Residential Trip for 2025 – carried forward  

Intro video / photos / bio’s etc 

We asked you if you like to record a video for the website, but we will need to look at privacy implications for you on a case by case basis.   

Action – Mary to check how secure the website is – UPDATE; there is no security on this is it an open website. Idea – could so animated videos with voice overs etc; MM to talk to marketing.   

Review of Welcome boxes  

We asked you what you would like to be in your welcome boxes, and you came up with the following items / ideas;  

A welcome letter from the carers – welcome book from the family / or a card  

Picture Frame (to add a family photo)  

Inspiring quotes  

Little treasure box – where you can add small treasures  

Different boxes for different ages – that can go onto be used to collect memories 

Ability to collect photos virtually – i.e., USB stick (not sure if these are used much anymore) – but not everyone can afford subscriptions to the cloud etc   

The members felt it would be really nice to making memory boxes with the family. 

Colouring pens/ pad/ soft toy  

Non-voting members also suggested that if we know something about the young person before they move to live with the family, we can personalise the box.  

Saj said that welcome boxes for Muslim children have been individualised – however they now received Ramadan packs are now provided – with prayer beads/ prayer mates and a copy of the Koran. Partnering with the Hussain foundation – looking to do the 

Input into the assessment of foster carers  

We asked you what you like to ask people that are applying to be foster carers when they are being assessed – they came up with the following;  

What experience do you have of caring for children and young people   

Do you have any pets  

Will you take me on holiday  

How would you resolve/ react to a young person arguing with a birth child  

How would you support children to learn about their identity, culture, religion, ethnicity and heritage i.e., food, music, art and if required funding for language lessons so that children can learn the language of their heritage 

Supporting Carers to meet children’s cultural needs  

As above - Anas brough up a really important point about supporting carers to make sure children are aware of their culture, language, religion, dietary needs etc and particularly that Capstone/ Excel/ FCUK support carers to do this – financially if necessary.  

Yusif and Anas recalled when Saj took them to the British Museum to look at their Egyptian heritage which was really great 

We asked you about your carer logs  

Have you ever seen your carers logs? 

Have you seen your carer writing them and why do you feel about this – TJ – yes, I see my carer writing them because she asks me what I have done that day/ week, and I tell her, and she writes this down?   

Does everyone know that they can contribute to their logs – offer their opinions etc  

Does everyone know that they can ask to see all of their records from their time in care when they are 18 

Members decided that they would like to have a think about this question and discuss it again next time. We had also spoken about this previously as Yusif had thought it was a lot of pressure for his carers to do these logs, it didn’t always reflect ordinary family life and he wondered about children’s and young people’s privacy.  

@7:30.pm – Yusif closed the meeting – he thanked everyone for attending and for their valuable contribution