Celebrate Fostering Fortnight with Foster4Leeds

As Fostering Fortnight (11-24 May 2020) draws to close, we hope you have been able to join Foster4Leeds in celebrating the fortnight digitally with foster carers across the city and those who help support foster families. If you can offer a young person in Leeds a safe, secure home, Foster4Leeds needs you!

Here’s is one of the city’s amazing foster carers talking about their experience of going to a Foster4Leeds recruitment information session.

“We had thought long and hard about going into fostering. We hadn’t talked to anyone about it – family, friend or professionals. We had to be sure ourselves before we discussed it with the outside world.

“Then we heard about an open evening being run by Leeds City Council’s fostering team. We could now go find out more and get advice from people who knew what they were talking about.

“After our initial reaction of it being great that such a open evening existed, we started to feel apprehensive. Whilst we were talking about getting into fostering, that’s all it was, talk. This event actually meant us doing something about those thoughts.

“We received a warm and friendly welcome from the recruitment team. As we waited for the evening to officially begin, we had the chance to meet the fostering team and other potential foster carers. Once the event began, we had a brief presentation covering the facts and figures surrounding fostering.

“One of the facts that stood out to me was that, at that time, around 1,500 children a year are in need of foster care within Leeds, the fourth highest number in England.

“The team went into further detail on the process and we got the chance to meet and talk to a current foster carer. This was a great opportunity for us to ask the burning questions that only a person who had been in our situation could answer.

“Once the discussions ended, we were asked if we wanted any more information, or wished to leave our details to be contacted about application. We left our details, as we had been very impressed by the evening and its honest and realistic approach.

“We came away even more determined to become foster carers than when we arrived. Later that week, we were contacted by the recruitment team manager. Before I knew it, I had agreed to a home visit and further discussion – what were we letting ourselves in for?”

While these open evenings are currently cancelled, make sure to follow Foster4Leeds on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Their fostering advisers are available on the phone and Skype during the COVID-19 pandemic, contact them via their website, where you will also find lots of useful information on becoming a foster carer.

To help celebrate Fostering Fortnight, The Fostering Network released a great video all about fostering – check it out here!

Leeds Recovery Hubs – supporting older people during the COVID-19 crisis

In the space of a few months, COVID-19 has drastically changed the ways we work, stay connected with others and live our lives. These changes have led Leeds City Council to reconsider the ways they work, training and redeploying staff to keep key services running and ensure those who need support most at this time are well looked after.

Jon Bell, a Principal Officer with the council’s Culture Development Team, is among those that have been redeployed to support those in need during this crisis.

After recently returning to Yorkshire to join the council, Jon now finds himself supporting one of the city’s Recovery Hubs, a service which provides older people leaving hospital with the extra care and support they need before returning home.

Leeds Meals on Wheels: healthy meals delivered with a smile

Lynne and Lilian

We’re celebrating Nutrition and Hydration Week which aims to promote and encourage improvements in the provision of nutrition and hydration locally, nationally, and globally.

So how do we do that in Leeds?

Anca Coman, Leeds City Council Graduate Communication and Marketing Assistant left her desk for a couple of hours and got on board with Meals on Wheels to deliver meals to people around Leeds.  She not only spent the day in the colourful van going from house to house delivering nutritious meals to people of different ages and needs,  but was also a kind and friendly presence in people’s houses.

Leeds, let’s talk about Ageism

Ageism is discrimination based on a person’s age. It is widespread and can be expressed by people of any age. Many people take on these negative beliefs without even realising it. This has been shown to be harmful, particularly for older people.

Age Proud Leeds is a campaign to raise awareness of ageism and change negative attitudes about ageing and older people driven by Time To Shine Leeds.

Ageism is discrimination based on a person’s age. It is widespread and can be expressed by people of any age. Many people take on these negative beliefs without even realising it. This has been shown to be harmful, particularly for older people.

The Age Proud Leeds campaign is challenging ageism because we want to celebrate older people as ‘assets’ rather than ‘burdens’.  How can you get involved?

Leeds – join us in the Big Thank You

Winter can be a really difficult time of year for people at the best of times and Storms Ciara and Dennis have made the past week especially difficult and we’re still not in the clear yet. On top of that, it’s one of the busiest times of the year for our public services.

What can we do to spread a little sunshine and boost morale? We’ve teamed up with our NHS colleagues, Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Police (Leeds District), British Transport Police and community and voluntary organisations to launch the Big Thank You campaign.

We want to recognise those unsung winter heroes whose hard work and dedication keeps us safe and well and the city running. We want to show our appreciation for anyone who goes above and beyond to help people during winter, as well as those whose little acts of kindness which make a big impact at difficult times. So how can I say thank you?

The Royal British Legion Admiral Nurse Service – Leeds

Nicky Addison and other Leeds Admiral nurses

Living with dementia can be a struggle and have a physical, psychological, practical and emotional impact on both the person diagnosed and their families. It is therefore essential that everyone has the support and advice needed to live as well as they possibly can, when faced with the challenges that dementia can bring.

In Leeds, The Royal British Legion have worked in partnership with Dementia UK to develop an Admiral Nurse Service.   Nicky Addison, Regional Lead Admiral Nurse – Leeds tells us more about their amazing work .

Could you be a Leeds Winter Friend?

This week the Winter Friends campaign was launched as part of the 2020 Stay Well this Winter conference. One of the aims is to encourage 100 people to sign up as Winter Friends and support the people in their local community. You may already be acting as one without realising it. So what makes a Winter Friend?