St Christopher’s training is exemplary

Throughout June we’ve been sharing with you information on the training and support we give our foster carers. In our latest post St Christopher’s foster carer Connie shares her experience of our training and support package.

Training provided by St Christopher’s is exemplary and totally geared towards the situations we may face as foster carers and the needs of the child. Let me share my experience with you:

I was asked to look after a child with severe autism and without speech for weekends and school holidays. On his day of arrival we were all filled with excitement and anticipation.

A lovely young man arrived and within an hour he had thrown my big pot plant and contents into the kitchen. You can only imagine the mess. "Wow" I thought, wonder what is going on here.
He then kept looking at my laptop and I was worried this would also be thrown but eventually I let him use it and he was happy.

I chatted with my wonderful and extremely knowledgeable Supervising Social Worker, Jan, about what had happened. With her wealth of experience she put me and ease and quickly went to work looking up and arranging specific training courses for me on autism.

I attended all courses arranged, including two courses in London, and read all available literature on autism. I am now completely fascinated by the condition.

The courses have enabled me to understand that my child’s actions on that first evening were due to stress in a new environment and he was unable to voice this.

Four years later this young man is still with me and now full-time. Through initial training and on-going courses I am able to offer him all the care he needs and I can recognise stressful times and places for him. His speech has improved and he is saying some more words. 

Other courses are covered each month, which are also extremely informative and useful.

Thank you St Christopher’s and my fantastic Supervising Social Worker Jan for enabling my child to be in a secure home leading a normal life and for enriching my life through education on autistic spectrum disorder.