As we celebrate Care Day this year, it is a time to reflect on the strides made to improve the way that children in care are looked after across the country, and how much of this progress has been led by care experienced people themselves. Care experienced people have been actively campaigning to improve the care system for as long as it has existed. They have played a central role in securing rights for other young people by sharing their experiences and raising levels of public awareness. This April, many of their stories will be told through Free Loaves on Friday, an anthology written by more than 100 care experienced people and edited by Rebekah Pierre. We are honored to have been involved, and chosen to receive half of the proceeds generated from the books sales so that we can continue to care for all children who need us. We have also seen first-hand the power of care experienced people to make a difference through their involvement in conferences, parliamentary events, meetings with MPs, ministers and regulators. In the words of one passionate campaigner, “children in care are often underestimated”.
Equally, children and the professionals that care for them at the Together Trust have given their time generously to help shape our campaigning positions and consultation responses. This Care Day, we have one strong call to action: let's ensure that every child in care is offered not just a place to stay, but a caring and loving environment that truly meets their needs. You can pre-order your copy of Free Loaves on Friday here Read more about our Keep Caring to 18 campaign here Read our second blog in recognition of Care Day: What does care mean to children?. Source: www.togethertrust.org.uk/ In December, the Education Committee launched an inquiry to evaluate England's children's social care system. On 15 January, we responded to the inquiry; sharing our views on different issues, including what is going wrong and the specific experiences of disabled children. Below is a summary of our response. In a nutshell The current provision of children's social care is insufficient to meet demand. Different factors are causing the increase in demand for children's social care including underinvestment, poverty and deprivation, the impact of policies in other areas (welfare, housing), and lack of support for families. Decreased levels of investment in early intervention have contributed to the rising costs of late-stage children's social care intervention for local authorities. The current system leaves families waiting for extended periods to receive necessary care. Only £200 million has been allocated to solving the sufficiency crisis despite the annual cost of maintaining the current children's social care system being £10 billion a year. Read more here. Social care “market” The children's social care sector faces a long-standing challenge of insufficient residential settings. The rise in unregistered homes, schools and alternative provision for children is a serious issue for the sector. Councils are placing more children in unregistered placements due to increasing need, limited provision, and reported instances of ‘cherry-picking’ where providers refuse to care for children with complex needs. The shortage of placements has led to more children being placed far from home, and in inappropriate placements, causing councils to pay increased costs. This results in unplanned moves and out-of-area placements, affecting children's well-being. We do not support moving children away from their community where it is not in their best interests. Semi-independent accommodation is the fastest-growing “market” for children, not because it is in their best interest, but because it is more profitable, and easier to run, and there is a constant demand as there are too few registered children’s homes that provide care available. We believe that all children in care need care. We do not support the creation of a new regulation and inspection regime for semi-independent accommodation. Experiences of disabled children There is a lack of support for disabled children or children with additional needs. Just 1 in 7 parents and carers said that disabled children have the correct level of support from the children’s social care system (DCP, 2023). The transition from children to adult services can be particularly stark for young disabled people who do not have a formal diagnosis. Additionally, life is more expensive for disabled people, but many do not receive the financial support necessary to help them live a happy life. Recommendations for the government Make children's social care a central aim of policy across areas such as housing, education, immigration, health, and social care (amongst others). Provide funding for wholesale reform to children’s social care to provide certainty to the sector. Prioritise funding for early intervention services to cover family support demand. Build more sufficiency across the country and ensure a place-based approach to address local authorities’ funding uncertainty and planning. Invest in more respite care for disabled children. End the use of semi-independent accommodation, mindful of the recommendation made in the Care Review that “all children should receive care where they live by 2025”. What’s next? We are currently undertaking a research project on unregistered settings. We have volunteers working on research projects in children's social care areas where there are research gaps (e.g., the link between poverty and children entering care). The projects will be published within the year. You can keep up with our updates via our website or by signing up to our campaign emails. Source: www.togethertrust.org.uk News from Together Trust: Advocacy for all children in care: our response to new advocacy proposals4/1/2024
The government is changing the way that children and young people receive advocacy support, by changing the things that services must provide. This December, we responded to the consultation by providing feedback based on our conversations with staff and advocacy providers. You can read our full response here. Currently, local authorities need to provide advocacy to children in care, children in need and care leavers where they have an active complaint and request help from an advocate. Independent advocacy is when a trained professional works with a child to understand their wishes and views, and advocates on their behalf, for example, to secure the support they need in meetings and working with other professionals. This kind of advocacy must follow national standards, which are instructions for organisations that deliver advocacy services to follow. In addition, there is statutory guidance which says what local authorities should do when they are arranging advocacy for children. The government is planning to change the way that advocacy services work and we have provided feedback about how it could be improved. Changes to advocacy standards The DfE is planning to extend national advocacy standards to other groups of children, including those:
Alongside this, there are new standards which are being suggested, such as non-instructed advocacy for non-verbal children, the need for ‘feelings’ to be considered alongside views and wishes, and for interpretation services to be provided so that children can share their views, wishes and feelings in the language they speak and understand. Despite the standards changing, the scope of statutory guidance will remain unchanged. In our response to the government's proposals, we have asked that standards and guidance be made consistent.
If the proposed changes go ahead, many of the children we care for will have the right to access advocacy services, even where there is no active complaint, particularly non-verbal children. Likewise, children with SEND who we support through our specialist services may be able to access an advocate (due to their ‘child in need’ status or interactions with social services), but we still need further details about how this will work. Before sending our feedback to the Department for Education, we spoke with our residential care managers to understand what was going well and what needed to be improved for children accessing advocacy services. We also held discussions with providers of advocacy services and other professionals in the sector to explore the impact of the proposals and develop our response. The proposed standards are a real improvement on the previous advocacy framework. Access to non-instructed advocacy and the ability to access advocacy without an active complaint will assist many children and young people who have previously been denied access to receive support. Many children entitled to independent advocacy do not know that this service exists, let alone that they are entitled to it. It is positive that organisations will need to inform children of their right to advocacy. We prefer the term ‘active offer’ instead of ‘opt-out advocacy’ and have recommended that the government take this terminology forward instead. We believe that this makes it clearer to professionals that there is a responsibility to routinely communicate the offer and that the offer of advocacy is always there should they need it in future. We also welcome the proposal to recruit advocates from diverse backgrounds to better represent the children and young people they work with. However, we believe that advocates should be able to influence policy, which is currently not allowed within the suggested standards. Any guidance needs to reflect the extended scope of the new national standards. Local authorities have a legal duty to accommodate children under 18 who are unable to live with their families. However, children who should be in care are oftentimes being ‘housed’ under homelessness legislation, which does not give them access to their full set of rights as looked after children. Statutory guidance must therefore make it clear that children who are deemed to be homeless are also entitled to advocacy. If the proposed changes go ahead, many of the children we care for will have the right to access advocacy services, even where there is no active complaint, particularly non-verbal children.
The difference in local authority budgets, resources and staffing are factors which will influence the reform's success. Ensuring that every child in care, child in need, and care leaver has someone standing up for their views, wishes and feelings must be a priority for the government going forward. You can keep up with our updates via our website or by signing up to our campaign emails.
Source: www.togethertrust.org.uk/ Location: Cheadle, Cheshire, with some travel across the North West Salary: Starting at £92,493 Closing Date: Sunday 14th January 2024 Recruitment timetable
Closing Date: Sunday 14th January 2024 Preliminary Interviews With GatenbySanderson: w/c 29th January and 5th February 2024 Executive Profiling And Psychometric Assessment: w/c 19th and 26th February 2024 Final Panel Interview: w/c 4th March 2024 The Together Trust are one of the North West’s leading charities. For over 150 years, we have been championing and caring for people with disabilities and complex health needs, providing life-changing support for looked-after children and care-experienced people and delivering transformative education services. Our vision is a society where everyone thrives because they are valued within their communities. The Trust is deeply rooted in its values and aspires to be person-centred in all its plans, practices, and behaviours and supports over 3,000 children, adults, and families each year. The People and Culture Director will play a vital role in shaping the Together Trust of the future by driving the charity’s people strategy, culture, and human resources initiatives. As a key member of the Trust’s senior leadership team, you will collectively be responsible for driving and overseeing the charity's organisational strategic priorities and ambitions for the children, young people, and families we support. As an ambitious and impactful organisation, the Together Trust is seeking an experienced, high-calibre HR professional with the ability to deliver strategic impact whilst fostering a positive and inclusive working environment. Key duties and responsibilities will include:
With an empowering and collegiate leadership approach, you will display the empathy and emotional intelligence required to build and develop a high-performing and motivated team. Critically, you will demonstrate passion and commitment to the Together Trust’s mission and values. The Together Trust aims to be representative of the communities we are working with. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, race, sex, sexual orientation, trans status, or socio-economic background. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments and positively encourage applications from those with lived experience. To view the job description and person specification, please scroll to the bottom of this page, tick to agree to the privacy policy, then click 'Continue to full details'. How to Apply To apply please upload your CV and address the four questions below in no more than 250 words per question (1000 total):
Deadline for applications: Sunday 14th January These dates may be subject to change and applicants will be advised in advance should this happen. If you wish to have an informal discussion about the opportunities, please contact our retained advisors: Jennie Wood, Research Lead, Not-for-Profit Practice Jennie.wood@gatenbysanderson.com / 07827044171 Alex Williams, Senior Consultant, Not-for-Profit Practice alex.williams@gatenbysanderson.com / 07796940274 Full details and application documents here Location: Cheadle, Cheshire, with some travel across the North West Salary: Starting at £107,497 Closing Date: Sunday 14th Janaury 2024 Recruitment timetable
Closing Date: Sunday 14th Janaury 2024 Preliminary Interviews With GatenbySanderson: w/c 29th January and 5th February 2024 Executive Profiling And Psychometric Assessment: w/c 19th and 26th February 2024 Final Panel Interview: w/c 4th March 2024 The Together Trust are one of the North West’s leading charities. For over 150 years, we have been championing and caring for people with disabilities and complex health needs, providing life-changing support for looked-after children and care-experienced people and delivering transformative education services. Our vision is a society where everyone thrives because they are valued within their communities. The Trust is deeply rooted in its values and aspires to be person-centred in all its plans, practices, and behaviours and supports over 3,000 children, adults, and families each year. The Commercial Director will play a vital role in shaping the Together Trust of the future by overseeing all the charity’s commercial strategies, partnership building, strategic financial planning, and revenue generation initiatives. As a key member of the Trust’s senior leadership team, you will collectively be responsible for driving and overseeing the charity's organisational strategic priorities and ambitions for the children, young people, adults, and families we support. As an ambitious and impactful organisation, the Together Trust is seeking an experienced individual with the ability to develop and implement the charity's commercial strategy and ensure long-term financial sustainability. Key duties and responsibilities will include:
Critically, you will demonstrate a passion and commitment to the Together Trust’s mission and values. The Together Trust aims to be representative of the communities we are working with. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, race, sex, sexual orientation, trans status, or socio-economic background. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments and positively encourage applications from those with lived experience. To view the job description and person specification, please scroll to the bottom of this page, tick to agree to the privacy policy, then click 'Continue to full details'. How to Apply To apply please upload your CV and address the four questions below in no more than 250 words per question (1000 total):
Deadline for applications: Sunday 14th January These dates may be subject to change and applicants will be advised in advance should this happen. If you wish to have an informal discussion about the opportunities, please contact our retained advisors: Jennie Wood, Research Lead, Not for Profit Practice jennie.wood@gatenbysanderson.com / 07827044171 Alex Williams, Senior Consultant, Not for Profit Practice alex.williams@gatenbysanderson.com / 07796940274 Full details and application documents here Every fostering household is different, just like every child in need of foster care is different. We're actively welcoming applications from people from all walks of life, ages, and backgrounds to match with a foster child in urgent need of a home. If you’re passionate about providing a stable and nurturing home for young people, you could make a vital difference to a young person in need of a home now - just like these amazing Foster Together families. “We had wanted kids and fostering seemed like a great option for us,” Lee says, who began fostering with his husband during the pandemic. “Everyone has been supportive since we told them. They can see the difference that can be made to young people in the right environment.” “We have experiences that can help young people if they have questions or need advice,” Lee adds. “It’s a great feeling to help someone and set them up for their life ahead.” The number of mainstream fostering applications in the UK experienced a staggering drop of 21% between 2018 and 2022. Long-standing fosterers who foster time after time, like Annette, are therefore even more critical as waiting lists for placements continue to grow. “Eighteen months ago, another young person came into our family and it’s been wonderful to watch them grow in confidence and develop their self-worth,” says Annette, who has fostered 5 children with her husband over the past decade. As well as competitive allowances and fees, the Together Trust provides fosterers with a tailored training programme, access to a round-the-clock duty social worker, and a monthly foster carers’ support group, amongst other benefits. As a charity, we don’t take any profits for shareholders - all money is used to support and improve the lives of the foster children. Annette shares: “The Together Trust give so much to the young people in our care - offering days out and an annual holiday. The whole process of gaining the skills to foster has continued throughout the support that we receive each year.” “I decided to foster with the Together Trust because they are a charity,” adds Ronan, who began fostering in 2018. “There were a few challenges at first - getting used to having someone new in the house, arranging work around their schedule, being aware of what you say. Mostly just getting used to dealing with a teenager again! “But there were so many highlights too. You get to invest time, love and experience in a young person and give them hope for the future - just knowing that you’re helping someone and making them feel safe was enough.” With Foster Together, we’ve worked hard to build a connected fostering family where staff, carers and families can support each other. In fact, our level of training, support and friendly community mean some of our foster carers have been with us for over 20 years. Learn more about fostering here or click here to make an enquiry and kickstart your fostering journey. Source: www.togethertrust.org.uk If you’re local to the Together Trust, keep reading. This winter, we are collaborating with multiple stores who are supporting us in many wonderful ways. Whether you’re a Tesco fan, keen on Lidl, a Co-op member, or love to treat yourself to a John Lewis trip – there's something for everyone. Keep reading to discover how you can shop while giving back this holiday season. Together Trust has been chosen to be part of the Co-op Local Community Fund for a whole year. Until 19 October 2024, Co-op members will be able to choose our charity as the beneficiary of their donations. Every time members buy selected Co-op branded products and services, the store gives us a helping hand. The money raised through the Co-op Local Community Fund will go towards our Fostering service. Many of the children in our care have never had a proper family trip, somewhere to relax, unwind and make happy memories – something we all take for granted. With your help, we can make their dream a reality. How can you help? If you are a Co-Op member, go to your account and select us as your charity of choice. We’ve been selected as one of Tesco's blue token voting programmes in stores. If you do your grocery shopping in Tesco and love books, why not check if Together Trust is one of your local causes? Until January 2024, you'll be able to help us secure donations to go towards our amazing school library at Inscape House School, our educational setting for autistic young people. How can you help? You can vote for us in the following stores: Cheadle, Gatley, Heaton Moor, Hazel Grove, Cheadle Hulme, Heald Green, Cheadle Heath and Stockport! It looks like Father Christmas nominated our charity for the Neighbourly Festive Toy Donation Scheme at the Lidl store in Cheadle! Until mid-December, donation boxes will be available in-store to collect toys. We kindly encourage everyone to donate toys and help make a difference in the lives of those in need. How can you help? Head to the Lidl store in Cheadle, include a toy in your regular shop, and drop it in the boxes at the entrance. John Lewis in Cheadle, a long-time supporter of the Together Trust, has invited us once again to bring some Christmas cheer to their stores.
Head over to the store on 8 December to say hello. Students from Inscape House School will be joining our fundraising elves to raise money, dance and carol to spread some positivity in our local community! How can you help? Come cheer on our young musicians, leave a donation in our buckets, or just come along to enjoy some classic carols. Source: www.togethertrust.org.uk/ We believe that all children in the care system should have safe and loving homes and receive care where they live until at least age 18. You can play a vital role in speaking up for the rights of children in care. Send a letter to your local MP asking them to advocate for a care system where all children are cared for in just a few minutes by visiting: https://secure.togethertrust.org.uk/care A split care system Between 2009 and 2019, the percentage of young people living in careless (also known as semi-independent) settings increased by 210%. Last year, the government banned children aged 15 and under from living in careless settings. This ban has not been extended to 16- and 17-year-olds, despite 34 children dying while living in these places over the last six year period. The care system is split in two. Children aged 15 and below are entitled to regulated care, while children aged 16 and 17 are not. We believe all children in care deserve the same love, stability and safety a family would provide. Safeguarding risks & dilution of children’s rights The prevailing rationale for careless accommodation is that some children are ‘ready for independence’ at a young age. Yet we know of children living in a bedsit who should be living in foster care or children’s residential care, because it’s the only available placement in their area. In careless settings, children can live in a shared environment with adults without staff present – this is a major safeguarding risk. Despite the ban, children under the age of 16 are occasionally placed in careless settings. Recently a local Council illegally sent a 13 year old boy to live in a static caravan 200 miles from family (Mirror, 2023). Based on our research, over 3,200 16- and 17-year-olds living in careless settings were not in education, employment, or training (NEET) between 2019 and 2020. Marie’s experience Back in 2021, Marie spoke to us about her time in unregulated accommodation before moving to the Together Trust. “I was in and out of emergency placements because they couldn’t find anywhere for me, so my social worker took me to a caravan, which was called a crisis placement. She said I would be there for 28 days, but I was there for 12 weeks and 3 days. The whole time I didn’t see any of my friends. I didn’t go to school. I didn’t see anyone. I faced pressure from the local authority to move into semi-independent accommodation when I was coming up to my 17th birthday. This was in the middle of the pandemic and at a time when I didn’t have a support network. I knew I wasn’t ready and thankfully the staff at Together Trust supported me to challenge it. We’re taken off our parents and we're supposed to be cared for but it feels like they’re avoiding that responsibility when they try to put us in unregulated accommodation. It’s like they think we can just fend for ourselves and it’s not right. Moving into a flat on your own at 16 or 17 when you don’t know anything about living on your own can be really hard. Especially if you don’t have anyone you can turn to for help.” Source: www.togethertrust.org.uk/ Background In February 2023, the Department for Education (DfE) published its consultation, Stable Homes Built on Love, seeking views on their ideas for reform of the children's social care system. You can read our full response here. Recently, the DfE has published its response to the consultation, including how it listened to stakeholders in its proposed changes to the children’s social care system. You can read the government’s response here. This blog looks at what is set to change and to what extent our suggestions for policy improvement were heard by the government. No immediate legislative changes The first thing to note is that the government is not bringing forward any immediate legislative change following the consultation. We recommended the full incorporation of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into domestic law to raise the profile of children’s rights in the UK and promote their voice in decision-making processes. However, the government did not mention the UNCRC in their response, suggesting that this is still out of reach for now. We also asked the government to amend the Homelessness (Priority Need for Accommodation) (England) Order 2002 to promote care leavers having priority status in housing. Some progress on this is likely, as the DfE will be taking forward legislative reform to remove the local connection requirement for care leavers seeking to access social housing but a timeline has not yet been specified. Insufficient funding Josh MacAlister, the Chair of the Review of Children’s Social Care, suggested a £2.6 bn investment over five years to stabilise the current system and kickstart his programme of reform. However, with the government currently spending more than £10 billion every year on maintaining the system we already have, we were among many organisations who highlighted that this would likely be insufficient. ‘This is a conservative estimate considering the need that lay before us." - Ian Mearns Labour MP (House of Commons, 2023) Despite this, the government decided to stick to the £200m investment it had promised over the reform’s first phase (2 years). This figure represents less than 1% of the total budget that the government allocates to children’s social care every year despite promises to enact some of the large-scale reforms suggested by the Review. Poverty The government did not respond to our ask about focusing on mitigating the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on those who are most vulnerable or consider the impact of raising universal credit income to lower relative child poverty rates. Care leavers The government increased the amount available for the care leavers’ allowance from £2,000 to £3,000 and is boosting the care leavers’ apprenticeship bursary from £1,000 to £3,000. These are positive steps, but the cash injection does not go far enough to level the playing field between care leavers and their peers - many of whom continue to be supported by their parents far into adulthood. Staying close We asked for a national commitment to stop children being placed miles from home when it is not in their best interests, and for young people who have lived in residential care to routinely have the option to ‘Stay Close’ and maintain connections with their former home until at least age 25 Over the next 18 months, the government will continue to explore how they can best develop and enhance the currently funded Staying Close programme (residential care), Staying Put (foster care) and work to end rough sleeping. Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Some local authorities have been selected to receive a share of £30 million in over the next three years to trial targeted short breaks support. We know from our work with parents and carers of children with SEND that short breaks offer a lifeline and play a preventative role in children being taken into care. We hope to see the scheme rolled out across more local authorities after the initial three-year trial. We asked the government to conduct research on how care experience and SEND interact when children are transitioning from school into training, internships or workfor example. This was not covered in their response. Semi-independent accommodation We asked for the introduction of a Caring Homes Improvement Plan, which should outline when the semi-independent standards and inspection regime will be phased out and replaced by the unequivocal entitlement of care for children until age 18. Interestingly, the government’s response said that: “During the consultation period, we heard from a wide range of professionals and sector leaders on the importance of ensuring residential care is focused on helping and supporting young people to thrive, and that care regulations reflect this. However, we also heard concerns about standardisation for anything other than the most basic care expectations. We heard that standards of care for residential care need to be broad and flexible, to meet the individual needs of children and young people.” It remains unclear then whether the new Ofsted inspection and regulation regime is here to stay, and whether children living in semi-independent accommodation will be included in the development of any new care standards for residential care. Mental health We want to see mental health support assessments happening early to minimise the escalation of needs. This was not specifically addressed in the government’s response. Regional Care Co-operatives (RCCs) We raised concern through the Alliance for Children in Care and Care Leavers that the RCC model may not be the right one to address issues faced by the children’s social care system. The government plans to develop RCCs on a staged basis. They have recently opened the applications for local authorities to set up RCCs. Commissioning We suggested that the government incorporates the commissioning solutions proposed by Children England, but these solutions are still yet to be acknowledged. Specifically, we asked for the introduction of:
Data collection We asked the government to ensure the regular collection of data on children not in education while living in care and facilitate data-sharing arrangements for children in care and care leavers (particularly those with SEND or additional health needs). Instead, the government stated in general terms that RCCs will establish specialist data capabilities to analyse local authority data across the region to better understand children’s needs and demand across the area. Foster care The National Minimum Allowance for Foster Carers has been raised by 12.43%, and there will soon be an increase in the income tax relief available to foster carers. However, we know that this increase will not benefit all foster carers and is unlikely on its own to improve their retention. Research by Ofsted in 2022 found that one in eight fostering households quit, with the cost of living crisis hitting them particularlg hard. The government is developing a Foster Care recruitment and retention programme with local authorities in the North East which is something we asked for. However, whether or not the scheme will improve recruitment and retention will depend upon the details, which are not currently publicly available. Kinship carers We asked the government to provide adequate training and financial help for kinship carers and family members who step up for children to prevent them from entering care. By the end of 2023, the government will introduce a financial allowance for kinship carers with SGOs and CAOs in every local authority. By 2024, they will launch a national kinship training, information, and advice service. Corporate parenting responsibilities We asked for a details of how the government intends to applycorporate parenting principles in practice, asthe government has committed to adaptingprimary legislation to embed an extension of corporate parenting responsibility when parliamentary time allows. In Autumn 2023, the government will conduct a pre-legislation consultation to agree on implementing corporate parent responsibilities and identify accountability arrangements. Our concerns The government’s financial position indicates that children’s social care is not prioritised in their agenda, and there is not the level of investment made which is needed to mitigate the negative impacts of increased rates of child poverty and the cost-of-living crisis, which have a disproportionate impact on children in care. Next steps The DfE is running a consultation which seeks views on national standards and statutory guidance for the Provision of Children’s Advocacy Services. The consultation's deadline is 18 December, and we plan on responding to it with our suggestions for improvement. Source: www.togethertrust.org.uk/ Member News from Together Trust: Magical evening at Etihad Stadium for the 2023 Achievement Awards12/9/2023
By Martina Milkova This summer, 130 children and young people from across the Together Trust’s services were celebrated at one of our favourite events: the annual Together Trust Achievement Awards. Hosted at Manchester City FC’s stadium, Manchester’s iconic Etihad, we celebrated the achievements of the young people we support across five categories: Life Skills and Independence, Communication and Social Skills, Participation, Educational Achievement, and Health, Fitness and Wellbeing. Additionally, a special Manchester City Football Club prize was awarded this year by Pete Bradshaw, Director of Sustainability at the football club, to a young person who had demonstrated the qualities of being kind, honest, respectful, and supportive in any activity in the last 12 months. The winners were nominated by the Together Trust staff, who spend hours with the children and young people each week, helping them reach their full potential. “It was lovely to see everyone come together to celebrate everyone’s achievements," shared a staff member from our residential service Pocket Nook. “The boys at Pocket Nook enjoyed their time, especially with the mascots and at the photo booth!” Among the 300 guests was Stacey Whiteway, mum of six-year-old Alfie, a pupil from Inscape House School who received an award for Participation. She shared: “I have been overwhelmed with how wonderful the evening is. I think it’s truly inspirational to see all the awards being given out to all children, and I think they’re all just incredible. It’s been a magical evening." “Alfie joined Inscape House in May, so he’s not been there for too long. It was a bit of a struggle to get him to take part in any activities at first. Now he’s getting involved, we found it overwhelming for him to be given an award for participation!” shares Stacey. “The best thing was getting this [pointing at the medal] and playing with my friend Olivia”, answers Alfie, when asked about his favourite part of the ceremony.
“The Achievement Awards night is a highlight of the Together Trust social calendar. As ever, this year did not disappoint! So many children, staff, families, and friends enjoyed a super, well-organised, fun and inspiring event. My favourite bits were the excellent acts by the young people. Charles Han’s singing and dancing to Jungle Book will forever be remembered.” – Kelly Hall, Principal Manager As well as parents, carers and staff members, we were delighted to have in the audience Councillor Gina Reynolds, Ceremonial Mayor of the City of Salford and Councillor Neil Reynolds, Consort to the Ceremonial Mayor. “It was delightful to see how everyone interacted on the night, they all looked amazing and very smart. This year lots of the parents joined in at the event, some being involved in presenting the awards to their children. The faces of our young people said it all. And not to forget all the hard work and dedication from the staff teams!” - Tracy Downing, Principal Manager Source: https://www.togethertrust.org.uk |
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