From Paramedic to Foster Carer: Bringing Life-Saving Skills to the Home

From Paramedic to Foster Carer: Bringing Life-Saving Skills to the Home

For the past 8 years, Graham Williams and his wife Lisa have provided a loving home as Calon Cymru foster carers but that’s not all. They have also raised their own children whilst maintaining successful careers.

To celebrate Emergency Services Day, we are taking a look at Graham’s fascinating career in the ambulance service.

Before becoming a foster carer, Graham had established his career as a paramedic. Working out of Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest Graham works on the dedicated ambulance vehicle specialising in paediatric and maternity services out of Pembrokeshire.

How transferrable skills prepared Graham for a career in foster care

Throughout his career in specialised care Graham has had to deal with everything from emergency resuscitations to childbirth, he has been responsible for delivering between 20 and 30 babies. Working in these high-pressure situations has equipped Graham to remain calm and respond appropriately in most circumstances.

This high pressure role has equipped him with resilience and determination that help to make him the fantastic foster carer that he is.

My career in the ambulance service has been quite the preparation for a career in foster care. No two days are the same and whilst some days can be really tough the highs can totally outweigh the lows, much like a day on the ambulance. You have to be able to control your emotions in tough situations but still bring the empathy and care that these vulnerable children need.

Alongside the personality traits and soft skills that have made Graham perfect for these career roles, there are ways that these roles have trained him to bring so much to the role. As a specialist paediatric paramedic, Graham has an in-depth understanding of child protection and has been witness to some of the ways children and young people can be failed, and this has proven to be invaluable in his fostering role.

As Graham reflects,

The best thing I’ve ever achieved is not just the successes I’ve had in life, but the success stories of the girls we’ve fostered. Watching them achieve and take a positive path in life, rather than what seemed inevitable, is incredibly rewarding.

Lisa echoes this sentiment, adding,

It’s really rewarding to see children brought into your care achieving things and smiling—it makes everything worthwhile.

Advice for Aspiring Foster Carers

When asked what advice they would give to anyone thinking about becoming a foster carer with Calon Cymru, Graham and Lisa highly recommend fostering as a career and encourage anyone with an interest to reach out and see how they could bring their own skills to improve the life of children in Wales. They noted that, although Graham was bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience from his career in the ambulance service, it has been the support and training provided by the team, especially the guidance from their Supervising Social worker Nicola, that has been instrumental in their success as foster carers.

Their advice to anyone considering fostering?

"It’s one of the most rewarding things you can do. The support is fantastic, and the difference you can make in a child’s life is immeasurable."

If you’re inspired by Graham and Lisa’s story and are considering becoming a foster carer, we encourage you to get in touch with us and explore the options that are available to you.