Anwen's Story
- oliviawilson46
- Jul 30
- 2 min read
Anwen helps match children with foster families and stays in touch throughout their journey
Anwen is one of our Duty Workers in Rotherham. Anwen works alongside new and established carers to help children find the right homes. She also provides support beyond the matching process - helping carers feel connected and informed.
We spoke with her to learn more about what she does.
Many carers first hear from Anwen by phone after they are approved
When someone is approved to foster, Anwen makes contact with the new carer and visits alongside the allocated supervising social worker. Anwen works to begin to understand the fostering household and who would be best matched with each family. Anwen receives children’s referrals as they come in and begins the process of matching as soon as possible. That usually starts with a phone call.
“What I like to do is go out with the social workers and supervisors and meet carers, especially in the early days, just so they know there’s a voice at the other end of the phone.”
Anwen also makes sure carers know they can reach out
Anwen says she knows all the carers she supports and wants them to feel comfortable contacting her:
“With me, I know all the carers, even their pets, so I pride myself on being someone they feel comfortable to contact if the supervisor isn’t available.”
She also attends support groups and checks in with carers over the phone to stay connected and make sure they feel confident.
She takes time to understand carers when matching children
Anwen says she gets to know carers and their lifestyles before suggesting a match - taking into account things like pets, children and how active the family is.
“It’s got to be right for the family, and it’s got to be right for the young person.”
Anwen wants new carers to know there’s always support available from the Fostering Rotherham team
“We’ve got a lot of supportive teams. There’s the therapeutic teams, supervisors and social workers who always have an eye on ‘what can we do to help you?’ There’s always someone on the other end of the phone and if they can’t help, they’ll be able to find someone who can.”
Want to hear more from Anwen? She features in our short film sharing the experiences of local foster carers.