24th October 2022
We are looking for foster carers for Kenny*, 9 in Belfast or surrounding areas.
Kenny is 9 years old. He is of slight build and is quite small for his age. Kenny is of an ethnic minority background and enjoys food related to his culture.
Kenny has Autism and a Learning Disability. He can express his wants and wishes through single words or short phrases. He likes to follow a routine and uses a visual picture schedule for the day to ease any anxieties he might have. Kenny responds very well to visual aids and loves going through these with an adult.
Kenny is quite active and enjoys playing outside. He loves going to the park, playing in the garden and going for long drives. Another love of Kenny’s is water play, he loves splashing water outside and playing with his toys in a paddling pool. Kenny attends a special needs school, which he really enjoys and likes to be ready on time for the taxi to collect him each day. Kenny needs to stay at his current school.
Kenny likes to primarily play on his own, he makes his own games and is very content by himself as he struggles to share space/ toys with other children. When relaxed he likes to sit on the sofa with his legs over yours and watch TV or get his head massaged.
Kenny has great manners and likes to start and finish activities. He can attend to his own personal care (but requires supervision), dresses himself and feeds himself. Kenny tidies up after himself, puts his wrappers in the bin and puts his toys back when he is finished playing with them.
Despite Kenny being through a lot of changes in terms of living arrangements he has settled very well and responds well to the structure and routines in his current residence. Kenny likes one to one adult attention and would benefit greatly from a two adult foster family. Patient foster carers who have time to offer him the affection, consistency and stability he deserves in order for him to continue to develop his speech and communication will enable him to thrive.
Kenny would be best suited to foster carers who have experience with Autism or those who are willing to complete Autism training in order to support him in his learning and emotional needs. It would be best for Kenny to have no other children of a similar age or younger living within the home.
Supports offered
As Kenny’s foster carers you will receive:
- Fee of £21,000 per annum provided monthly
- Additional fostering allowances to cover day to day expenses
- 24 hour social work support including a named social worker who will be available to you
- Comprehensive training package to help you understand Kenny’s needs
- Further support will be made available from other appropriate professionals to enable you to understand Kenny’s needs at different stages in his development.
Virtual Information Sessions
If you feel you could be Kenny’s foster carer or want more information to help you decide, we are hosting 2 virtual information sessions where you can find out more about him.
| Date: | Tuesday 1 November |
| Time: | 1.00pm – 2.00pm |
| Date: | Thursday 3 November |
| Time: | 7.00pm – 8.00pm |
To register for one of these events or to find out more call us on 0800 0720 137 or email info@fostering.hscni.net. Alternatively you can complete our online enquiry form
We would love to hear from you.
*Kenny’s name has been changed and stock image used to protect his identity