Fostering Mockingbird Programme launches in Southampton

Supporting foster carers and the children and young people they care for

The Fostering Service at Southampton City Council are incredibly excited to have launched the ‘Mockingbird’ Programme to support our fostering community in Southampton, just as the Christmas season begins.

Mockingbird, is a global, award-winning and pioneering programme led by The Fostering Network in the UK. The model establishes strong and enduring networks of foster carers who together build an extended family of support, with kindness resilience and togetherness at the centre.

The model nurtures the relationships between children, young people and foster families, creating a resilient and caring extended family community that is shoulder to shoulder during good times and tough times.

Led by a ‘hub home carer’ and supported by a council liaison worker, the constellation offers vital peer support and guidance alongside social activities, fun time together and sleepovers. This is modelled on the strong extended family networks and faith groups across our own communities in the city, strengthening relationships and permanence for our local foster families and children who really need and value this support.

Southampton’s first constellation, led by foster carers Jo and Pele Monterio, our first hub home carers, will be supporting eight Southampton foster carers. The whole constellation spent a fun weekend together, developing relationships and making memories, which was a huge success!

On Tuesday 26 November we held our official launch event, which saw all of the carers and children from the constellation come together with members of Southampton City Council to celebrate this important step in our council fostering journey. The event included speeches from the Fostering Service, Councillor Shields, His Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Southampton, our hub carers Jo and Pele and one of our children, sharing their experiences so far and their hopes for the future.

A team of talented textile students from Solent University made twenty beautiful overnight bags for the children in their spare time, and Zoe McCarthy from the University was there to see the children choose their own bespoke Mockingbird bag.

Steph Murray, Director for Children’s Social Care in the council, said:
“It was a great launch event, with genuine excitement and togetherness in the air. I am thrilled that the Mockingbird programme has arrived in Southampton. As a service we have a strong belief in the uniqueness and strength of extended family networks - our council foster carers, birth children and foster children need this too. I know that Jo, Pele and the constellation they are supporting will go from strength to strength, making memories and helping each other through the ups and downs of life along the way. I’m so proud of our Fostering Service for making this happen and I am grateful to the Fostering Network for their support and guidance. We are already planning our second constellation! We still need more carers to be part of our local fostering family, do get in touch with us if you think fostering may be for you.”