Welcome to Caring Curiosity Corner, where our clinical leads, psychologist and mental health coordinators share advice and practical guidance to help you look after yourself and the children in your care.
Our amazing clinical leads together with the mental health coordinators, give foster carers in Essex access to the highest standard of support. They aim to promote mental health and emotional wellbeing for children and adults in foster, adoption and special guardianship families. They work to the idea that parenting traumatised children should be therapeutic and trauma-informed.
Watch our videos to learn how you, your young person and your whole family can work on your emotional and day-to-day resilience.
Keeping perspective
When you're looking after children, it is easy to become overwhelmed and lose perspective. In these videos, our psychologists and mental health coordinators explore ways to make the best of who you are and keep your perspective when things get tough. Take a read of the following PDF: The art of keeping perspective worksheet.
Thriving through crisis
Although we created these resources to help children in care and families cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, they offer advice and techniques that you can apply during any situation of upheaval and uncertainty. Our team share self-care, empathy and patience techniques as well as practical changes to your routine you can make to help in unusual and uncertain circumstances.
Education
It's tough to manage changes to school life. These educational videos from the psychology and mental health team were made with the COVID-19 crisis in mind, but they can also be helpful when thinking about schooling for traumatised children.
The team emphasises the importance of close communication with schools, understanding the meaning behind behaviours, and holding onto the essential nature of prioritising regulation before learning.
Therapeutic reparenting in focus
Children in care have often faced adverse and abusive early-life experiences. In this section, our psychologists and mental health coordinators touch on some of the techniques and ideas that can help you parent in a therapeutic and trauma-aware way.
Diversity and inclusivity
The team tackles race, disability and "otherness", and the challenges that carers and young people may face. They talk about the importance of speaking about these issues, and managing the emotional and practical implications of discrimination and misinformation. To find out more have a read of the "beginner's guide to all LGBTQA+ definitions and connected concepts".
About our clinical leads, psychologist and mental health team
We have clinical leads, mental health coordinators and a psychologist in Essex. We create a robust, reflective and trauma-informed support system for children in care, as well as those who have moved to adoption, special guardianship or independence.
We encourage systemic thinking and practices and offer evidence-based techniques to help children and families achieve better mental health outcomes. We aim to support and develop your learning so that children in your care have the opportunity to live a full and unburdened life.
As well as supporting our families, we provide training and consultations to employees so that our staff have skills and sensitivities to look after our families. We also liaise with local mental health services and provide advice to other Fostering and Adoption teams around the country who want to replicate our successful model.
The psychology and mental health team offers:
- Direct work with carers, adopters, birth parents, special guardians, children and young people
- Individual and group clinical consultations for staff
- Liaison with local mental health services
- Training to carers, adopters, special guardians and staff at Essex County Council
- Support for the therapeutic fostering team and the Oasis hubs across Essex
As part of our mission to provide the best support for both carers and children in care, we offer increased local support schemes in each part of Essex. Read more about the benefits of fostering with Essex County Council.