Meet the Team, Dominic Corner: Senior Practitioner for Sussex, Surrey and Kent.

Did you have any other jobs prior to working for Blue Sky?

Well, I worked at Deichmann, the shoe shop for five years, throughout my time studying at college and University. When completing my degree, along with a placement at Blue Sky, I spent time in Surrey Children Services. Then, following my degree, I went straight into social work with Blue Sky Fostering. I also spent some time volunteering with the Samaritans on the phone. Basically, when people are in crisis and need someone to talk to… the Samaritans are there to listen!

What's a typical day like for you?

There isn’t a typical day. I think that's one of the reasons why I like this job. Each day is different and you don’t know what you’re walking into. In fact, it’s hard to describe because every day is so different! Of course, there's always lots of paperwork...

Well, what exactly is the role of a Senior Practitioner?

The role of a Senior Practitioner  can differ across the agency, as each hub has different needs. My role within the Sussex, Surrey, and Kent area is to support the Management team, supporting the other Social Workers and I also have a caseload of my own carers that I support directly too!  I've got a lot of a lot of variety in my role, which I love; I particularly love how I am able to be apart of so many people’s journeys, professionally, personally and of course peoples fostering journeys!

So, in my job, you never really know what you're walking into! I wear different hats on different days.

So, I was hoping to discuss Christmas in this interview, but you have pointed out that as Equality Diversity and Inclusion Officer, it’s not always in everyone's best interest to focus solely on this one holiday…

Well, at Blue Sky Fostering we recognise that Christmas is a big part of many of our foster carers’ lives and it's something we'd like to celebrate, but we also recognise that there are lots of other holidays at this time of year that other foster carers and/or young people might want to be celebrating.

Outside of any religious holiday that we're celebrating or any festivals, primarily this is also a time to recognise that we've come to the end of a year and that we’re starting a new one. The year may have been challenging; it may have been difficult, but ultimately, we’ve made it! So, I think that's the main recognition. When we have our Christmas lunches - or end-of-year lunches as we sometimes call them - it's about that: about bringing everyone together to celebrate the past year, what's gone well, what might not have gone so well, but ultimately, all being together as one big family.

Outside of any religious holiday that we're celebrating or any festivals, primarily this is also a time to recognise that we've come to the end of a year and that we’re starting a new one. The year may have been challenging; it may have been difficult, but ultimately, we’ve made it!

That was beautiful! Tell me more about your role as Equality Diversity and Inclusion Officer.

I really wanted to go for the role when it came up, as it aligns with my values and is something I've always been passionate about and invested in. I’m communicating across the agency for the foster carers, the young people, and the staff too. I’m working holistically rather than focusing on just one group. I’m looking at how we can be supportive and inclusive and ensure equity, not just equality, for everyone in the Blue Sky family. That was my initial sole purpose, but I've also got specific interests that I'm looking into that are part of the strategy that I've composed.

I’m new to the role, so it's early days, but I think for me, what I want to breed is a culture of acceptance for all, and to highlight particular holidays to the staff and carers that I think people might miss that are really important. We recently recognised World Menopause Day and how that affects lots of our foster carers and our staff team.

What's your favourite genre of music?

Very varied. My playlist can range from musical theatre to some rap; mainly pop/vocal house music. So, Becky Hill is a popular choice at the moment. The Wicked film soundtrack is a frequent flier. I love a film soundtrack! The instrumental for the Narnia film is so magical. When I'm really focusing on something, I put Narnia on - and it just works.

If you could change one thing about fostering what would it be?

I would love to be able to remove the stigma for fostering, the judgement our carers and young people can face.

What is the high and what is the low of working at Blue Sky Fostering?

The low is when you can see gaps outside of the agency, in the social care system as a whole. As one agency we simply don’t have all the tools and facilities to be able to fill in those outside gaps in funding or additional provision. It doesn’t stop us trying though! So I guess, this is one of my highs actually, the genuine investment of our carers and young people!

The high is seeing the success of the young people and the journey that the foster carers go on. I bet that’s probably something all the team says in these interviews, but that’s why we’re all here though, isn’t it?

It’s witnessing the success of the children, and the learning and growth in our foster carers, seeing them able to take on new challenges, seeing our young people take on new challenges, for example… can I give an example?

Yes, please!

So, we've had a young person living with a foster carer for the last three and a half years. This young person has pushed and rejected this foster carer year after year, but the foster carer has remained so committed: upskilling herself in training, learning the different needs of the young person, and engaging in all of her Clinical Practitioner sessions. And now this young person – whilst things aren’t perfect - we're seeing such a change; this young person now feels safe with this foster carer and we can see this in her behaviour and positive connection seeking. And the foster carer has become their security. I love seeing that resilience and that growth. It's magic. It's lovely.

What's your favourite thing to do outside of work?

I'm a social butterfly and I thrive on connection. That’s probably part of the reason why I'm in the role that I am, working with people. I’m just the same in my personal life too, making sure I’m connected with my family and my friends.

What might people be surprised to know about you?

Me? I'm an open book! Hahahah!!