Contact Us

Working with

children, families & practitioners

specialising in FIRESETTING behaviour

Training

A wide range of training courses that can be tailor-made to match your specific needs and requirements.

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Consultancy

Expert advice, system reviews and professional support for teams and organisations working with children who have firesetting behaviour.

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Direct Work

fabtic accepts referrals directly from families and professionals who have concerns for children and teenagers with firesetting behaviour.

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Supervision

Providing a safe space to frontline practitioners and managers for reflection, professional growth and emotional support.

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fabtic is run by Joanna Foster, a published criminologist and author of ‘Children and Teenagers who Set Fires: Why they do it and how to help’ (Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2020). Originally from South Wales and fiercely proud of her Welsh identity, Joanna is a graduate of both the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, which isn’t typical of working class, comprehensive-school-educated kids from The Valleys.

Living in London since 1999, Joanna has over two decades’ of frontline client work that includes eighteen years’ experience of working directly with children and young people who set fires. Joanna uses her first-hand knowledge, studies and evidence-based research to ensure practices of the highest quality and integrity when working with professionals and families.

Whether you are a professional required to improve your skills, a senior manager wishing to review the services your organisation currently offers or a concerned parent looking for an experienced practitioner to address your child’s firesetting behaviour, fabtic can provide the support you need with sensitivity, care and respect.

About fabtic

Based in London, fabtic was established in 2013 and is run by Joanna Foster, a highly trained and experienced practitioner, supervisor and trainer.

Media

In early 2010, fabtic Managing Director Joanna Foster was approached by the BBC in her then role as manager of the London Fire Brigade’s firesetting intervention scheme.

Register

To register an interest in attending fabtic training and for more information about fabtic’s work please contact
info@fabtic.co.uk

News & Events

Events

fabtic has built a strong reputation for hosting a range of online and in-person events that connect practitioners from across different disciplines and regions.  This includes chairing national conferences, running online workshops, organising quarterly research meetings and delivering CPD-accredited training.

FEwithJo

FEwithJo is a You Tube channel launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as organisations struggled to find online resources suitable for parents and professionals with concerns for child-set fires.  FEwithJo features stories for children and families to follow together, and tips for frontline practitioners.

Newsletter

fabtic produces a free, quarterly e-newsletter aimed at practitioners and managers across the children’s workforce. With a wide readership across the UK and overseas, past editions have included interviews with subject matter experts discussing issues that include childhood trauma, maternal imprisonment and racism.

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“Joanna Foster has done a wonderful job of producing a highly accessible text that introduces the reader to best practice in fire safety work with children and young people. This book is highly engaging to read and should be essential reading.”

Professor Theresa A. Gannon, Director of CORE-FP, University of Kent

Testimonials

"Over the five years I worked with her Joanna managed every case with a high level of commitment and expertise, supporting children in the most difficult of home settings. Joanna combines experience and innovation with a patient and caring manner even under the most challenging circumstances. I would feel confident in recommending her services to any of my clients."

Stuart McMillan, Managing Director RM & Associates Ltd and London Fire Brigade Divisional Officer (retired)

"Joanna is one of the most inspirational trainers and programme managers I have worked with in over 30 years of training design and delivery. Her development of the Juvenile Firesetters Intervention Scheme for the London Fire Brigade was a model of how to bring about change in the behaviour of children and young people."

David Lewis, Youth Programmes Advisor, Bryn Stowe Associates and Training Design Specialist (retired), National Police Training Centre