Supporting children with complex needs

Catherine* has worked with disability all her life. She has taught in schools for children with special educational needs and also worked in the voluntary sector, supporting parents with disabled children. "I'd thought about becoming a foster carer but didn't feel quite ready. Then my partner became very ill and when he recovered, he was no longer able to return to his work. We discussed fostering and decided this was something we could do together."

The couple are now in their eleventh year as foster carers. "We wanted to foster disabled children, so we went to a specialist fostering agency I had helped to set up when I was working in the voluntary sector. Sadly, funding cuts meant the service had to close down, so we tried another agency but were not impressed. We've now been with Norfolk County Council for three years and feel the local authority is trustworthy and genuine."

Catherine thoroughly enjoyed the process of becoming a foster carer. "It's a lengthy process which is understandable - I'd be worried if it wasn't - and there's lots of delving into your background, but I found that very therapeutic."

For Catherine, the best bit about fostering is knowing she is doing something incredibly important. "Supporting children with such complex needs and helping their families, who might be struggling to cope, is very satisfying. My professional background means I can also offer families advice and support on how to care for their child at home."

Children with complex needs usually have many professionals involved in their care. "This can be a major challenge for families. One of the children I looked after had consultants over several different hospitals, with around 28 professionals involved in their care. Telling a child's story over and over to so many different people can be exhausting."

Catherine is very involved in the disabled community and understands the issues families face. She is keenly aware that families need time out to rest, recharge their batteries and enjoy some time out from medication and feeding routines. "Many families are desperate for some respite care. Taking care of children with complex needs completely takes over your life and can be gruelling, especially if there are frequent overnight stays in hospital and you're not getting any sleep."

Catherine has been talking to Children's Services staff about providing respite care in her home. "I'm now linked to two families. There's a lot of advance preparation and planning involved as you need to know exactly what you are doing if you have a child with complex needs overnight. It can be a challenging job but so rewarding."

*Name has been changed to conceal identity

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