Meet the team supporting our Mockingbird families across the county…
George Maddocks
Mockingbird Manager for Devon County Council
I joined Fostering Devon in September 2025. I was immediately drawn to the opportunity to join Mockingbird, recognising the strength and impact of the model when supporting foster carers and improving outcomes for children.
I came to Devon from an independent fostering agency, bringing with me a number of years’ experience in fostering. I was particularly motivated to join Devon because of its commitment to the Mockingbird model and the clear focus on building strong, supportive communities around foster families. It is a model I strongly believe in, and I feel proud to lead and develop it within the county.
I am equally proud of our team of dedicated Liaison Workers, who are passionate about the Mockingbird model and committed to supporting foster carers to provide stable, nurturing homes. Together, we are focused on continuing to grow the model and build on its success, ensuring more children and young people can benefit from the stability, relationships and sense of belonging it creates.
Mockingbird truly reflects the belief that it takes a village to raise a child, and I am proud to be part of a team making that a reality every day.
Harriet Hobbs
Liaison Worker for North Devon
“I became part of the Mockingbird team because I am very passionate about us getting the support right for our foster carers; making sure that they feel ‘held’ by us in the roles that they are undertaking and that we are offering the best service possible for our children. Mockingbird feels like such a positive way of achieving this for foster carers and allowing them to feel that they are not alone and can reach out easily to a group of people who understand them.
“Devon County Council will hopefully be seen to be providing an excellent service for our foster carers and children via the Mockingbird Programme and I hope we will see an improvement in how supported the foster carers feel. I feel privileged to be a Liaison Worker for our hub and enjoy spending time with the foster carers and children who inspire me every day.”
To find out more about the Mockingbird programme read about it on The Fostering Network’s website.