Care to Listen to our young people?

Care to listen? A new series of podcasts exploring the UK care system, and the role of birth sons and daughters – made by Five Rivers’ young people.

Want to listen on the go? All series of Care to Listen? are available on the iTunes Podcast Store, Soundcloud and Spotify!

Series 4

Episode 5 – CEO Pam McConnell and Clinical Services team member Hannah Gilding discuss Five Rivers Futures and the importance of supporting care leavers

In this final episode in our Care to Listen? Series celebrating #NationalCareLeaversWeek, Five Rivers Child Care CEO and founder Pam McConnell and Clinical Services Research Assistant Hannah Gilding discuss some of the issues that care leavers can sometimes face and what Five Rivers can do, as an organisation, to continue providing valuable and long lasting attachment and support to care leavers, from the families that foster with us.
The episode also highlights the use of language when judging the success of care leavers and how the work of Five Rivers as a social enterprise aids in supporting young people, as they transition into independence.

Episode 4 – Karylle Williams, care experienced activist and university-educated advisor explains why care leavers should strive for higher education

Karylle’s a care-experienced activist and social work expert who overcame huge challenges as a child in care to become a University-educated advisor to schools and colleges. She explains to our young podcasters why it is important for them to take advantage of every opportunity, benefit and support on offer to help care leavers get into higher education – and enjoy it when they get there!

Episode 3 – Tolu Abigosun on how her race and care experience affected her pursuit of private and higher education 

Care leaver Tolu was put into care at the age of 5. Her foster carer and social worker supported her ambition to get into a private school. Tolu tells our young podcaster how she adapted to a culture of high-flying aspiration, then left school at 18 to live alone, before applying to University, where she is now studying Management and Computer Science. Tolu is also a poet: User-379686032 – Img-11861

Episode 2- Sarah Jane on her care leaver experience and how this was positively impacted by the support she received from her friends, carers and Five Rivers 

In this episode, Sarah-Jane, 19, talks about how her love for dodgeball has led her to a life-changing foster placement with her dodgeball coach. Sarah Jane’s positive relationships with her social workers meant that she felt like she was always able to share her feelings, and, in turn, be better supported. Her care leaver journey has been well supported by friends, old carers and Five Rivers and Sarah – Jane is hopeful to continue on with a supported by friends, old carers and the organisation is giving Sarah-Jane a good future.

Episode 1 – Ric Flo, a care experienced care artist shares how music has helped him adjust with his life post leaving care 

Ric Flo is a rapper, artist, care leaver, young achiever and dream believer. In this upbeat, warm and confident interview Ric speaks about his care leaving journey, which he faced with determination. He shares how a Christmas spent alone one set him off on a tenacious journey which brought him to delivering music workshops to care experienced young people. His latest album – ‘Rise of the Phoenix’ tells us of his experience leaving care and how he uses his music to help him channel and process his authentic life.

Series 3

Episode 5 – Katharine Anderson from the Five Rivers Clinical Services Team shares how sons and daughters of fostering families positively affect the care experience of fostered children 

In this week’s episode of Care to Listen, Katharine Anderson from the Five Rivers Child Care Clinical Services Team talks about the subtle unspoken power that Sons and Daughters can have on the development of children who are fostered.

Episode 4 – Foster carer Veronica and her birth son Adam on how fostering and the decision to foster has brought their family closer together 

Foster carer Veronica and her birth son Adam, from Chester talk about how their drip to an agricultural show brought them to a Foster Careline stand and how this ignited their journey into the world of fostering.

Episode 3 – Keila on how fostering and having being placed with her foster family gave her a sense of belonging and made a positive difference in her life

Keila was a child who spent most of her life in the care system but her last placement gave her a sense of family. Listen to Keila speaking fondly about how she felt part of the family and how fostering made a positive difference in her life.

Episode 2 – Foster carer Julie and her son Owen talk about how Julie’s decision to start fostering and help care experienced children has inspired them both to help those most vulnerable

Listen to our own care experienced foster carer Julie and her son Owen discuss their want to help others through fostering and what opportunities it provides, to reflect and to empathise.

Episode 1 – Amy shares how her family’s decision to foster has inspired her to pursue an education and career into helping care experienced children 

Amy, a daughter of a family that fosters. Amy tells us of her experience and how it has sparked a realisation, that she wanted to devote her life and career to working with children and young people.

Amy now recognises the unspoken impact that sons and daughters of fostering families have over the lives of children who are fostered.

Catch up on Series 1 and 2 here!