Children’s mental health is a huge concern for everyone following the Covid-19 pandemic and the easing of lockdown restrictions.

The upheaval and uncertainty faced by children and young people across the country over the past 18 months has impacted on their lives and will continue to do so in the future.

Looked after children are no exception and Bolton Council has a support team dedicated to giving these youngsters and their foster carers the help and advice they need.

Gary Wall, who has been a looked after children’s mental health practitioner with Bolton Council for six years and has more than 25 years’ experience working in mental health, said: “I always like working with the underdog and I’m Bolton born and bred, so I want the town and the children to do well.

“With looked after children, the difficulty is that the evidence is constantly changing about how to intervene.

“We have techniques and models that we implement which help but every child and young person is different and they have their own stories, which can be very demanding and challenging.

“Sometimes, we feel like we have to have all the answers straight away to make things better, but often that isn’t possible.”

Gary’s background is based in science – psychology, CAMHS and therapeutic interventions – which he says are successful, but when it comes to looked after children, their complex needs can make things a little more challenging.

He said: “This is a difficult job but I try to do the best I can and understand the nature of some of these children’s journeys – Where have they been? What skills have they got? What skills do they need to develop?

“I try and listen to the foster carers about their experiences and if they’ve struggled to help.

“It’s a very challenging and rewarding role and I’ve found it’s not necessarily about fixing the problems, however it’s about giving them the skills to cope with their onward journey.”

When you become a foster carer with Bolton Council, you work as part of a large professional support team, caring for each looked after child and you are never alone. Whether it’s your supervising social worker, a buddy foster carer, members of your support group or someone like Gary, who can provide specialist help, there is always a team of experienced people right behind you.

They will support you with any challenges you may face and share the joy that fostering can bring to you and the children you look after.

If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a foster carer, let the team support you.

For more information visit www.bolton.gov.uk/fostering, email fostering@bolton.gov.uk or call 0800 107 1564.

Facebook group offers support for children as well as parents and carers Gary has recently started a Facebook group for parents and carers which offers tips about children’s mental health and how to raise an emotionally resilient child or young person.

There is help and advice about how to support teenagers as they head back to school and college and how to alleviate any worries or concerns youngsters may have following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

Articles, websites and useful links are shared regularly so that parents and carers can access up to date information about how to help children in their care.

Gary is keen to promote positive mental health in children and young people, with top tips including a good understanding that it’s literally impossible to please everybody, you don’t have to be available for other people 24/7 and it doesn’t make you weak to ask for help.

The general Facebook page is available by visiting https://www.facebook.com/calmerkid/ and the parents and carers’ page is https://www.facebook.com/groups/893503441464949/