About Clare Foster

I have over 15 years of experience writing content and providing online support for a range of issues including mental health, pregnancy loss, wellbeing and resilience, relationships and sexual health. My book on supporting someone who has experienced miscarriage, ectopic or molar pregnancy is published by Welbeck. I am experienced working under the PIF Tick scheme and the Information Standard. I have been highly commended in the BMA Patient Information awards a number of times, among other awards. I’m experienced in facilitating peer support, training community moderators and managing online communities.

I’m currently Project Manager: Information and Support in the Pregnancy Information team at Tommy’s.

Recently and over the last few years I’ve:

• worked as a content writer and editor in Tommy’s information team,
• trained and supported staff and volunteers to offer peer support in Action on Postpartum Psychosis’ online community and face-to-face,
• supported the Luna Foundation with content, communications and establishing their Lived Experience Network,

• researched and developed training for early years practitioners working with children aged 0-5 bereaved by parental suicide.
• developed and delivered training for employees and managers on supporting people in the workplace who experience pregnancy loss for the Miscarriage Association,
• conducted a review of how the Miscarriage Association uses personal stories on their website, including catalouging existing content and making evidence-based recommendations,
• reviewed and updated the content and structure of the Action on Postpartum Psychosis website,
• written leaflets on supporting young people after losing a parent to suicide for families and professionals for the Luna Foundation,
• reviewed and updated the Miscarriage Association’s support for partners,
• written guidance for parents on talking to young people about suicide and self-harm content online for the Samaritans,
• written Samaritans guidance for train operating companies working with vulnerable customers via remote means, i.e. social media and helplines,
• written a new leaflet on peer support in Mother & Baby Units for Action on Postpartum Psychosis,
• researched and written resources for people who are pregnant after previous loss for the Miscarriage Association,
• written a book on how to help someone after a miscarriage, ectopic or molar pregnancy,
• reviewed and updated Bupa’s mental health in the workplace information,
• written a guide for managers on supporting workers’ health and wellbeing throughout the coronavirus pandemic,
• conducted an online community consultation for Twins Trust,
• led on the research and development of a new hub of information for the Miscarriage Association on miscarriage and the workplace,
• researched and written a new support resource for the Miscarriage Association on pregnancy loss and mental health,
• updated the Miscarriage Association’s leaflet Supporting someone you know,
• developed, delivered and licensed bespoke community moderation training for Cardiff Women’s Aid, Hemihelp and Contact,
• developed and updated Action on Postpartum Psychosis’ guidelines and volunteer handbook,
• researched and written a new Insider Guide for APP – ‘Parenting after Postpartum Psychosis’,
• been runner-up in three BMA Patient Information Awards,
• been published in the Recovery Letters,
• written 11 articles for MindWise’s new website,
• been awarded 5 stars by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ journal The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist (TOG) for resources developed for the Miscarriage Association,
• developed and written mental health content in Mind’s Information Team,
• moderated Mind’s Elefriends community,
• supported Contact A Family to co-design and develop moderation processes and guidelines, train and support moderators, build engagement and market their new community platform,
• updated Radio 1’s BBC Advice pages on mental health,
• delivered online peer support training for Action on Postpartum Psychosis,
• conducted research and provided recommendations for the Miscarriage Association on achieving accredited status for learning materials developed for healthcare professionals,
• developed resources and support for women who are pregnant after a previous loss
• written 26 articles for Bupa’s new Workplace Wellbeing Hub (nominated for an internal Clinical Excellence award),
• written information on sexual abuse, online grooming, gang life and crime for youth charity The Mix,
• written for Standard Issue magazine,
• project managed the development of learning resources for health professionals for the Miscarriage Association,
• project managed, written and edited a paediatric information project for the British Lung Foundation,
• moderated the Depression Alliance’s online community Friends in Need,
• written youth-focused money content for The Mix and Lloyd’s bank Money for Life project,
• copy-edited and proofed online money management training for The Mix,
• delivered online community management training for Leeds Mind,
• delivered online community moderation training for OCDAction,
• delivered a Workplace Wellbeing Lunch & Learn for Dixon’s Carphone Warehouse, and
• coached new support chat volunteers on TheSite.org’s online community.

In 2015 I spent nine months in a maternity cover role working on Mind’s online peer support community Elefriends. This involves moderation, training and co-design.

Earlier in 2015 I completed a project developing youth resources for the Miscarriage Association and acted as a community development consultant for the Katy Piper Foundation.

For the past five years, I have delivered online peer support training for Action for Post Partum Psychosis volunteers. I ran self-care and emotional wellbeing training for 150 City YearUK volunteers and online training in supporting young people to access talking therapies for YouthNetUK chat moderators.

In 2014 I delivered six reports on organisations as part of the Workplace Healthcheck programme for Time to Change. I worked for Taskforce Digital on a range of projects including support with digital marketing, copywriting and online volunteer guidelines for the Miscarriage Association.

I have written for Mind, The Mix, Standard Issue, The Telegraph, One In Four, TheSite.org, Young Minds, Prospect Magazine, New Level, The Centre Of Excellence Online, Equilibrium Magazine, Living Streets, The Miscarriage Association and the Guardian.

Here’s a quick overview of my current and previous projects.

Take a look at my skills and training and recommendations pages for more info. Get in touch if you’d like to hire me or chat further about anything I can do for you.

Writing my mind

I also blog about my own experiences managing my mental health. You can find posts on a range of issues in the Writing my mind section of this blog. I’m pleased to say things have been a lot better over the last couple of years so I haven’t updated this section for a while.

• A lifetime struggle with eating problems that started when I was nine, rumbled along at a low level for most of my life, occasionally erupting into a full-blown eating disorder and exercise addiction. 30 years later I finally feel I can say I have, on the whole, recovered. I still struggle with veganism although increasingly try to reduce my dairy intake.

• Struggles with contraception and issues around appalling advice and opinions from the medical establishment over the years. A love-hate relationship with SSRIs that I have had since I was irresponsibly prescribed them aged 17.

• Mental health and trying to conceive – including ongoing attempts to come off my anti-depressants before conceiving, the impact this had and why I ended up back on them again.

• Mental health in pregnancy – early pregnancy, taking Sertraline in pregnancy, anxiety and depression and managing eating problems in pregnancy.

• Postnatal mental health problems I struggled with after my first, very demanding, child. These include thoughts on mental health and parenting a newborn, some honesty on World Mental Health Day and some further thoughts on parenting and mental health.

• My own experience of miscarriage and how it affected my mental health at the time and during my subsequent pregnancy.

• Coping with mental health problems in a relationship – a personal blog and one that I shared with Mind.

• Experiments with recovery and management techniques over the years, including mindfulness, metaphor, thought tactics, exercise, my first dog Dr Watson, writing letters and journals and sheer perseverance over a long long time.

You can also read about why I have chosen to blog about my own mental health and my work and projects in the same place and a piece on how to start your own blog.