CWDC – or some ‘other’, surely its business as usual for our fantastic foster carers?

A number of our fantastic foster carers have now achieved their CWDC training, support and development standards and I continue to be impressed with the way Chrysalis Care foster carers remain committed to their learning and development. A treat on the day that we held an event to award CWDC certificates was the presence of our local MP David Evennett, who came to visit our head office in Bexleyheath, see http://www.flickr.com/photos/bexleyheathcrayford/5189853774/ for more on this.


Perhaps the involvement of local government is wholly appropriate in the current climate of devolved services. Although some of us may want to shield our eyes and our ears to the role of the government in what we do, there is a need (and a value) in acknowledging politicisation. To not consider agendas – such as notions of the ‘Big Society’ – is to not take on board everything that affects our current and future practice. In particular in relation to the CWDC, some significant changes to its organisation will undoubtedly affect, albeit even confuse us!

For those who have been around in the sector for some time, we are used to new standards, new milestones and in how these changes can sometimes cause some misunderstanding about what we are ‘supposed’ to do. This time is no different. I have received a little flurry of emails from people showing me the news about CWDC and asking if this means we can ditch the work books now (!). Some others have been concerned that they will have to rewrite their training programmes.

I say we carry on ‘as we were’ – the work is the same work, children and young people still need to be cared for in good, nurturing and stable homes. Foster carers still need to work within a framework that guides their good (and very, very good – outstanding even!) practice.

As we have learned from some of the changes to language over recent months, some of this is merely semantic and everything else remains essentially the same. In the case of CWDC, whether it is them or some ‘other’, something is necessary - to give credit to and reflect the fantastic role that Chrysalis Care foster carers have in transforming the lives of children and young people.

Jo Oliver

Service Development Manager