Shortage of foster carers causing ‘very real’ UK crisis, Barnardo’s warns

The UK is facing a fostering crisis where retiring carers are not being replaced by younger people, while the number of children entering care homes is rising, a charity has warned.The decline in foster carers is due to the impact of the pandemic, the costof living crisis, biological children staying at home for longer, spare rooms being used as home offices and changing family situations, Barnardo’s children’s charity said.Exclusive new polling of more than 4,000 adults for the charity showed that although nearly three quarters (73%) of adults in the UK were worried there are not enough foster carers, only 7% of those who are not currently approved carers would consider fostering a child within the next 10 years.When asked why they wouldn’t consider becoming foster carers, 82% of over-55s thought they were “too old” – despite this being the average age of a Barnardo’s foster carer – while more than a third of 25- to 44-year-olds said they already have children or want children that are biologically connected to them instead (34%).Others said they couldn’t afford it (15%) and they did not have suitable accommodation (19%)

‘We’re very glad we’ve done it’: the Liverpool couple who fostered more than 40 children

Over 23 years, Charles and Dianne Hubbert have fostered more than 40 children in their home in Croxteth, Liverpool. They have just retired, after being awarded an MBE for their services to foster care.The pair became interested in social care after working as adult support workers for people with special needs and learning difficulties, and seeing their neighbour fostering children.“I saw an advert for Barnardo’s looking for short-term breaks. Me and Charlie had a chat about it, and we chatted to the kids and I said: ‘I think this is something we could do’,” Dianne, 60, recalled

Prison officer jailed for having sex with inmate at HMP Wandsworth

A prison officer has been sentenced to 15 months after having sex with an inmate at a London jail.Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, of Fulham, south-west London, was charged after a video of the activity was shared on social media.A police investigation was launched after officers were made aware of a video filmed inside HMP Wandsworth. In the footage, an inmate off-camera can be heard saying: “This is how we live at Wandsworth, bruv.”De Sousa Abreu appeared at Isleworth crown court on Monday, where she was sentenced to 15 months in prison

Billionaire Bet365 boss takes home £150m despite 45% pay cut

Britain’s highest-paid woman, the Bet365 billionaire Denise Coates, has given herself a 45% pay cut but still claimed £150m in salary and dividends last year as profits at the online gambling company soared.The Stoke-based business reported an increase in turnover from £3.4bn to £3.7bn last year, while also cutting costs and benefiting from a one-off gain on the value of its investments, as equity markets improved.These three factors catapulted the company to a £626m profit before tax in the year to the end of March 2024, compared with a £60m pre-tax loss the year before

‘Keeps me grateful’: how volunteering can help older adults

By the time she turned 61, Amy Laskey had gained a lot of time. Previously, she had been working full time in municipal finance, raising a son and helping to take care of an elderly parent. But then her parent passed away, her child grew up, and she retired.In place of those duties Laskey, now a 64-year-old retiree in New York City, started volunteering. She participates in conversation practice for an ESL class, ushers for classical music venues, and writes letters to incarcerated individuals

‘New year, new you’? How are we supposed to find the time? | Emma Beddington

I’m not anti-resolution. I actually stuck to one last year: not a single microwave rice sachet has passed my lips since 1 January 2024 and yes, I do want a medal, thanks. But I also want to ask anyone implementing something “new year new you”-adjacent in the wellness space: do you really have time?The wellness timesuck starts innocently enough, setting a manageable daily step count, maybe, downloading a couch to 5k app or targeting the NHS’s recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise. But once you get started, you’ll discover everything else you should be doing, especially if you’re a suggestible social media user. “Start strength training,” your algorithms nudge, raving about bone density and heart health, so soon you’re adding deadlifts and split squats to your weekly routine