Polaris Quality Report
Jo August - CEO
I am so pleased to share the Polaris Community Annual Quality report for 2024. This report showcases our ongoing commitment to delivering the highest quality of care and education to all of our children and young people.
Within the community ourvision remains the same and we stay true to it. Simply it is to provide the very best care and outcomes for our children and children’s services. In 2024 we continued to build on our prior successes and I am proud to say that all of our services were judged good and outstanding, or equivalent throughout the year.
In 2024 we also expanded our o昀昀er to more children and young people, while retaining the highest quality outcomes. I am always so proud of the continued dedication of our foster and adoptive parents, sta昀昀 and everybodywithin the Polaris Community. You remain truly committed to the children, young people and the services and support they provide. It also fabulous how everybody within the community is always ambitious for our children and young people.
Last yearwe continued to grow all areas of our community through organic growth, and we did this while staying committed to striving to improve quality and outcomes even further. We opened new schools and homes and we strengthened and grew our fostering services through continuing to attract new families and welcome them into our community, and importantly retaining our fantastic current families.
In 2024 I introduced the CEO awards to recognise your achievements and I received a staggering number of nominations throughout the year. There were so many inspirational moments that it is always di昀케cult to choose winners. Well done to all who received an award and nomination throughout the year. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the Polaris Community for their hard work and continued dedication to achieving the best outcomes possible for our children and young people.
We trulyvalue the input from our sta昀昀 and families on howwe can continue to improve and develop our services even more, and we are also committed to 昀椀nding more ways to engage with our children and young people so they too can help shape our community moving forward.
In 2025 we are launching our own Apprenticeship service. This will allows us to o昀昀er everyone in the community the opportunity to have access to formal quali昀椀cations and support.
We had an amazing year in 2024 in terms of outcomes and quality and it’s only possible because of the e昀昀orts of the whole community and the passion and commitment forwhat we do. I am excited for 2025 and can’t wait to see what it brings.
“I am always so proud of the continued dedication of our foster and adoptive parents, staff and everybody within the Polaris Community.”
Jonathan Clark - CFO
I am proud to share that throughout 2024 quality of service has remained central to our strategy, with children and young people 昀椀rmly at the heart of our decision-making.
This year’s report is a re昀氀ection of the dedication, compassion, and commitment shown by our foster parents and sta昀昀. Our shared vision comes to life through the delivery of outstanding care and education and in celebrating the many successes of the young people we support.
This yearwe are celebrating the ongoing positive impact of ourwork and the exceptional outcomes we achieve.
This is evidenced with 93% of all 16 to 18 year old young people in our care being in employment, education, or training ‘EET’. This exceeds the similar percentage for 16 to 18 year olds in England across the general population, and is far higher than the equivalent percentage foryoung people in care (76%).
This is testament to the tremendous support that our foster parents and specialist sta昀昀 deliver in breaking down barriers of opportunity for the young people in our care.
“Our shared vision comes to life through the delivery of outstanding care and education and in celebrating the many successes of the young people we support.”
Our Community
As one of the largest providers of children’s services and the very 昀椀rst provider of independent fostering in the UK, our community of services span the length and breadth of the whole of the UK.
We provide an extensive range of children’s services, which have grown and developed over our 30+ year history to ensure we can support children across a wide range of needs. By combining our community’s wide scale of services, as well as our local links, we’re transforming the future of children and children’s services.
To achieve our ambition, we want to revolutionise the sector and ensure all children have an equal chance in life. Collectively, we o昀昀er children and young people a vital sense of belonging, safety and selfworth; allowing them to enjoy today, whilst preparing them for success in later life.
In 2024, the following organisations formed part of the Polaris Community:
An update on our
for 2024 vision
Our 2023 Annual Quality Report outlined ourvisions for 2024. We have been working hard on these throughout the year thanks to all the hardworking and dedicated sta昀昀 members, foster parents and adoptive parents that make up the Polaris Community. You will be able to read more about our progress throughout this report.
OurVision for 2024
To continue to grow and develop our services while maintaining the high quality of care and education we currently provide
What we achieved in 2024
Our services continue to grow and develop and we are proud to say that 100% of our services remain good or outstanding evidencing the high quality of care we provide across the community.
We are excited to be in the planning and development stages for opening several new schools and residential homes
Our fostering, adoption and children’s services will continue to grow organically in 2024
In 2024, we successfully opened Stannard School in Dunstable, Becker School in Kirklees and Ormston school in Headingly. In addition, we opened 2 further residential homes.
We have continued to grow organicallywelcoming new foster and adoptive parents and expanding our reach of children we support across services.
Early in 2024 we will launch our new CEO awards programme to demonstrate our commitment to formally recognising foster parents, adopters and sta昀昀 achievements
In April 2024, we introduced the Polaris CEO Awards. You can see more about the Awards including the winners here
We will further expand our learning and development opportunities for leaders and sta昀昀 ensuring we remain an employer of choice . We are exploring newways of providing L&D opportunities. In February 2024 we expect to launch our Polaris podcast programme
Our accredited Prepare to Foster course will launch for new foster parents
This year, we introduced a total of 29 new courses, a blend between virtual, face to face and e-learning. We continue to receive positive feedback on our training o昀昀er. The Polaris Quality and Learning Podcast successfully launched in 2024 and has over 1400 downloads to date.
Our City & Guilds accredited Prepare To Foster Training was launched in October 2024 across all our fostering agencies. L&D have delivered the train the trainer programme to 230 sta昀昀 across the Polaris Community this year.
We are registering as an employer provider of apprenticeships and other accredited learning programmes. This will enable us to o昀昀er more routes to formal quali昀椀cations, development and progression opportunities
We have submitted an application to become a main provider of apprenticeships and we are currently awaiting the outcome.
Ourvery popular Polaris People strategywill provide more opportunities to learn all aspects of identity diversity and how that impacts on the experiences of members of our community
Polaris People have had another successful year. You can 昀椀nd out more about their activities in 2024 here
2024 has been a year of growth and impact at the Polaris Community.
Here’s a snapshot of some of the key 昀椀gures that de昀椀ne our journey and achievements this year:
We employed 1526 people
398 foster families joined the community
111 children living in a Polaris Children’s Home
334 pupils receiving education at a Polaris school
29 newtraining courses introduced
135 sta昀昀 members currently completing apprenticeships
24,596 training courses completed to date
57 young people living in Supported Accommodation
3494 children living in our fostering homes We had
459 new employees join our community
2 new children’s homes opened
3 new Polaris schools opened their doors
There were
35,000 visits to the Polaris website
A year of big birthdays!
Adopters for Adoption celebrated 10 years
Adopters for Adoption
a
Sally Heaven-Richards, Head of Services at Adopters for Adoption since 2018 (and an adopter herself) said:
“We’re proud to have reached this milestone as a voluntary adoption agency. We are trying to educate communities about what adoption really looks like, creating happy families along the way.”
“Our adoptive community is diverse; people look to adopt for all sorts of reasons. Our goal is to provide accurate information, manage expectations, and ultimately, provide permanent homes for children with loving, stable parents.”
The team said:
“It feels like just yesterday when we embarked on this journey, armed with dedication and a shared vision to put adopters and children at the very heart of the adoption process.
It has been an incredible journey!
We want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to each and every one of our amazing team! Without your unwavering commitment, creativity, and hard work, none of this would have been possible. And big, BIG, thank you to everyone in the wider Polaris team and central services.”
opened its doors as
Voluntary Adoption Agency (not for pro昀椀t) in 2014 and has found homes for nearly 300 children in this time, growing families around the country. Almost half of these children were placed alongside a sibling. The national average for children placed with a sibling is around 33%!
In 2024 FCA celebrated 30 years. Across the weekend of the 15th16th June foster parents, children, young people and sta昀昀 from across FCA and FCA Scotland joined together to cover as many miles as possible to raise money for amazing charities as part of FCA’s 30th Anniversary celebrations.
Over
500 foster parents, young people and sta昀昀 took part
Foster Care Associates (FCA) began as a small Midlands-based agency in 1994, set up by a social worker and a foster parent who saw the need for a people-focused approach to fostering. Since then, FCA have grown into one of the most highly regarded independent fostering agencies in the UK, serving all four nations with dedication and pride.
£4,725 was raised in total for charity
£3514.28 miles were covered
2024 news stories
Apple Orchard have had a busyyearwelcoming their new Headteacher Richard Keightley.
One of Mr Keightley’s main ambitions was to workwith both pupils and sta昀昀 members on building an identity for the school. Using words that sta昀昀 members and students had used to describe what they believed their school should be, a sign was made and is now proudly displayed in the school.
Collaboratively they have also worked on introducing a uniform forYear 10 and 11 boys, including a tie designed by the pupils. After telling the boys about his time in the army and how Mr Keightley’s sergeant always told them ‘Shiny Shoes, Shiny Mind’, in essence, ifyou look afteryourself the rest will follow, the boys decided theywanted it to be their new school motto… in Latin of course.
“Calcaementa nitida, mens nitidus”
‘’Wearing my suit and school tie makes me feel brave. It has changed how I am in lessons and I now look up in maths where before I was afraid to.’’
-A pupil in Apple Orchard School talking about his new uniform
Two of ouryoung people L and M from FCA Northern Ireland worked with VOYPIC (a charity for children and young people with a lived experience of care in Northern Ireland) to create a new animation to help otheryoung people understand care experiences titled ‘Coming into Care’.
The aim of the 昀椀lm is to explain what care is all about, to young people who have recently come into care.
Theywere invited to the launch evening, which was attended by the Lord Mayor of Belfast where both young people gave speeches!
Choirs from across FCA and Fostering People rolled up to The Big Sing O昀昀 2024 at the ICC Wales in Newport, Cymru in September for a circus style extravaganza!
The children and young people, were at the heart of the event with a number of them from the hosting region FCA Cymru copresenting the event as well as performing. There was a range of Circus style activities and entertainment throughout the day including circus skills workshops, face painting, fairground games, popcorn and candy 昀氀oss, carnival mask making, bubble workshops, magic mirror photo booths, meeting characters and so much more.
A huge congratulations to FCA Northern Ireland’s ‘Emerald Melodies’ who were crowned the overall winners this yearwith FCA Yorks & Lincs ‘Y&L Stars’ taking second place and FCA Midlands ‘Kidz in the Midz’ taking third prize.
FCA Northern Ireland’s day ofwowing the crowds didn’t stop there—on their triumphant 昀氀ight back home to Northern Ireland, the passengers and crew of their plane even asked for a performance of theirwinning song!
Orchard House (Apple Orchard home) took four young people to stay in Sta昀昀ordshire were they were thrilled to be staying in a big house with their own double bedrooms and en-suites. They enjoyed chilling in the house for the 昀椀rst evening and playing video games and playing pool.
The next day they spent the day at Alton Towers Theme park and were all extremely brave facing their fears of Rollercoasters and being up high! As it was Halloween, theywere able to spend the day in the Park until 9pm and enjoyed going on the rides in the dark (dressed up as Bananas of course!). They headed back to the house, and all were shattered from a full day of Rollercoasters and rides!
At ISP Teynham School, GCSE History pupils made history of their own by going on ISP’s 昀椀rst International trip!
Theyventured on to a ferry from Dover to Calais and drove through France to Belgium and the front line. Pupils went into preserved First World War trenches, saw raw battle images on antique view 昀椀nders as well as visiting a huge Allied forces graveyard and German cemetery. They also passed through Passchendaele and Ypres as well as the Menin Gate.
“I am very happy that I got to go abroad. I felt safe and saw amazing things. The food was delicious and staff take notice of what I like and things that change my life”
-A young person talking about the school trip
Five of ourwonderful children from Orange Grove North West spent an unforgettable afternoon learning to swim with Olympic swimmer, Becky Adlington this year. They had a blast at Swim! Liverpool South, learning all about water safety, playing fun pool games, and practising their swimming techniques. After the session, Becky Adlington showed the children her medals.
Everyyear, ISP bring their families together to celebrate their annual Fun Day, where children enjoy a funfair, circus, a football tournament, music food and much more.
Emma’s Annual ISP Fun Day took place in July this year. The children were joined by some of their favourite characters including Elsa and Mirabelle. The children had a great day on the fairground rides and taking part in various competitions. Congratulations to ISP Sussex who emerged as winners of the football tournament during the day. In addition, congratulations to the winners of the ‘Children’s TV Shows’ themed fancy dress competition, Teynham, with their theme of ‘Alice in Wonderland’!
“This was such a fantastic opportunity for our children. They had the best day as reflected by all their giggles and beaming faces. “
This year, Budwood Homes took part in a ‘Come Dine with Me’ style competition to put the young people’s cooking skills to the test. Congratulations to Leigh Road who were crowned winners!
- Family Support Worker from Orange Grove North West
Area Camden have had a busyyear including opening two new homes in Soham and Haverhill.
In Area Camden 15, they have been trying to eat healthier this year and enjoyed some very nice food as a result!
Earlier this year, BFSWS (British Forces Social Work Service) launched their 2024 Young Star Awards and hosted a Ceremonywhich celebrated the outstanding contributions and accomplishments of the young individuals within British Forces Cyprus. All under the age of 18, the young individuals were recognised for their exceptional achievements, whether in personal
Children from Fostering People Scotland visited 3 Universities over the summer months. The events were opened up for all children who are in Primary 7 and beyond to share with them what it means to be in higher education, the routes to higher education, and the support available for care-experienced students.
This great opportunity allowed the children to experience what University is like, see the campus buildings, learn about the support available, and speak to current students to ask for advice.
endeavours, helping others or making a signi昀椀cant di昀昀erence in their communities. There were inspiring stories ofyoung people who have de昀椀ed the odds, put in extra e昀昀ort and made a notable impact. Congratulations to all those young people- we are exceptionally proud ofyou.
As a Community, we have raised over £19,473 for charity this year.
Here are just a few of the e昀昀orts that have taken place this year to achieve this amazing result
ACS partnered with the Abu Faisal Trust to host a fundraising dinner for Gaza. Over £7500 was raised which went towards people on the ground in Gaza organising food parcels and other essential supplies for those in need.
Darren Williams, Registered Manager of Cardi昀昀 Road, Headway raised over £800 when he took part in ‘Kip on the Kop’ raising money for the homeless. Daren took part in memory of his two sons Daniel and Owen.
This year, we had no ordinary Christmas tree in our Bromsgrove Head o昀케ce but instead a ‘Giving Tree’. Due to kind donations from members of sta昀昀, £289.50 was raised for Cancer Research UK
North Lakes Deputy Manager at Kenilworth House, Alice Wilkinson along with two of our amazing young people took part in running events (including an in昀氀atable 5k course) to raise money for the Oak Tree Animal Sanctuary!
PCS enjoyed their annual Participation Day at White Post Farm in November 2024 and have continued to receive some very positive feedback!
This year, award winning author, N.C Emmett kindly gifted her new book ‘Filby the Fire Dragon’ to our foster families as part of Foster Care Fortnight.
The story is about Filby’s journey towards 昀椀nding his identity and con昀椀dence as a 昀椀re-breathing dragon. It is also about the importance of acceptance, celebrating our unique abilities and what makes us special. Filby 昀椀nds his roarwith the support of his brilliant foster family and now he’s aiming for the stars!
The book has been so successful Nerys has even received a letter from Kensington Palace from The Prince and Princess ofWales. What an achievement!
In September this year, ISP opened a new registration – ISP Midlands. Led by Hayley Haughton as Registered Managerwith a committed sta昀昀 team and foster parents in place, we are looking forward to seeing the achievements of the ISP Midlands team and seeing them going from strength to strength.
This yearwe established our Children’s Home Registered Managers Forum. Hosted by Gareth Leckey and Nicola Bradley, the sessions are hosted on a quarterly basis and involve both internal and external speakers. These informal meetings allow our managers to come together to share knowledge, expertise and network. They have been a great success so farwith over 100 people attending the 昀椀rst few sessions!
We have seen this in practice this year. In one cohort of the Leadership Academy, a Fostering Registered Managerwas being trained alongside an Operations Director from one of our Children’s Homes where they got to know each other and learnt about their respective services.
Fast forward a few months and it became apparent to the Fostering Manager that a young person in their care required a more specialist provision.
Remembering the conversations they had at the Leadership Academywith the Residential Operations Director, they reached out to see whether theywould be able to meet the young person’s needs and the response was positive. This meant that we were able to provide a more suitable alternative option and a positive transition and the young person remained within the Polaris Community. The young person is now settled, thriving and receiving the specialist care they required whilst being able to maintain positive contact with his fostering family.
This year, we have continued to build on our o昀昀er for Leaders and Managers.
A further 62 people have completed the accredited Leadership Development Programme in 2024.
In November, we hosted our second Polaris Senior Leadership Conference. These events allow for leaders and managers from across our services to come together to re昀氀ect on their experiences, exchange best practice, collaboratively share and generate ideas and network. This is vital in being able to continue developing our services to ensure we are o昀昀ering the very best for our children and young people.
This yearwe launched the Polaris Quality and Learning Podcast.
Polaris Quality and Learning Podcast
At the end of 2024 there were:
385 subscribers 1,412 total downloads
26 published episodes
In 2024, we opened the doors on the following Polaris Schools after extensive renovations to ensure we have best possible environments to welcome our children and young people.
This year, we welcomed Kicha Mitchell as our Managing Director of Education. Kicha is a highly experienced education leaderwith over 30 years of expertise, including extensive time spent as a senior 昀椀gure in the independent special education sector. With a background as a quali昀椀ed teacherwith further training in psychology, human resources management and social policy, Kicha has navigated various roles throughout her career, showcasing her adaptability and pro昀椀ciency across the education sector.
WHAT OUR CHILDREN SAY ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS
”‘It’s a place for positive socialisation, very friendly sta昀昀, and a very safe environment with loads of outdoor space.’
‘I like the 昀椀eld, trees to climb, the calm and kind sta昀昀, the environment, teachers are well trained.’
Care
• Student-centredapproach
• Sta昀昀developmentandwell-being
• Parentandcommunityengagement
Connect
• Stakeholdercollaboration
• Technologyintegration
• Networkandpartnerships
The ConsCare-Connectolidate Education strategy
WHAT OUR STAFFSAY ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS
‘The sta昀昀 are all a wonderful team that link together and support all the young people and each other.’
‘Amazing place to work, best team, best children, love coming to work every day’
‘Selwyn allows the students to 昀氀ourish and sing their own song. The understanding from the sta昀昀 means that the students develop at their own pace in a way that is right for them.
Selwyn is a fantastic place to work as an adult because, just like the students, everyone is seen as an individual bringing di昀昀erent life experiences to the school.’
Consolidate
• OperationalE昀케ciency
• ResourcesOptimisation
• Continuousimprovement o昀昀isatransformativeappproachtoenhancingour groering,buildingonoursuccessandsustaining wthanddevelopment. Byimplementingthisstrategy weaimto ensurethatourbusinessstrategyprioritiseschildren throughnurturingandsupportivelearning andenvironments,fosteringmeaningfulconnections sustainablepartnershipsandoptimisingtheoperationsfor growthandsuccess.
one
The number provider in terms of Quality
Polaris continues to be the number one children’s services companywith the highest quality and best outcomes. At the end of 2024, we remained the only full children’s services providerwho is 100% Good or Outstanding across all our services. We are incredibly proud of this achievement.
Congratulations to the following serviceswho received positive inspection outcomes this year:
Orange Grove Yorkshire received theirthird consecutive outstanding rating
“Children are making exceptional progress from their starting points. This is because of the excellent quality of care that they receive from their foster carers and the agency’s practice. This high standard of care is underpinned by the excellent use of theoretical and therapeutic approaches”
ACS received an outstanding rating
“Children make exceptional progress from their starting points, because of the nurturing and warm care they receive from their foster carers. The children form safe and secure a琀琀achments with their carers and are embraced as part of their foster families”
Dove House received an outstanding rating
“Children live in a fun-filled, creative home where they are supported to build trusting and warm relationships with staff.”
Bayview Glen昀椀eld received an outstanding rating
“Children benefit from living in a caring and nurturing home. Children make excellent progress due to the consistently high standards of care provided by a highly skilled and commi琀琀ed team. Children say that living in the home has changed their lives for the be琀琀er”
Area Camden 15 received an outstanding rating
“All children are happy, se琀琀led and making exceptional progress. Children benefit from stability and have a genuine sense of belonging. Children interact freely with each other and staff. Staff fully understand children’s needs and are excellent role models”
Dove Barwick House received an outstanding rating
“The experience of living in this home enhances the life chances of children. Children flourish because they are provided with nurturing care from dedicated staff who know them well. The wellbeing of children is at the centre of staff practice. Professionals described an ethos of aspiration, hope, and positivity in the home”
Cli昀昀ord House received an outstanding rating
This small fostering agency nurtures the foster family and their extended family and promotes their wider community, of which it plays a significant part. As a result, children make excellent progress and flourish. They develop a strong sense of personal identity and establish support networks that help them when they move on from their foster family or into adulthood.
Bayview Thortindale Cottage received an outstanding rating
“The manager is an excellent leader who has high standards and demonstrates a passion for her role that she passes on to her team. She has a detailed understanding of the children in her care and is hands on at the home. She is nurturing and playful in her approach with the children and encourages a culture of curiosity in her team”
Dove Pennine View received an outstanding rating
“The established positive culture in the home ensures that staff provide a consistent, warm and nurturing environment for children. Children enjoy spending time with staff and each other. There is a calm atmosphere and daily laughter. This creates an environment where children feel safe and secure, which helps them to thrive.”
Fosterplus Scotland received an overall ‘Very Good’ rating in their latest inspection by the Care Inspectorate.
“Children and young people experienced supportive, enduring relationships with fostering families that provided them with a sense of belonging.”
FCA Cymru team under the Care Inspectorate forWales, achieved a glowing report with a ‘Fully Compliant’ outcome and no recommendations
“There is a clear focus upon children achieving individual goals, positive outcomes and ensuring their personal safety, happiness and wellbeing needs are met”
A huge congratulations to the following agencies who all received a ‘Good’ judgement in 2024:
Adopters for Adoption
Apple Orchard- Fastbridge
Apple Orchard- Oakdene
Apple Orchard - Orchard House
& Bramble Cottage
Area Camden 21
Area Camden 33
Area Camden 294
Area Camden 57
BayviewYealand
Bayview Berwick
Bayview East Gate Lodge
Budwood Alexandra House
Budwood Quay Cottage
Budwood Woolston House
Dove Braemar
Dove Denby House
Dove IvoryVillas
Dove Southgate
Dove High View
Dove Jasmine House
Headway Burwell
Headway High Anchorage
Headway Hudds Vale
HeadwayWest End Cottages
Headway Lake Farm
Headway Newlands
North Lakes Kenilworth House
North Lakes Kirby Moor
North Lakes Warwick House
North Lakes Wood End
FCA North West
ISP Rainham
Selwyn Hall School
At Polaris, we pride ourselves on leading the sector in terms of inspection outcomes howeverwe recognise that the feedback of those who have been supported by a Polaris service is also a fundamental measure of our success.
“The best bit is I get to sleep here every night”
A young person living in our Bayview Glen昀椀eld home
“I would just like to say thank you for your kindness and understanding even when things are really tough. You are truly amazing with (young person) and I couldn’t wish for a be琀琀er Mommy for her. You are selfless and her welfare is always top priority. You make her life complete and she is so very happy and content with your family”
A letterwritten by a birth mother to a FCA Yorks & Lincs foster parent
“I live like a prince and have a loving king and queen mum and dad”
A young person from Fosterplus Scotland talking about his foster parents
“I have had a very positive experience with this organisation and would just like to say how wonderfully kind and caring everyone in the organisation is… High expectations and professionalism also describe the organisation.”
Approved adopter from Adopters for Adoption
The number one provider in terms of quality
“She has gone far above and beyond her official duties, consistently providing support, guidance, and encouragement that have made a profound difference in my academic and personal journey…What sets her apart is her selflessness and genuine commitment…This willingness to go the extra mile, entirely of her own volition, is a testament to her character and the deep sense of care she brings to her role… she has become a trusted family friend whose compassion and dedication have made an enduring impact on my life. Her support has been invaluable, and I cannot imagine having navigated these challenges without her steadfast encouragement. She exemplifies what it means to truly care for others.... I am profoundly grateful for all she has done”
A care leaver speaking about his education co-ordinator in FCA Northern Ireland
“‘I found her very helpful and respectful she helpe i never thought i would open up about! She gave me solutions and made confident in myself. She explained things to me in a different perspective and didn’t just agree with me she went into detail and helped as much as she could! She is real life nanny mcfee”
A young person being supported by our PCS Progress;ons service
“There is no be琀琀er place for me to be right now. Staff listen to me a lot. They respect me 100%”
A young person living in one of the Dove homes
“A school that benefi琀琀ed me greatly. It has shown me new ways! I used to be hyperactive and angry. I really like this school as I have become a person rather than a mess of emotions”
A pupil at ISP Teynham school
“L is an amazing woman, she is one of the people I look up to in this world. I love staying with her and being with her because she’s very kind to me and takes good care of my brother and I”
Young person talking about his FCA Scotland foster parent
“This home gave me options for my future”
A young person living in an Area Camden home
“I just wanted to reach out to say how grateful I am for the limitless support and empathy I received from my Family Support Worker…Her unwavering support, professionalism & compassion is something I’ve never come across in my life to date and I will forever be grateful for her help…with her guidance I learned how to smile again & even made friends and ran a small club. Something I never imagined I’d find the strength to do again.
One thing I know for sure is that I would not be where I am today without her limitless care and kindness and from the bo琀琀om of my heart I want to say THANK YOU”
Adult Service Userwho received Personal Support from BFSWS (Akrotiri)
“This is the first time I’ve visited a provider and had no recommendations”
QualityVisitor from the Local Authority following theirvisit to Apple Orchard Fastbridge
“I just want to say thank you again for your commitment and dedication to the young person. I know it hasn’t been easy but your perseverance is 100% contributing to the milestones she is hi琀琀ing. You have continued to keep me updated and this is invaluable as each li琀琀le step she makes forward is a massive win!”
I would like to pass on my appreciation of the foster parents and what they have done/are doing for the young person. They have gone above and beyond on several occasions and the whole family have been amazing. I have worked alongside many foster carers in my 25 years as a social worker, some of whom have been amazing, however, hands down this family are at the top”
Feedback from LASW to Fostering People
“He helped me figure out where the things I had to deal with came from and since identifying the root causes, I managed to make massive progress towards a happier, more peaceful, and positive mind-set. He really helped me make a massive breakthrough which has had a significant impact on my life and going forward I’m able to be琀琀er assert myself in situations I may have been unable to before, and I’ve started to have a more productive and fruitful approach to my wellbeing through the methods and ideas he put forward. I cannot stress how much of a transformation was helped cultivated by him and his reassuring, patient and genuine approach”
A young person being supported by our PCS Progress;ons service
“Mum And Dad have asked us to be godparents when all this with social services has finished. They feel that we have helped them more than anyone else, since having the baby and they feel they would like us to be part of their life”
A foster parent from ISP Rainham talking about their recent Parent & Child Placement
“There are
too
many
good things
about them, to write here. I love them, and the entire family.”
Young person from FCA Cymru talking about their foster family
An email received by Fostering People foster parents from the LASW
“Staff are amazing and like a second family to us”.
A family member of a young person living in a Dove home
“There is a real sense that the placement staff know and like the young person. And they speak to him with understanding of needs and warmth. They provide feedback at a level he can understand. He is very happy here and thriving”
Feedback from an IRO in relation to Apple Orchard -Orchard House
“They were very kind and helped my mum a lot!”
A young person speaking about the help they received from BFSWS
“Living with him has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. He has helped me develop my independent skills and helped me get through my darkest times.At the end of the day, I can proudly call him my dad. I can’t imagine what my life would be like without the help of him.He has been by my side throughout my difficult times at school, supporting me and fighting for what he thought would be best for me. Know other carer would fight for someone like that. I love living with him as we always have something to do like watching movies, visiting London and even be琀琀er an upcoming trip to Canada. Worlds can’t explain how thankful for everything that he has done for me. If there is one thing I could change about living with him, is nothing, he is the best. I can’t wait to make soo much more memories with him and learn so much more. He is the best carer in the world and if I was his boss, I would be giving him a massive pay rise for all his hard work.
Thank you for everything you have done for me and my brother, you’re the best”.
A young person from FCA Yorks & Lincs talking about his foster parent
“I feel more than safe here, I feel happy and warm and all the other good words you can think of”
A young person talking about living with FCA North West foster parents
“This is the best home I have ever lived in in my life. I have lots of friends and I love spending my pocket money on Harry Po琀琀er stuff. Helen and Ken are going to decorate my bedroom with a HP theme that I helped design”
A young person living with FCA South East foster parents
“I want to say a huge heart felt thank you to the SSW who made a truly impossible situation manageable for our foster parent and I hope made a sad day a li琀琀le brighter for a li琀琀le boy.”
LASW talking about a SSW from FCA South East
“I just wanted to say thank you so much to the fost for their care of (young person), which has been to high standard. I have heard how child focused they been, so open to different plans for her, and so in accommodating and welcoming to her family- to open doors to her family in such a way to allow the best transition speaks so much of their positive child f approach to fostering and their love for the young
Feedback received from LASW about ISP Midlands foster parents
Polaris CEO Awards
Launch of CEO Awards
Our 2023 sta昀昀 survey results showed that people from across the Polaris Community would like to see improvements to the way people are recognised and rewarded. One of the ways we addressed this was by launching the CEO Awards this year.
The Polaris Community CEO Awards is awarded by Jo August on a quarterly basis and aims to recognise those sta昀昀 members, adopters and foster parents who go above and beyond and deserve to be recognised for their dedication, commitment and for continuing to make a di昀昀erence.
A huge congratulations to ourwinners!
Congratulations to all those members of the communitywho have received recognition this yearwhether it be through internal awards or external organisations.
This yearwe had a record number of 昀椀nalists from across the community in the National Children & Young People Awards:
• The Employer Award NorthBayView Childcare
• The Foster Carer AwardAlison Loftus - FCA Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Sammy Meardon – ISP Teynham, Phillip and Leanne WaltersCli昀昀ord House Fostering, Helen and Ken Warren – FCA South East, Karen and Graham Wyatt – Orange Grove Three Shires, Rolando and Elizabeth Bloice- FCA Midlands, Martin Shaw –FCA Yorks & Lincs
• The Fostering & Adoption AwardFosterplus South and ISP Fostering
• The Biggest Impact (Team)Thortindale Cottage, Bayview childcare
• The Children & Families Social Worker AwardSue Anderson- Fosterplus South
• The Support Worker Award SouthSue Elwin, ISP Fostering
Congratulations to Mohammed Bashir, the Registered Manager at ACS, forwinning Professional of the Year at the Multicultural and Business & Community Champion Awards.
contributions to research by University College London and the University of Coventry into understanding the relationship between ethnicity, religion, and identity in the evolution of children’s identities and his dedication to
A huge congratulations to Josh Williamson, Operations Director at Leaving Care Solutions, who was o昀케cially invited by Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws and Ofsted to an afternoon tea reception at the House of Lords in October in formal recognition of the work and contributions made by Josh and the care experienced young people at LCS to the supported accommodation project.
Congratulations to the following foster parents from FCA Northern Ireland who were 昀椀nalists in The Fostering Network’s Fostering Excellence Awards:
Suzanne and George Baird
Pamela and Je昀昀 McBurney
Cathy Mills
In December Dove Adolescent Services annual Christmas party became even more special with the introduction of The Dovies to celebrate the dedication, passion, and achievements of our team throughout the year. Nominations for the awards were carefully judged by Operations Directors Stacy Cooper and Leanne Smith. The biggest recognition of the night was the Special Recognition Award, given to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to Dove – the award was scooped up by Amanda Farnaby.
Budwood gave out their own Recognition Awards this year. The winner from the East was Roswitha Embacher and from the West, Raymond Burton. Both won due to their display of hard work, dedication to the young people and demonstrating the values of Budwood. Well done both!
“Amanda embodies everything Dove stands for…her colleagues say she has ‘Dove running through her veins.’ With years of dedication to the children and team, Amanda is a cornerstone of our organisation. Thank you, Amanda, for your outstanding contributions over the years!
Over the last two years, the team at Fosterplus Scotland have been dedicated in implementing trauma-informed practices across the service they provide to foster families. They have been transforming the support o昀昀ered to foster carers and their children, providing training workshops on trauma informed parenting, and integrating trauma awareness – along with carefully considered language –within practice, guidelines and documentation.
As a result, The Trauma Informed Parenting Charity have recently awarded Fosterplus Scotland with a certi昀椀cate of excellence, for their outstanding commitment to traumainformed practice. Well done all!
- SharonStrike -FCASouthWestern
- EvieFrancey -FCAYorksandLincs
- KayLimbertandBrandonLewis -FCAYorksandLincs
- KellyBrown -FCANorthernIreland
- MagsandIanGourlay -FCANorthernIreland
- AprilNewman-FCACymru
- SueandJohnGibb-FCAYorks&Lincs
- GeorgieHamer- FCASouthWestern
- ZunairaandMuhammadSabihShoaib -FCAThamesValley
- AmyClarkeandRhisiartJones-FCACymru
- AmandaSwain-FCACymru
- JenMorgan-FCACentral
- PaulaandClemTumelty-FCAThamesValley
- FayeKeadell-FCAThamesValley
- Gez&KateMelvin-FCAYorks&Lincs
- HayleyFuentes-FCACymru
- AndrewandElizabethHowell(andtheir family)-FCACymru
- AndrewSo昀椀eld-FCANorthWest
- SaraMarsden-FCAYorks&Lincs
- KirstenBrannigan-FCAScotland
- LisaRuvino&NickGraham-FCANorthEast
- JoanneEllis-FCASouthWestern
- SamanthaandKevinBlyth-FCAScotland
- NerinaParry-FCACymru
Trauma-Informed Organisation Becoming a
At Polaris, we recognise the importance of adopting a trauma-informed approach because it is essential in creating an environment where individuals feel safe, supported, and understood.
This year, Jane Batley, one of our Learning & Development trainers, in partnership with Suzannah Hill, our Group Head of Therapy, developed a Trauma Informed Framework that recognises the pervasive impact of trauma and emphasizes the importance of policies, practices and cultures that foster healing and resilience.
By embedding a trauma-informed approach throughout the Polaris Community, we create a foundation for sustainable change, ensuring that both children and sta昀昀 are supported in a compassionate, empathetic, and resilient environment. This initiative re昀氀ects Polaris’s commitment to fostering healing and growth across all aspects of its work
In March 2024, our Trauma- Informed Practice Workshop was successfully launched. The course was designed for non-therapeutic sta昀昀 across all roles within the community to gain an understanding of trauma-informed care interventions. These are grounded in the recognition that exposure to trauma can signi昀椀cantly impact an individual’s neurological, biological, psychological, and social development.
The course aims to transform howwe understand and respond to trauma within Polaris Community by embedding a trauma-informed approach into every aspect of ourwork. This includes fostering a culture where both children and sta昀昀 experience empathy, kindness, and the opportunity to build or strengthen trusting relationships.
So far:
The course has become City and Guilds Accredited
139 participants have successfully completed the course
Area Camden are rolling the training out to all sta昀昀
Dove Adolescent Services is in the process of incorporating the training into their sta昀昀 induction
In 2025, we continue to develop on our journey in becoming a trauma-informed organisation and already have a further 60 participants scheduled to attend by April 2025.
Polaris People
2024 has been a busyyear for Polaris People. You can catch up on their activities this year bywatching this video
Polaris People continues to go from strength to strength. Our Diversity Champions continue to be a voice for minority groups and their allies within the Community, and advocate for social justice.
Polaris People had a great time attending Reading Pride Parade this year.
“It was such a great day with such a positive atmosphere and one where everyone could be their genuine and authentic selves. It was wonderful to see so many families a琀琀ending the festival and we had the pleasure of talking to so many people about Polaris Community as an inclusive employer where everyone feels valued and empowered.”
In October, the Community celebrated Black History month with this year’s theme being ‘Reclaiming Narratives’. During the week, several resources were shared, children had the opportunity to take part in a design the badge competition, a webinar with guest speaker, Lady Tessy Ojo, CBE took place along with many more activities.
This year, we continued to build on our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion training o昀昀er introducing several new courses including:
Understanding Dyspraxia
Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Understanding ADHD
Understanding Neurodiversity Understanding Dyslexia
In 2025, we will continue building on our success and have some ambitious plans.
Growth and development of our education community
Sharing best practice across our growing community
Building on our sta昀昀 retention and engagement strategy; helping us to be the best place to work
Our strategy for this next year includes: Our
Development of our in-house Apprenticeship service
Engaging in research, pilot programmes and in昀氀uencing policy and practice across the sector Rolling out Management Information Systems to bring consistency
Continue to grow our foster parent base and strengthen our recruitment and preparation processes Invest in our learning and development o昀昀er for sta昀昀 and foster parents
for 2025
Strategy
Polaris
Malvern View, Saxon Business Park
Hanbury Road, Stoke Prior
Bromsgrove B60 4AD
t: 01527 556480
e: contactus@polariscommunity.co.uk
www.polariscommunity.co.uk