capacity
• Demonstrated that we can effectively manage the dual
imperatives of being carer-focused and child-centred
• We seek local visionary partners as we believe that
communities look after their child best
• Our model can bring both social and actual cost-benefit.
• Currently looking after 3288 children in foster care with
3326 foster families

17. Our International Reach
• Ireland Operating in 10 countries / 17
Jurisdictions
• Finland
• Sweden CSR project in Bulgaria
partnering an NGO called
• Germany ‘For our Children Foundation”
• Australia www.detebg.org
Building a sustainable fostering
• New Zealand service through financial
• Canada resources and skills sharing,
consultancy and mentoring.
• Singapore
• Japan Where to next………….
• USA New South Wales- Australia
South Island - NZ
Florida -USA

19. Developing Fostering Standards Internationally

20. Our Priorities in Outcomes for Children
Standard 1 Promoting Children’s Safety
Standard 2 Promoting Health and Wellbeing
Standard 3 Promoting Growth and Development
Standard 4 Promoting Belonging & Kinship
Standard 5 Promoting Culture
Standard 6 Promoting Skills for Life
Standard 7 Promoting Participation

21. Promoting Key Developmental Assets

22. Adapting Team Parenting to Culture and
Context

23. Adapting to language and practice

24. Adapting to child care and foster care context
• Children living in large Soviet Style institutions
• Children living in hotels/motels
• Children living in “baby” homes
• Medical models of disability
• Medication of children with emotional and behavioural
issues
• Foster carers seen as “volunteers”
• Foster carers not well supported or trained
• Fostering seen as appropriate only for younger children
• Refugees placed in hostels
• Parents and children placed in hostels or institutions

25. Adapting to geography and lifestyle
North Ontario Canada Osaka Japan

26. Investing in Research
• Rees Centre is funded by the Core
Assets Group for 3 years.
• The focus will be on the efficacy of
• foster care and outcomes for children.
• International Experts Reference Group
advises the Centre.
• Seminars
• Publications
• Blogs
• Monthly newsletters
• http://reescentre.education.ox.ac.uk

27. A global world
A very local challenge
The right to family life for
every child