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Join us for our online Fostering Information Event, where you can learn all about fostering from the comfort of your own home. During this 1 hour interactive session you will hear from our experienced Fostering team about the various benefits of fostering with Fostering Rotherham. You will also gain essential information that you and your family may want to know before setting out on your fostering journey.

You will have the opportunity to hear from our existing foster carers who will be sharing their experiences of fostering. Our comprehensive fostering information pack full of key facts will also be available to download.

Throughout the session you will be able to submit any questions that you may have about fostering to our experienced support team who will be on hand to answer any queries related to your personal circumstances.

This event is for anyone who is interested in becoming a foster carer, perhaps you have been considering it for some time, and would like to hear first hand about the process of becoming a foster carer and the difference they make to local children's lives.
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    Justine Hirst
    Fostering Rotherham Team Manager
    My name is Justine Hirst and I’m the Fostering Recruitment Manager at Rotherham. I was so pleased to get this role 12 months ago as I wanted to return to working for the Local Authority after a long period working for a children’s fostering charity.

    I have thoroughly enjoyed my first year with Rotherham and have a wonderful team of social workers and fostering advisers who are committed to supporting and guiding you through your fostering journey.

    I qualified in 1999 with a BSc in Social work and have worked in fostering services for about 14 years which included roles as a social worker, trainer, panel member, team manager and a few others as well! Before that I worked with children and their birth families supporting them to stay together and when necessary removing children into the care of the local authority. Lots of my experience comes from working as a social worker for 20 years but I also have a lot of personal experiences of abuse and trauma in my own childhood and family which is a real motivation for my work. It’s really important for me to ensure children have a safe place to live and where their often complex needs can be met. I thoroughly enjoy helping families prepare to care for children who have had this difficult start in life.

    I live with my partner and our two dogs who are both doodles (shihpoo and bordoodle). They are 1 and 2 and slightly mad!! I love walking with my dogs, visiting the coast and anything in nature basically. I also love reading, creative writing, running, yoga and all things textile related. I’m always happy in my little sewing room creating new things out of unlikely bits of fabric!
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    Lewis McGann
    Fostering Rotherham Social Worker
    My name is Lewis McGann, I am a qualified social worker within RMBC. I am a social worker within the Fostering Recruitment Team. My main responsibility within this team is to assess people who wish to be assessed for the role of foster carer. I complete the assessment with applicants and then further support your application to fostering panel.

    I studied a Foundation Degree, Working with Children, Young People and their families at Sheffield Hallam University. Following this, I decided to complete a further degree within Social Work. Following securing my social work qualification, I have worked for a little over two years in a Locality Team in Rotherham. Locality is the name we use for Social workers who work within a specific local area of Rotherham. My role within the Locality team was to support children who were identified to be at risk of suffering harm.

    9-5pm Monday to Friday, I am a social worker, however outside of these times I am a mum to a very loveable 3 year old boy. My son enjoys the outdoors and his favourite book at the moment is the Gruffalo. Many weekends are spent trying to find the Gruffalo out on walks in the countryside and local parks close to me. In my spare time I enjoy baking lots of cakes and buns, the trouble is having to eat them all after!
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    Laura Marshall
    Fostering Rotherham Social Worker
    My name is Laura Marshall and I am a qualified Social Worker at RMBC. I am presently employed in the role of a Social Worker in the Recruitment Team and I assess prospective foster carers through to panel, I also undertake the Skills to Foster Training and attend various events to recruit foster carers.

    I hold a Degree in Social Work Studies that I obtained from Sheffield Hallam University in 2005, prior to this I was a Nursery Nurse and worked in a Nursery. It was undertaking the Nursery Nurse training, where we had a module in Social Work where my interests began. I have experience of working with the Local Authority for 9 years in total, prior to this I worked for Nottscc as a social worker for 6 years. I have mainly worked in the long term teams (this includes working in a children in need/child protection and looked after children) team in both Notts and RMBC but more recently I worked in the Children's Disability Team, working a supporting disabled children and their families.

    I am a mum of two children aged 11 and 13 years and have a 9 month old puppy. The kids take part in a lot of after school activities that take up a lot of my time. I am also Child Welfare Officer at my daughter's gymnastics club. I have also recently taken up the couch to 5k to try and get fit and I am enjoying running with my son. I bake cakes for people's birthdays and special occasions. I enjoy going on a walk with my family and my dog. I like to spend time with my friends, having the odd cocktail or two. I also enjoy being snuggled up on the sofa with my family watching a film.
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    Sarah Shepherd
    Fostering Adviser