Doors open for potential carers

The council’s No Wrong Door (NWD) programme is a new way of providing support to young people who are within the care system, replacing traditional council-run homes with hubs which combine residential care with fostering.

North Yorkshire has created two hubs, one in Scarborough to serve the east of the county while one in Harrogate serves the west.

The aim is to break a destructive cycle for young people in care whose difficult early life experiences frequently lead to a history of broken fostering placements.

Central to NWD are community families who work closely with the hubs.

These community family foster carers take young people from the hubs on short term placements, working with them to help them develop the confidence and skills needed to return to living in a family environment.

Councillor Janet Sanderson, North Yorkshire’s executive member for Children’s Services, said: “Our community family carers work shifts in the hubs, giving them the opportunity to develop a bond with the young person before you look after them.

“For example, one of our young people had a problematic history but got to know a carer working in the hub. He then felt able to go and live as a foster child with that carer.

“This sort of success is great for our young people and our NWD programme overall, but it does mean that our community families move on with the young person into our mainstream fostering service so we need to replace them.”

For an informal chat about NWD call 01609 535695.