Kate Patel is Head of Fostering and Adoption at Diagrama. She has more than 20 years’ experience in social care, qualifying as a social worker in 2000. Before coming to Diagrama, initially as a panel advisor she worked for a number of local authorities, including Slough Children’s Services Trust where she was part of the family finding team and also latterly agency advisor overseeing the assessments of fostering and adoption assessments.
What is foster care? Read more...
National News
29 Sep 2022
Chris and Nic Kimmance, foster carers with the charity Diagrama Foundation are delighted to have been given a family holiday by high street giant Timpson.
The Kimmance Family and their foster child will enjoy a holiday to the Festival of Sport between the 12-15 August courtesy of The Alex Timpson Trust, part of well-known high street provider of shoe repairs and key cutting Timpson. Read more...
28 Sep 2022
Residents at Cabrini House in Orpington have completed an upcycling project to turn old filing cabinets into garden planters.
When the charity Diagrama, moved into a new office in Kent Space in Chatham, they had a few filing cabinets that were no longer required. The residents of Cabrini house in Orpington, the charity’s home for adults with learning disabilities, love crafting and have upcycled the old office furniture into bright garden planters. Read more...
28 Sep 2022
Across England there is a huge shortfall of parent and child foster carers with Kent based charity Diagrama currently receiving twice as many referrals as two years ago.
The charity Diagrama is concerned that with the number of referrals for parent and child foster placements at an unprecedented level, they urgently need to fill this shortfall by finding and training new carers for this rewarding role. Read more...
28 Sep 2022
A group of 34 adults who are part of the Diagrama Foundation Supported Living Service in Bromley are thrilled to have secured an allotment in Orpington.
The allotment in Orpington will benefit 34 adults with learning disabilities who are part of Diagrama Foundation’s Supported Living Service in Bromley. Read more...
28 Sep 2022
When a residential care centre in Clacton needed help to create a 1960’s train carriage, a TV and film set builder stepped in to make seating for the carriage that wouldn’t look out of place in an Oscar winning blockbuster. Read more...
26 Sep 2022
Growing up, Katie Pillay shared her home with an adult with learning disabilities fostered by her Mum Karen Parker. Motivated by what her mum was doing for others Katie knew that one day she wanted to foster too.
Katie Pillay, 38, from Sidcup, was raised in a loving family in Somerset and from a young age shared her home with an adult with learning disabilities who her mum Karen fostered. Katie always knew she wanted to foster one day too and in March 2021 a 16-year-old boy joined her family home as her first foster placement. Read more...
13 Sep 2022
Beth Earnshaw, 25, from Swanley in Kent has wanted to become a Foster Carer for a very long time. Her dream has now come true thanks to the charity Diagrama.
Beth has wanted to become a Foster Carer since she was in year twelve and completed a Psychology module on child development at school. She assumed that being single, working full time and living with her parents might be barriers to fostering, so she was delighted that after a meeting with the Diagrama fostering team she was accepted on to their training programme. Read more...
04 Sep 2022
Dave, the Edensor Care Home cat almost missed his own first birthday party when he went missing.
Residents and staff of the Edensor Care home in Clacton on Sea were sick with worry when their beloved cat went missing on 6 March, the day before his first birthday. They had been planning this special cat’s birthday party for weeks and were so upset when he hadn’t been seen for over 24 hours. Read more...
01 Sep 2022
Great Britain performed well in the Tokyo Olympics bringing home 65 medals and no doubt inspiring many future athletes. Also inspired were the staff and residents of Cabrini House in Orpington, a home for adults with learning disabilities who held their very own Olympics on 11 August.
The residents competed for medals in a variety of activities including running, walking, trampolining, penalty shootout, bean bag throw, dancing, seated volleyball, bowls, and table tennis. Read more...