Choosing ISP

Lee and his husband Chris had been fostering for several years before joining ISP, having originally started their fostering journey with another agency. Over time, they began to feel they weren’t receiving the level of support they needed to feel confident and supported in their day-to-day fostering life. 

This became especially clear during Covid, when access to guidance and reassurance felt limited. As Lee explains, “We had a young boy who was a lot of work, and we needed the support, and it wasn’t there… you can imagine 2020, no one to contact. It was quite a hard time.” 

It was during this challenging period that they began to consider making a change, looking for a fostering service where they would feel more supported and better able to focus on the children in their care. 

After speaking to friends who had already made the move, they decided to explore ISP for themselves. Lee explains: “A couple of friends of mine moved over to ISP the December before, so I spoke to them, and they said it’s the best move they made.” 

“We contacted ISP in the January, and it got the ball rolling quite quick. The whole process lasted from January to April, so in just four months we had transferred over to ISP.” 

After transferring to ISP, Lee describes an immediate difference in the level of support available. 

“Straight away, from day one, it was a warm welcome and a social worker got in touch to introduce themselves. With ISP, I can contact anyone at any time because the support on the phone is top-notch.” 

Training has also played an important part in their experience, helping them continue to build confidence in their role. “I do training all the time. I like my training. I do outside training as well as with ISP.” 

Alongside mandatory training, ISP also offers its specialist foster parent training, including the Therapeutic Pathway – a unique programme designed to help foster carers build a deeper understanding of therapeutic principles and how to apply them in everyday caring.

Real change through therapeutic care

Over the years, Lee and Chris have cared for 14 children aged between 7 and 16, each bringing their own experiences and needs. For them, providing a stable, therapeutic environment has been key to helping young people begin to feel safe, supported, and able to grow. 

One young person arrived with them at 16, having just entered care. Lee describes: “One 16-year-old signed himself into care as soon as he hit 16 and he came to us that night.” 

With consistent care and support, they began to see real change over time. Using therapeutic approaches, such as focusing on understanding behaviour, building trust, and supporting emotional wellbeing, the couple helped him gradually gain confidence and start experiencing new things: 

“By the time he left us, he stopped wearing his coat. He’d been to the farms. He’d been to the zoos. He’d been anywhere. The cinema.” 

Looking back, Lee reflects on the importance of that stability and the impact it had on his future: 

“The time he had with us helped him get his own flat, be successful, and go to college.” 

For Lee, this progress is what therapeutic fostering is really about – helping children who have experienced trauma begin to rebuild trust, confidence, and independence through consistent relationships and understanding care.