The Truth from the Frontline.
No filter, no spin, no hiding. The stories behind the headlines, the truths behind the system - exposing, confronting, and moving foster care forward.
Hosted by Sarah Anderson, CEO of FosterWiki & Co-founder of the NFCQ and Louise Allen, Bestselling Author & Founder of Spark Sisterhood.
All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body.
The Big Lie: The Spin, Promises & Propaganda Behind the Latest Government Launch
This week, Sarah and Louise take apart Josh MacAlister’s grand launch of the Government’s national fostering recruitment campaign. Millions for recruitment, promises of 10,000 new places, glossy videos and a Minister claiming to have rewritten a rulebook that has no rules.
They examine the furious reaction from existing carers, the millions spent on recruitment initiatives that have failed to deliver, the conspicuous absence of independent foster carer-led organisations from the launch, and the uncomfortable question nobody in Westminster seems keen to answer: why recruit more carers while driving experienced ones out?
And that claim about rewriting the ‘rule’ book? We have a few things to say about that.
More spin, more slogans, more money, no substance?
Useful Links
JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY: https://fosterwiki.com/register/ (https://fosterwiki.com/register/)
NFCQ: http://education.nfcq.co.uk (http://education.nfcq.co.uk)
Carer Hotline Contact Emails:
info@fosterwiki.com (mailto:info@fosterwiki.com)
louise@louise-allen.com (mailto:louise@louise-allen.com)
If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com (mailto:info@fosterwiki.com). We’d love to hear from you!
All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body.
7 Oct 2026
Breaking News! The 3.4m funding scandal they can’t spin
Breaking News! The 3.4m funding scandal they can’t spin
This week, Sarah and Louise get into the breaking news the fostering sector really needs to talk about: the Government’s evaluation of the North East Regional Fostering Recruitment Hub, the Pathfinder meant to show everyone else how regional recruitment should work.
Except the independent evaluation found no statistically significant evidence that it actually increased recruitment compared with areas without a Hub.
So naturally… the answer appears to be more Hubs.
Sarah is furious, Louise is listening, and there’s a very large “WE TOLD YOU SO” hanging over this episode.
Then someone very influential lands on the Naughty Step. We’re not saying who just yet… but let’s just say they have a rather important role in children’s services, a 1,253-word response to the new Fostering Quality Standards, and Sarah has been reading between the lines.
There’s also a Carer Hotline dilemma about transport, school and who actually carries the practical burden when a placement doesn’t work logistically.
And we ask a rather uncomfortable question: when children say they want less professional intrusion, do we actually listen, or do we only like children having a voice when they say what we want to hear?
You probably won’t agree with everything Sarah says.
But you’ll definitely want to hear this one.
Useful Links
JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY https://fosterwiki.com/register/ (https://fosterwiki.com/register/)
NFCQ: http://education.nfcq.co.uk (http://education.nfcq.co.uk)
Carer Hotline Contact Emails:
info@fosterwiki.com (mailto:info@fosterwiki.com)
louise@louise-allen.com (mailto:louise@louise-allen.com)
If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com (mailto:info@fosterwiki.com). We’d love to hear from you!
All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body.
25 Sept 2026
Are you a ‘Difficult’ Carer?
Are you a ‘Difficult’ Carer? - Speak Up for Children. Get Labelled. Get Targeted.
This week Sarah and Louise are talking about ‘difficult’ foster carers, the ones who ask awkward questions, challenge decisions and dare to advocate for children. But what happens when speaking up gets you labelled ‘difficult’? And why does that word carry rather more weight than it might appear?
We also look at the latest free school meals controversy, ask uncomfortable questions about how foster carers are represented, and explore what happens when the reality of fostering looks very different from the glossy version presented to prospective carers.
Plus, there’s the usual mix of fostering news, questionable sector language, and a trip to the Naughty Step for those who really should know better.
Useful Links
JOIN FOSTERWIKI TODAY https://fosterwiki.com/register/ (https://fosterwiki.com/register/)
NFCQ: http://education.nfcq.co.uk (https://education.nfcq.co.uk/courses/)
Carer Hotline Contact Emails:
info@fosterwiki.com (mailto:info@fosterwiki.com)
louise@louise-allen.com (mailto:louise@louise-allen.com)
If you'd like to chat about this episode or any of our past episodes, feel free to reach out to us at info@fosterwiki.com (mailto:info@fosterwiki.com). We’d love to hear from you!
All views shared in this podcast reflect the personal opinions of the hosts alone. They are not intended as factual assertions about any person or organisation, nor do they represent the views of any employer or professional body.
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