Explore every episode of the podcast Foster Care Uncovered
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| They Sold You Out! | 03 Nov 2026 | 01:19:47 | |
They Sold You Out! You’re just the Cash Cow This week, The Fostering Network meets with the National Union of Professional Foster Carers, then goes straight to the DfE to dob them in. So what exactly was said, why did they dob the union in, and whose side are they really on? Then we look at the money, appointments, and cosy connections in the fostering establishment, and ask who benefits while carers are left in despair. In the second half, we turn to Allostatic Load, the cumulative toll that chronic stress takes on the human body and mind. What happens when the demands of fostering never let up, recovery becomes impossible, and the system fails to recognise the damage? Because the question isn’t simply whether foster carers can cope. It’s what the system is doing to them. Useful Links JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY: https://fosterwiki.com/register/ NFCQ: http://education.nfcq.co.uk Allostatic Load in Foster Carers: https://fosterwiki.com/wiki/allostatic-load-in-foster-carers/ Carer Hotline Contact Emails: If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. Clarification: In a previous episode, during our discussion about the selection of foster carers to the government's Fostering Advisory Board and their connections with established sector organisations, we suggested that one of the appointed foster carers might be a trustee of the Fostering Network. We have since established that this is not the case and are happy to clarify that point. We are, however, currently seeking clarification from this individual as to how they were originally selected for the Advisory Board, including whether their appointment was facilitated through the Fostering Network or another route. That information has not yet been forthcoming, but as soon as it is, we will update listeners when further clarification is available. | |||
| The Gloves Are Off... | 25 Oct 2026 | 01:19:27 | |
The Gloves Are Off...Is the old order cracking? This week, Sarah and Louise ask whether the old order in fostering is finally beginning to crack. From the Government’s 10,000-carer recruitment campaign to the growing row over who represents foster carers, we examine the spin, the power plays and the rise of independent carer-led voices challenging the status quo. On the Naughty Step, we take on a recruitment story that sparked an extraordinary response from foster carers, questioning the way fostering is being sold to the public, the misleading focus on money and the failure to put the realities of children’s lives at the centre of the story. Plus, in Carer Hotline, we explore the frustrations of inconsistent supervision and ever-changing social workers. And Sarah introduces Allostatic Load, the cumulative cost of prolonged stress, and what happens when the people holding the system together are given too little support to recover. Perhaps the question isn’t why carers struggle to cope, but what we’re asking them to carry. Useful Links JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY: https://fosterwiki.com/register/ NFCQ: http://education.nfcq.co.uk Allostatic Load in Foster Carers: https://fosterwiki.com/wiki/allostatic-load-in-foster-carers/ Carer Hotline Contact Emails: If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| The Big Lie: The Spin, Promises & Propaganda | 15 Oct 2026 | 01:11:57 | |
The Big Lie: The Spin, Promises & Propaganda Behind the Latest Government Launch This week, Sarah and Louise take apart Josh MacAlister’s grand launch of the Government’s national fostering recruitment campaign. Millions for recruitment, promises of 10,000 new places, glossy videos and a Minister claiming to have rewritten a rulebook that has no rules. They examine the furious reaction from existing carers, the millions spent on recruitment initiatives that have failed to deliver, the conspicuous absence of independent foster carer-led organisations from the launch, and the uncomfortable question nobody in Westminster seems keen to answer: why recruit more carers while driving experienced ones out? And that claim about rewriting the ‘rule’ book? We have a few things to say about that. More spin, more slogans, more money, no substance? Useful Links JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY: https://fosterwiki.com/register/ NFCQ: http://education.nfcq.co.uk Carer Hotline Contact Emails: If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Breaking News! The 3.4m funding scandal they can’t spin | 07 Oct 2026 | 01:14:41 | |
Breaking News! The 3.4m funding scandal they can’t spin This week, Sarah and Louise get into the breaking news the fostering sector really needs to talk about: the Government’s evaluation of the North East Regional Fostering Recruitment Hub, the Pathfinder meant to show everyone else how regional recruitment should work. Except the independent evaluation found no statistically significant evidence that it actually increased recruitment compared with areas without a Hub. So naturally… the answer appears to be more Hubs. Sarah is furious, Louise is listening, and there’s a very large “WE TOLD YOU SO” hanging over this episode. Then someone very influential lands on the Naughty Step. We’re not saying who just yet… but let’s just say they have a rather important role in children’s services, a 1,253-word response to the new Fostering Quality Standards, and Sarah has been reading between the lines. There’s also a Carer Hotline dilemma about transport, school and who actually carries the practical burden when a placement doesn’t work logistically. And we ask a rather uncomfortable question: when children say they want less professional intrusion, do we actually listen, or do we only like children having a voice when they say what we want to hear? You probably won’t agree with everything Sarah says. But you’ll definitely want to hear this one. Useful Links JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY https://fosterwiki.com/register/ NFCQ: http://education.nfcq.co.uk Carer Hotline Contact Emails: If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Are you a ‘Difficult’ Carer? | 25 Sep 2026 | 01:13:21 | |
Are you a ‘Difficult’ Carer? - Speak Up for Children. Get Labelled. Get Targeted. This week Sarah and Louise are talking about ‘difficult’ foster carers, the ones who ask awkward questions, challenge decisions and dare to advocate for children. But what happens when speaking up gets you labelled ‘difficult’? And why does that word carry rather more weight than it might appear? We also look at the latest free school meals controversy, ask uncomfortable questions about how foster carers are represented, and explore what happens when the reality of fostering looks very different from the glossy version presented to prospective carers. Plus, there’s the usual mix of fostering news, questionable sector language, and a trip to the Naughty Step for those who really should know better. Useful Links JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY https://fosterwiki.com/register/ NFCQ: http://education.nfcq.co.uk Carer Hotline Contact Emails: If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| You're “Just” a Foster Carer | 04 Sep 2026 | 01:16:09 | |
You're “Just” a Foster Carer & Revolving Door Failed Leadership; They Move Around. So Does the Damage. You’re “JUST” a foster carer. A word that tells you an awful lot about how foster carers are still viewed by parts of the care system. This week Sarah and Louise unpack the “just” that diminishes foster carers, the weaponisation of experience, and why carers are expected to behave like professionals while routinely being treated as though their knowledge, qualifications and expertise somehow count for less. But first, we’re looking at 112 care leavers who died last year, and asking the uncomfortable question: how many more reviews do we need before someone actually changes the system that keeps producing the same outcomes? Then we turn our attention to the revolving door of children’s services leadership. Leaders move from one authority to another, new strategies are announced, new improvement plans appear, and the language changes… but what happens to accountability when the people who made the decisions simply move on? Plus, the Naughty Step returns with a first-ever three-way tie for some truly spectacular examples of recruitment marketing that manages to make fostering look easy, fun and apparently requiring little more than a spare room. Useful Links JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY https://fosterwiki.com/register/ NFCQ: http://education.nfcq.co.uk Carer Hotline Contact Emails: If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Big Brother or Accountability? CCTV, Body Cams | 01 Sep 2026 | 01:12:10 | |
Big Brother or Accountability? CCTV, Body Cams and Someone’s Back on the Naughty Step This week, Sarah and Louise are back with the cynicism dial turned all the way up, and, for the first time, Sarah and Louise find themselves firmly on opposite sides of one of the biggest debates in fostering right now, and let’s just say, it gets lively! Do Sarah and Louise fall out or disagree agreeably? Westminster’s latest response to care leavers being pushed off a “dangerous cliff edge” to another round of reports, handbooks, carefully crafted quotes and political promises, they ask the increasingly uncomfortable question: is anyone actually fixing anything, or are we just getting better at talking about it? Somerset Council take the converted Naughty Step Award for a second time, with a Best Value Notice (no, that's not an award!) and a £7 million “transformation” programme, overseen by the very people who got them into this mess in the first place, not a resignation or sacking in sight. And can you really transform fostering by simply asking foster carers to do more? And finally, cameras. Should social workers wear body cams? Should foster carers have cameras in their homes? Sarah is firmly on the fence, but perhaps the more important question is why so many people now feel they need a recording device to prove what actually happened. When trust in the system has deteriorated to this point, are cameras the answer, or are they evidence of a much bigger problem? Useful Links JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY https://fosterwiki.com/register/ If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| The Rules Don’t Apply to Everyone | 17 Aug 2026 | 01:01:22 | |
The Rules Don’t Apply to Everyone: Unchecked Power – Part 2 This week on Foster Care Uncovered, Sarah and Louise go from the supposedly boring world of new fostering standards to one of the most uncomfortable questions in children’s social care: what happens to the truth when one side holds most of the power? Can power create a culture where the truth becomes… flexible? Not necessarily because anyone is deliberately lying, but because when you hold the authority, do you become unconsciously more confident in your own version of events? What happens when conversations are remembered differently, records are disputed, explanations are dismissed, and the person with the professional authority gets to decide which version carries the most weight? We also get stuck into the new draft Fostering Quality Standards and ask whether they really change anything, whether foster carers are genuinely being recognised as professional partners, and why standards seem to demand so much from carers while accountability for services can feel rather more optional. Does power change how we see the truth? And when the people with the most authority are also the people judging whether they got it right, who is checking them? This one gets uncomfortable, and that’s exactly where Foster Care Uncovered likes to be. Useful Links JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY https://fosterwiki.com/register/ If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Do Social Workers Have Too Much Power? | 04 Aug 2026 | 00:59:38 | |
Do Social Workers Have Too Much Power? What Unchecked Power Does to Ordinary People. This week Sarah and Louise ask a difficult but important question: what happens when any profession is given significant authority without enough challenge, accountability or independent scrutiny? Before anyone jumps to conclusions, this is not an attack on social workers. Far from it. Thousands of dedicated social workers care deeply about children and families and do extraordinary work every day. But Foster Care Uncovered has always been about having honest conversations about the realities of the care system, including the uncomfortable ones. Sarah and Louise explore the psychology of power, how unchecked authority can affect decision-making, and why foster carers, adopters, kinship carers and birth families across the country have repeatedly described similar experiences of feeling unheard, dismissed or powerless when challenging professional decisions. They discuss the difference between criticising a profession and examining a system, the importance of accountability, and why questioning power structures is essential in any service where decisions have life-changing consequences for children and the people caring for them. Plus, there’s the usual Foster Care Uncovered mix of honesty, humour and a little “Word Salad Corner” - where Sarah and Louise attempt to translate professional language that sometimes manages to say very little while using a lot of words. A thought-provoking episode about power, accountability, human behaviour and why protecting children means being brave enough to look at the whole system. Listen, reflect, and join the conversation. Useful Links JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY https://fosterwiki.com/register/ If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Who’s Been on the Blinis? Politics, PR and Exploitation | 22 Jul 2026 | 00:54:30 | |
While the Westminster set enjoy salmon blinis, caviar and £100 bottles of Pol Roger, the people holding children’s social care together are exhausted, undervalued and walking away. This week on Foster Care Uncovered, Sarah and Louise look at the politics behind children’s social care reform, the arrival of new leadership, and whether the promise of listening to people beyond Westminster will finally reach the frontline. We ask whether glossy announcements, photo opportunities and symbolic reforms are replacing the difficult work of actually fixing a system in crisis. Then we tackle the uncomfortable conversation nobody likes to have: are foster carers being exploited by the very system that depends on them? From hidden costs and emotional labour, to fear, power imbalance and feeling disposable when things go wrong, we explore what happens when a workforce built on relationships is left without enough power, protection or voice. Plus… we investigate the important questions. Who was at the party? Who got the blinis? And has anyone remembered to ask the foster carers? If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. Useful Links JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY https://fosterwiki.com/register/ | |||
| The Exploitation of Foster Carers | 17 Jul 2026 | 00:57:49 | |
The Exploitation of Foster Carers: How Has It Become Normalised? This week, Sarah and Louise begin by unpacking the latest fostering news, including the Government's latest announcement on Regional Care Co-operatives, what it really means for foster carers, and the proposed rewrite of the National Minimum Standards. Is this genuine reform, or simply another restructure that leaves the real problems untouched? Then they tackle one of the most uncomfortable questions the sector has ever faced: are foster carers being exploited? They explore whether decades of reforms have unintentionally created the conditions for exploitation to become normalised. As fostering has become increasingly professionalised, with more regulation, governance, commissioning and management, the role of the foster carer has remained remarkably unchanged, often still treated as though it belongs to another era. From hidden financial costs and emotional pressure to power imbalances and a system increasingly reliant on carers' goodwill, this powerful first part of a two-part series asks whether compassion has become something the system quietly depends upon and takes for granted. If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. Useful Links JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY https://fosterwiki.com/register/ FosterWiki Parental Responsibility (PR): https://fosterwiki.com/wiki/parental-responsibility-pr/ FosterWiki Delegated Authority: https://fosterwiki.com/wiki/delegated-authority/ FosterWiki Delegated Authority – Decision Support Tool: https://fosterwiki.com/assets/uploads/2021/07/Delegated-Authority-Tool-Example-Published-07-2021.pdf | |||
| Profits, Power, and a System in Crisis | 01 Jul 2026 | 00:53:38 | |
This week, Sarah and Louise examine the unprecedented warning from Scotland's senior social work leaders, who’ve exposed that children are being taken home by social workers because there are no available placements. They explore how years of ignored warnings have led to this point, and why the real crisis may be retention rather than recruitment. They also unpack the growing controversy around private equity in children's care, ask why foster carers continue to shoulder the financial risks of allegations and gaps between placements, discuss what the revised allegations toolkit really represents, and unveil The F Files, a new investigative series exploring the people, organisations and influences shaping foster care behind the scenes. If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Tales from the kitchen table | 26 Jun 2026 | 01:40:45 | |
Sarah and Louise take their irreverent look and roll back the curtains on another week in fostering. They start with leadership, language, and the familiar gap between what is announced and what is actually felt in foster families. From political reshuffles to sector promises, they ask what all the noise really means for children and carers on a Tuesday afternoon when support is needed, and someone has to answer the phone. We also turn to recent headlines that have shaken public trust and sparked uncomfortable questions about accountability, repetition, and why “lessons will be learned” still gets wheeled out as though it carries weight. Find out who’s won this week’s coveted Naughty Step Award… and who (and what) has qualified for Word Salad Corner. Then we head to the kitchen table itself, where fostering actually lives, not in frameworks or buzzwords, but in exhaustion, humour, repair, and relentless unpredictability. This week, we dig into what happens when theory meets real life: why behaviour is never just behaviour, why relationships carry the weight of everything, and why “good enough” is sometimes the most radical idea in the room. If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Foster Care Uncovered in conversation with John Pearce OBE | 17 Jun 2026 | 01:21:45 | |
This week, Sarah and Louise are joined by John Pearce OBE for a wide-ranging and deeply reflective conversation about the state of children’s social care and where it may be heading next. John brings decades of experience at the forefront of children’s services leadership, including his time as Director of Children’s Services in Durham, and is widely known for his clear-sighted, often challenging analysis of system design, practice realities and reform. Together, they explore a central tension running through children’s services today: a system built for a different era, now stretched by the realities of modern childhood. The conversation moves beyond surface-level reform to ask whether we are repeatedly redesigning the same structures rather than confronting the deeper questions about demand, sufficiency and purpose. They discuss whether fostering, in its current form, has a natural ceiling; what recent reforms like Regional Care Co-operatives reveal about how policy translates into practice; and why systems so often behave differently in reality than they do on paper. The episode also looks forward, exploring whether new models of family-based care may be needed to meet the needs of today’s children and young people, and what a more honest conversation about markets, providers and leadership might look like. A thoughtful, challenging and at times uncomfortable conversation about what it will really take to build a system that works for children today. If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| When Systems Shape Minds: The Psychology Undermining Confidence and Care | 11 Jun 2026 | 01:24:37 | |
This week, Sarah and Louise open with a candid, slightly irreverent look at what’s been making waves in the sector, the stories behind the headlines, the language being used, and the questions few people are saying out loud. At the heart of the conversation is a deeper exploration of how control shows up in subtle, often unspoken ways, and why some of the systems designed to support children and carers can end up creating the very tensions they are trying to avoid. They dig into the psychology sitting underneath it all, what drives it, what sustains it, and what happens when it starts to backfire. After the break, the discussion tightens. This is where things get more pointed: real examples, real dynamics, and the uncomfortable patterns that many will recognise but few will name. Expect challenge, reflection, and a few moments that will stay with you long after the episode ends, including who and what sits at the centre of this week’s spotlight. Links Interview: IWGB Foster Care Workers Branch Chair Sarah Anderson on Victoria Derbyshire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGZpLaTmOPo&list=PLWEgjIZKyJRoHb1uEe8IgW-GoRhEPgLzu&index=12 Government statements: Gov UK Fostering for the future: improving the foster care system: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/fostering-for-the-future-improving-the-foster-care-system Gov UK Proposed changes to assessment and handling allegations of abuse: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fostering-reform-proposed-changes-to-assessment-and-handling-allegations-of-abuse Foster Carers Mental Health: https://fosterwiki.com/wiki/foster-carers-mental-health/ NFCQ Foster Carers Mental Health and Wellbeing: https://education.nfcq.co.uk/nfcq-courses/foster-carers-mental-health-and-wellbeing/ Recourses: FosterWiki: https://fosterwiki.com/wiki/ If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Them and Us: Foster Care's Unspoken Civil War | 05 Jun 2026 | 01:09:18 | |
This week, Sarah and Louise take on one of foster care's biggest elephants in the room: "Them and Us". For years, carers have spoken about a growing divide between those providing care and those controlling the system. Yet whenever the subject is raised, many insist the divide doesn't exist. So who's right? Drawing on frontline experience, sector news, survey data and some uncomfortable questions, Sarah and Louise explore how power, accountability, allegations, leadership culture and government policy have combined to create a system where many carers feel increasingly excluded from decisions that affect both them and the children they care for. Because perhaps the real question isn't whether a "Them and Us" culture exists. It's why so many people are still pretending it doesn't. If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Culture Wars: Power, Silence and Moral Decline | 20 May 2026 | 01:16:32 | |
This week on Foster Care Uncovered, Sarah and Louise tackle the growing culture crisis inside fostering. From Josh MacAlister’s latest social media backlash and the controversy around foster carer pay messaging, to the Government’s new Practice Guide for supporting foster carers, they ask a bigger question: why does fostering increasingly feel like a system more focused on managing narratives than listening to frontline reality? They explore the culture of fear many carers describe, and why so many feel unable to speak openly without judgment, repercussions or being shut down altogether. The episode also takes a sharp look at performative empathy, power dynamics, workplace culture, peer support, Ofsted ratings, and the growing frustration amongst carers who feel excluded from reform conversations that directly affect their lives. Plus: Foster Care Fortnight updates, listener messages, Wandsworth’s “Outstanding” rating, and plenty of the usual murky discussion along the way. A raw, honest, and thought-provoking episode about the culture carers are actually working within, not the one presented in glossy campaigns. If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Foster Care Fortnight: Illusion, Delusion and Confusion | 16 May 2026 | 01:03:06 | |
In this episode of Foster Care Uncovered, Louise and Sarah return with their now-notorious mix of news, commentary and uncomfortable honesty as they take on the sector’s latest headlines, contradictions and carefully polished narratives. The episode opens with news from across the fostering landscape, including shifting government messaging, growing confusion around regional reforms, and the increasingly familiar gap between official communications and frontline understanding. The now-infamous “naughty step” award was heavily contested this week, and Sarah and Louise were spoilt for choice, telling us how difficult the decision was with the ‘standard’ so high. The main focus, however, is Foster Care Fortnight itself, what it claims to be, what it has become, and what it signals about the wider culture of recognition in the sector. Beneath the events, hashtags and campaigns, the conversation asks a more difficult question: whether visibility is translating into meaningful change for foster carers, or simply a more polished version of the same structural frustrations. Expect sharp commentary, sector insight, and an unfiltered look at the language, messaging and power dynamics shaping modern fostering, and why so many carers are increasingly asking what, exactly, is being celebrated. If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| In Conversation with Rebekah Pierre: Recruitment ads, marginalisation and the illegal Homes Scandal | 02 May 2026 | 01:06:11 | |
This week, Sarah and Louise are joined by Rebekah Pierre, Deputy Director of Article 39, care-experienced author, social worker, and one of the most important voices shaping the national conversation on children’s social care, who brings both authority and professional and lived experience to the table. Her work spans frontline practice, policy influence, and powerful storytelling, most recently through her book Free Loaves on Fridays, a landmark anthology capturing the realities of the care system through the voices of those who actually live it. As always, we start with a news roundup, and Sarah doesn’t hold back on what’s been building frustration this week. From there, the conversation moves into three areas that aren’t getting the scrutiny they deserve. First, foster carer recruitment, not just what’s being said, but how it’s being marketed, and why something about it feels increasingly off. Then, a deeper look at who was left out of the care review, and what that exclusion means for reform in practice, not just on paper. And finally, a frank discussion about unregulated and unregistered children’s homes, and why their impact is becoming impossible to ignore. This is a conversation that goes beyond the usual narratives. It’s about credibility, whose voices shape the system, and what happens when lived experience is either centred or quietly sidelined. Free Loaves on Friday by Rebekah Pierre (Author) Free Loaves on Fridays is an anthology of stories, poems, reflections and letters by more than 100 care-experienced people, which aims to challenge worn-out stereotypes. This collection gives voice to diverse experiences, including foster care, adoption, kinship care and semi-independent living, among others. If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Who Cares About Foster Carers? | 17 Apr 2026 | 01:13:59 | |
In this episode, Sarah and Louise return after half term with a frank conversation about what’s really happening in fostering today. They start with powerful listener feedback that reflects a growing sense of recognition. For many carers, these conversations are finally putting words to experiences that have long been lived in silence. We then turn to the latest Sky documentary on allegations in fostering, and what it reveals about fear, culture, and accountability within the system, alongside the gap between public messaging and lived reality. From there, we explore a deeper question: why foster carers remain one of the least supported workforces in the system. Across mental health, illness, bereavement, menopause, men’s health, neurodiversity, and everyday family pressures, we look at what happens when expectation consistently outweighs support. At its core, this episode asks a simple but uncomfortable question: if foster carers are so essential, then why does no one look after them?. And finally… find out which Local Authority is on the naughty step this week. If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| The Truth Gets Harder: Foster Carer’s Mental Health Part 2 | 02 Apr 2026 | 01:20:44 | |
This week, Sarah and Louise continue the conversation on foster carers' mental health, and go even deeper into what’s really happening behind the scenes. In Part 2, they explore the systemic pressures driving stress, anxiety, and silence across the sector, from fear of allegations to the reality of job insecurity and constant scrutiny. With powerful, honest contributions from foster carers, this episode shines a light on the hidden toll of fostering and why the system itself can no longer be ignored.
If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Hidden in Plain Sight: Foster Carer’s Mental Health | 27 Mar 2026 | 01:05:26 | |
In this episode, Sarah and Louise start up a crucial conversation - the mental health of foster carers. Behind the role is constant emotional labour, exposure to trauma, and the pressure to keep going, even when it’s hard. They explore how this affects carers over time, the signs to look out for, and why so many people feel they have to carry it quietly. Because if we want stable homes and a secure base for children and young people, we have to start by recognising and supporting the people providing them.
If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Support or Surveillance? The System Failing Those Who Care | 19 Mar 2026 | 01:30:24 | |
In this episode of Foster Care Uncovered, Sarah and Louise pull back the curtain on what foster carers really experience, and why the system’s promises of support often fall short. From the quietly creeping national foster carer register to the realities of supervision, breaks, mental health, and training, they reveal the gap between policy and practice. Sarah and Louise explore what real, effective support should look like, the dangers of performative measures, and how independent, peer-led organisations are filling the void. A must listen for anyone who cares about fostering, carers, and the children they serve. All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! | |||
| Allegations, Fear, and Broken Systems: The Dark Side of Fostering | 06 Mar 2026 | 01:19:57 | |
This week, Sarah and Louise tackle one of the most hidden crises in fostering, allegations against foster carers. For decades, foster carers have quietly shared stories of false or retaliatory allegations, stories that were often dismissed as overemotional or anecdotal. In this episode, they unpack the scale of the problem, over 30,000 carers have been caught in a system that can devastate careers, families, and children’s stability. Joining us is Dr Christian Harkensee, a paediatrician and Child Protection Lead, who shares his personal experience navigating a false allegation and the emotional toll it took on him and his family. Together, we explore how the system currently operates, why fear of allegations affects nearly every carer, and what could actually be done to protect carers and children alike. This episode isn’t just about the headline; it’s about understanding the systemic harm that’s quietly reshaping foster care and what must change if we want a future for fostering at all. All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! | |||
| Don’t Talk About the Money: Power, Pay, Politics and Chaos | 02 Mar 2026 | 01:26:47 | |
This week, Sarah and Louise take an unflinching, slightly bemused, slightly furious wander through the week’s news before getting into the topic everyone tiptoes around in fostering: money. From Josh MacAlister’s so-called “clarification” that somehow made things worse, where asking for basic rights and protections is reframed as carers wanting to “clock on”, and he quietly positions himself as the only one putting children first, to Ofsted handing out “Outstanding” while carers are furious and standards for them and their children still so poor, this episode follows the money, the spin, and the damage left behind. We get into postcode lotteries, levelling down dressed up as reform, carers topping up from their own pockets, and the quiet financial engineering hollowing out fostering from the inside. Loving children and being paid properly aren’t opposites. But pretending money doesn’t matter is how care systems rot. https://www.gov.uk/employment-status/worker All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com. We’d love to hear from you! | |||
| From Policy Spin to Cupcake Propaganda: Just Another Week in Fostering | 18 Feb 2026 | 00:57:56 | |
This week, Sarah and Louise go full investigative mode on a brutal few days for foster carers, and the uncomfortable truths that slipped out of power. After the now viral “you don’t work / it’s not a job” moment exposed what the government really thinks of carers, they unpack why this isn’t just offensive, it’s catastrophic for retention, recruitment, and trust in the system. From a hastily arranged DfE/TFN webinar that felt more like stage-managed theatre than genuine consultation, to inflated attendance figures, familiar talking points, and the same old “nothing new” reform scripts… the gaslighting is getting harder to ignore. They also dig into the quietly terrifying suggestion to remove Supervising Social Workers and replace them with children’s social workers, presented as an “innovation” that carers will apparently love. Spoiler: carers consistently say the SSW is their strongest professional relationship. So who exactly is advising this, and why does it feel like policy creep in real time? Then it’s onto recruitment marketing, the cupcakes and sprinkles fantasy of fostering ads, the infantilisation of carers, the “all you need is love and a spare room” nonsense, and how this kind of messaging lowers standards, misleads the public, and damages children. Angry. Informed. Uncomfortable listening. This one’s a journalistic analysis of how the system performs care while quietly dismantling the workforce that holds it together. Contact: info@fosterwiki.com Centre for Homelessness Impact: [Sanders, Michael, Vanessa Hirneis, Kira Ewanich and Vanessa Picker. The Impacts of the Mockingbird Family Model for Young People Leaving Care An Evaluation Using Matching and Difference-in-Differences. London, United Kingdom: Centre for Homelessness Impact. 2025. www.homelessnessimpact.o/rg/publication/mockingbird-the-family-model-for-young-people-leaving-care. last accessed 18/02/2026] All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Political Theatre, Gaslighting and Permanent Damage | 13 Feb 2026 | 00:58:46 | |
This week, Sarah and Louise don’t soften a single edge. They dismantle the government’s latest fostering “reforms” piece by piece, not the press release version, but the reality behind it. The language. The choreography. The careful tone. And what it’s really doing. They unpack the surge of anger across the workforce, but more importantly, the shift from emotion to evidence. Foster carers aren’t just frustrated anymore. They’re informed, organised, and increasingly unwilling to be patronised. That changes the balance of power. They ask whether the consultation is genuine or a containment measure. Whether reassurance is masking consolidation. And why a ministerial narrative that reframes fostering away from work looks less like clarity and more like strategy. Above all, they centre the question that keeps getting edged out: what does any of this mean for the children, and for the people carrying the emotional and practical weight of their care every single day? Because if reform feels distant from the homes where care actually happens, it isn’t renewal. It’s control. Contact: info@fosterwiki.com Political Theatre, Permanent Damage | FosterWiki Why I Turned Down the Minister | FosterWiki Statistic check: "The IFA sector accounts for 45% of mainstream households, and since 2021, the proportion of IFA mainstream households has steadily increased. For the first time since 2021, there has been a slight increase in the number of IFA households; however, it has not been enough to offset the decline in local authority households. Between 2021 and 2025, the number of approved or newly approved mainstream local authority households has fallen by 14%." [Accredited official statistics Main findings: fostering in England 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 Published 26 November 2025] All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Allegations: The Hidden Truth | 03 Feb 2026 | 01:14:34 | |
This week, Sarah and Louise kick off a hard-hitting series on allegations against foster carers. We unpack why these claims aren’t just a carer problem. They’re a system-wide crisis affecting recruitment, retention, and children’s lives. From the shocking numbers that rarely get shared to the step-by-step failures of the allegations process, we explore the real impact on safeguarding, on carers' mental health, families, and livelihoods. This is just the first episode, and we’ll continue to dig deeper, call out bad practice, and discuss what must change if fostering is to survive. https://fosterwiki.com/fosterwiki-support/ https://fosterwiki.com/starling/ https://education.nfcq.co.uk/nfcq-courses/allegations-the-foster-carers-perspective/ All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Retention, Retention, Retention – When Will They Ever Learn | 23 Jan 2026 | 01:23:48 | |
This week, Sarah and Louise pull no punches. They’re calling out the foster care sector’s obsession with shiny recruitment schemes while ignoring the real fulcrum of the system: retention. From exposing local authorities’ latest “retention” gimmicks to unpicking a decade-old policy disaster that still fails carers and children today, nothing is off-limits. Sarah takes us back to the 2014 Staying Put launch, where politicians were blindsided by the reality of policy, and shows how nothing has changed 12 years later. Louise dives into Somerset’s PR spin versus real-world losses, while Sarah critically analyses Nottingham’s LinkedIn updates, separating the polished messaging from the reality experienced by carers on the frontline. They also lift the lid on the so-called “Mockingbird” solution, a model that captures only 4% of the workforce but consumes millions in public money, leaving the rest of the carers invisible. No sugar coating, no polite headlines, just the frontline truth about what carers actually need, and why everything collapses when retention is ignored. If you care about real change in foster care, you can’t afford to miss this one. All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Illegal, Unsafe, Unacceptable: A Care System in Freefall, Still Not Listening | 16 Jan 2026 | 01:06:12 | |
In this episode of Foster Care Uncovered, Sarah and Louise delve into the shocking new report from the Children’s Commissioner, which reveals the harsh reality many children in foster care face today. From illegal and unsafe placements to carers under extreme pressure, this report lays bare systemic failures that can no longer be ignored. Sarah and Louise break down the report, share frontline insights, and discuss what can and must be done to protect vulnerable children. They also explain what FosterWiki is doing to support carers and improve outcomes, and give practical steps for listeners who want to make a real difference. This isn’t just a conversation, it’s a call to action. All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. Children's Commissioner report here: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/resource/children-living-in-illegal-childrens-homes/ | |||
| The Good, the Bad, and the Absurd in 2025 and What 2026 Needs | 08 Jan 2026 | 01:13:20 | |
Sarah and Louise take an unapologetically unfiltered look at foster care in 2025, the achievements, the bloopers, the ‘persons’ of the year, what needed to stop, what made them laugh, the moments that kept them going, and the low points that still defy explanation. They call out what mattered, dismantle what didn’t, and interrogate the absurdities. Looking to 2026, they ask the questions the sector keeps dodging: what must stop, who needs to step up, what should be gone, and whether this might finally be the year we stop performing care and start prioritising children. Sharp, reflective, and darkly funny. Foster care, without the gloss, the jargon, or the pretending. All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| All I Want for Christmas Is… Actual Support! | 17 Dec 2025 | 01:24:42 | |
A Foster Care Uncovered Christmas Special Festive hats on, rose-tinted myths off. In this Christmas special, we take a tongue-in-cheek but honest look at support during the festive period. Alongside plenty of foster carer humour, Louise reflects on Christmas at 16 after running away, and we explore trauma, contact, cost-of-living pressures, and the realities of Christmas for children in care. Plus, a cheeky look at “top tips for Christmas” written by people who’ve never fostered. Funny, thoughtful, and unapologetically real. All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| When Policy Meets the Street: A Social Worker Lifts the Lid | 10 Dec 2025 | 00:47:11 | |
In this episode, Sarah and Louise sit down with social worker Nana Abbey-Hagen, a practitioner who moves fluently between frontline reality, leadership conversations, and the community spaces where social work and lived experience intersect. Nana talks candidly about working conditions for social workers and whether those pressures ripple into foster care. We explore his work with the Chief Social Worker, Isabelle Trowler, and dig into the long-standing cultural gap between leadership and frontline practice, a gap foster carers know all too well. He talks about his Street Social Work Practice Model: why he created it, the blind spots it exposes, and how it reconnects practice with the real lives of children, families, and carers. We wrap with his vision for the future of social work and what that future means for foster carers on the ground. A grounded, honest conversation that pushes past the corporate narrative and into the truth of what’s really happening. All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| The Form F, one of fostering’s most entrenched processes and why it desperately needs a rethink. | 03 Dec 2025 | 01:18:56 | |
In this episode, Sarah and Louise roll right back to the start and take a deep dive into the Form F assessment, what it was meant to be, why it’s drifting so far from purpose, and how it’s shaping (and in too many cases misshaping) foster care, culture, and recruitment today. There’s a lot of serious ground to cover…and, as always with Sarah and Louise, just enough humour to keep the edges from getting too sharp. They tackle the theatre of panel, why it’s time for that curtain to finally fall, what the Form F bizarrely has in common with a Hoover, and, yes, the ongoing mystery of Sarah’s long-lost Year Nine boyfriend Gary, who remains missing in action despite their best investigative efforts. Tune in for an honest, insightful, slightly mischievous exploration of one of fostering’s most entrenched processes, and why it desperately needs a rethink. All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Indefensible unforgivable | 26 Nov 2025 | 00:50:54 | |
Indefensible unforgivable. Sarah & Louise take apart today’s Government fostering stats - exposing the spin behind the headlines and the failings despite millions of taxpayer investment. All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Forces shaping the world that we all work in, who really designs the reforms in social work and children's services? | 25 Nov 2025 | 01:33:05 | |
Welcome to the second episode of Foster Care Uncovered. Today, Louise Allen & Sarah Anderson are joined by Dr Joe Hanley, a social worker, lecturer, researcher and author, as we take an unflinching look at the stranglehold some people and organisations have on our sector. It is quite the eye-opener, especially around the role of the new Children's Minister in these networks. Join us as we ask....is it crippling the reform that the children and the fostering sector so desperately need? You may ask what this has to do with us on the frontline, but trust me, it's everything, and the reason we don't get the reform we need. PS: It's longer than we intended, but it's a huge subject! Take a look at the interactive map as mentioned by Dr Joe Hanley. Full Map: https://www.childrensservices.network/network.html All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||
| Foster Care Uncovered | 17 Nov 2025 | 00:46:19 | |
Hosted by Louise Allen & Sarah Anderson This podcast offers an unfiltered and straightforward exploration of the stories and headlines surrounding foster care. We aim to uncover the truths behind the system and advocate for progress in the foster care system. In this introductory episode, we will share information about our mission, the reasons for launching this podcast, and provide a preview of the topics we will cover in future episodes. All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body. | |||