In a headline from 2014, Linda Nolan expressed concern that the perception of her post- ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ would have a detrimental effect on her fostering role. She has been quoted as saying: “… I hope this won’t cause any problems with my fostering… I’ve been very up front and they know me very well now… I don’t think it will be anything horrendous – except perhaps some of the language – but I never swear in front of children anyway.”
But is Linda Nolan alone in her concerns? It would be true to say that one of the challenges of fostering, perhaps more than most professions, is where the personal/professional interplay and the idea of having a ‘private’ life, is blurred. A foster carer’s home is their workplace and their family are their colleagues and when it comes to the care of a child who is looked after, there is no such thing as ‘behind close doors’.
Many of us would possibly flinch at the prospect of having a torch light, let alone TV cameras, shining on us 24 hours a day. One of the considerations for a foster carer is in preserving their own identity and in how this overlaps their professional persona. Foster carers at Chrysalis Care are fully supported and trained and regular supervision with a qualified social worker, helps to manage the challenges that can sometimes accompany the joy of when your home is your workplace.