Former Mansfield Town directors shine a light on life as foster carers

Tina and Paul Broughton became support foster carers with Nottinghamshire Council last summer, just a few months after stepping down from their roles at the Stags.

Now the duo – operations and stadium director respectively during their time at the One Call Stadium – have spoken about their experiences as part of foster care fortnight, a national campaign to raise awareness of foster care and the need for new carers.

Tina and Paul have helped provide a loving and settled environment for children aged four, five and 10 since becoming support carers in July.

Paul describes their time as carers as “absolutely amazing”, while Tina says the role is “fantastic and rewarding” and the “best thing we’ve ever done”.

Tina said: “Being a support carer for us has meant we can still have what we want as a social life, but it also means that when full-time carers need help and support – or want a holiday – we can have the little ones come to us.

“We love it and the children love it. When the children say ‘I don’t want to go home’, it means we’ve done our job. The two things we say – and it’s the most important job we’ve got for them – is to love them and ensure they’re the safe.”

“It’s not all about being rewarding to us, but to see them happy and feel secure in your home is just fantastic.”

There are more than 240 children living with foster families in Nottinghamshire and the number needing foster care keeps rising.

Several foster families look after children on a short-term basis but, for many, fostering offers them a secure, permanent home.

They provide support and care in a family setting and enable children to stay in their community to minimise further disruption to their lives by helping them stay in their school, close to their friends, and maintaining connections with family members.

Nottinghamshire’s foster carers benefit from support hubs and the Fostering Liaison Advisory Group (FLAG), a committee run by carers which provides an opportunity to meet regularly and hear updates from the fostering service, professionals, and other organisations about the children they look after.

Tina said the training as well as the help and support she and her husband have received from other foster carers has put them at ease since taking up their new roles.

She said: “We’ve relied on our supervising social worker for help and guidance since we took up fostering with Nottinghamshire County Council. She has been brilliant to us and is always on the end of a phone, so we can ask her anything we want. She’s there for us.

“There are carers we can talk to as well for advice. We go and have a cuppa with one of our carers who we provide support care to and it’s nice because they can talk about their experiences, and we can talk about ours. It’s nice and we’ve got a good network.”

Coun Tracey Taylor, council cabinet member for children and families, said: “Tina and Paul’s story is truly inspiring and a great example of how our foster carers come from all walks of life to provide a hugely vital service in Nottinghamshire.

“Foster carers do an incredible job to support and provide loving care for some of the most vulnerable children and young people in our county, helping to shape a child or young person’s life by providing a safe and secure home – which is always the best place for a youngster to thrive.

“We need more carers to ensure that every child in need can have a safe, loving, and stable home environment and I hope people will read about Tina and Paul’s experience and consider joining them in our wonderful fostering community.

Anyone interested in fostering is asked to get in touch with the council’s fostering recruitment team at [email protected] or on 0115 804 4440.