Recognising the Heart of Fostering: Celebrating Our Core Values

Fostering Starts with Care - For Everyone

At Blue Sky Fostering, everything we do is underpinned by care - care for children and young people, care for our foster carers - and care for each other as colleagues. We know that fostering is more than just a job, whether a foster carer or staff member: it's a calling, rooted in empathy, resilience, and community. 

The Core Values Award: More Than Just Recognition

Each month, staff across Blue Sky have the opportunity to nominate a colleague for the Core Values Award. It’s a moment to pause and appreciate those who go above and beyond - not with grand gestures, but with everyday acts of compassion, integrity, and teamwork that quietly make a big difference.

Living Our Values, Every Day

The award focuses on one of our four core values:

We are one family
A problem shared is a problem solved
Treat others as you would want to be treated
We keep our promises

These values are not just words on a page - they are the principles that shape our practice and our culture. Whether we’re supporting foster carers through challenging times, advocating for the needs of a young person, or simply showing up for one another as colleagues, we live these values every day.

One Family, Many Acts of Kindness

Each nomination requires writing a short piece about the nominee and something wonderful that they've done - capturing how they’ve brought a core value to life. Perhaps it’s an Individual Worker who made time for a colleague after a tough visit, a Supervising Social Worker who stayed late to ensure a foster carer had everything they needed, or a team member who stepped up when someone was off sick, embodying the spirit of we are one family. These small acts of kindness and solidarity speak volumes.

Lifting Each Other Up

At the end of each month, our Director of Relationship and Engagement and Head Administrator thoughtfully review all submissions and select one winner, who receives a voucher to treat themselves. But in truth, everyone wins. Every nominee receives the words written about them - and reading a message of recognition and gratitude on a challenging work day can often mean much more than a prize. 

Culture That Mirrors Our Mission

The Core Values Award is a small but significant part of what makes Blue Sky one family. We don't just notice when someone is struggling - we also notice when someone is doing well. We don’t just support our colleagues - we champion them. In a sector as emotionally charged and demanding as fostering, these moments of encouragement matter. They remind us that we’re not alone, that our efforts are seen, and that kindness and collaboration are valued just as much as expertise.

In fostering, relationships are everything. Our approach to working with children and foster carers is mirrored in how we treat each other as colleagues. When we celebrate the care we show internally, it strengthens the care we provide externally. It nurtures a culture where people feel safe, supported, and empowered to do their best work. And that’s what ultimately helps us achieve the best possible outcomes for the children and young people we support.

A Small Act That Means So Much

Our Core Values Award is a simple act, but it carries weight. Because at Blue Sky, we believe in lifting each other up - and that belief is at the very heart of fostering.