This International Women's Day, listen as our Head of HR, Kate Bromfield and Hannah Bradley, a Five Rivers Care Leaver discuss their experience of being a woman.

Listen as a group of our young people talk about diversity and inclusion with our Participation Lead, Olivia and Hannah from Diversity Marketplace.

Listen as a group of our young people, our Participation lead, Olivia and Hannah from Diversity Marketplace, discuss diversity and inclusion

Listen as a group of our young people and foster carer, Rae, unpack gender identity and explore the use of pronouns.

In this final episode in our Care to Listen? Series celebrating #NationalCareLeaversWeek, Five Rivers Child Care CEO and founder Pam McConnell and Assessment and Therapy Research Assistant Hannah Gilding discuss some of the issues that care leavers can sometimes face and what Five Rivers can do, as an organisation, to continue providing valuable and long lasting attachment and support to care leavers, from the families that foster with us.

The episode also highlights the use of language when judging the success of care leavers and how the work of Five Rivers as a social enterprise aids in supporting young people, as they transition into independence.

In this episode, Sarah-Jane, 19, talks about how her love for dodgeball has led her to a life-changing foster placement with her dodgeball coach. Sarah Jane’s positive relationships with her social workers meant that she felt like she was always able to share her feelings, and, in turn, be better supported. Her care leaver journey has been well supported by friends, old carers and Five Rivers and Sarah - Jane is hopeful to continue on with a supported by friends, old carers and the organisation is giving Sarah-Jane a good future.

Ric Flo is a rapper, artist, care leaver, young achiever and dream believer. In this upbeat, warm and confident interview Ric speaks about his care leaving journey, which he faced with determination. He shares how a Christmas spent alone one set him off on a tenacious journey which brought him to delivering music workshops to care experienced young people. His latest album – ‘Rise of the Phoenix’ tells us of his experience leaving care and how he uses his music to help him channel and process his authentic life.

In this week's episode of Care to Listen, Katharine Anderson from the Five Rivers Child Care Assessment and Therapy Team talks about the subtle unspoken power that Sons and Daughters can have on the development of children who are fostered.

Foster carer Veronica and her birth son Adam, from Chester talk about how their drip to an agricultural; show brought them to a Foster Careline stand and how this ignited their journey into the world of fostering.

Keila was a child who spent most of her life in the care system but her last placement gave her a sense of family. Listen to Keila speaking fondly about how she felt part of the family and how fostering made a positive difference in her life.