Across our children and young people’s service the response from all our teams has been amazing. We have been asking them to do a job in very uncertain and worrying times. People are working at pace to develop responses and ways of working that continue to keep children at the centre of what we do even when that means they are facing risk and worries themselves.
This has been approached with the passion, zeal, determination and innovation that I am very proud of. There are many, many examples and I will try and list a few, but I know in doing so, I will miss many others off.
The education team has done an outstanding job in co-coordinating what have been unprecedented changes to schools over the last few weeks, keeping a network of schools open and informed and have problem-solved everything that has come at them.
More than 250 school staff have stepped forward to ensure that schools and settings can be opened and have gone above and beyond the Government’s requirements keeping some open over weekends and public holidays to provide emergency childcare for critical workers.
All children and family teams have worked tirelessly to risk assess over 4.000 cases in a matter of days to ensure we continue to provide safe plans for young people. Our staff across the county are continuing to work together to find creative ways to support children and their families. Social workers continue to visit families where it is appropriate to do so and they are working with schools to ensure vulnerable children are in school – and when they are not, that the right support is in place.
Despite the impact of COVID-19, practitioners are continuing to work with our highly valued practice model, working with families and involving them every step of the way even if this means doing it differently – and they continue to do this with a smile on their face.
Our leaving care service has stepped up contact to our young adults and are in touch with them even more during this difficult time.
Our early help teams have been developing some extremely innovative approaches to support looked after children through a Skype buddy system, as well as working on delivering support to vulnerable families. They have been delivering sessions and courses remotely, sending out information, using PowerPoint presentations, phone calls and WhatsApp groups, including one for LGBT. They have also been coordinating with their local food banks to ensure families are getting what they need. There has been an enormous amount of creative thinking.
Our foster carers have been inspiring. They have continued to take young people in, including one carer who took very young children from a family where COVID-19 was suspected, resulting in the carer going in to self-isolation. In addition, our No Wrong Door hubs continue to show fantastic compassion and support to our children. At a time when we are hearing stories of the private market either sending children ‘back’ to local authorities or charging even more, I am incredibly thankful and proud that we have the ability and compassion to look after our own young people in North Yorkshire.
People choose a career in children’s services mostly because they care more and want to make a difference. At no other time in my career has this shone through brighter than it does now. Our services are holding up because our teams have shown a relentless ability to support children and families in the only way they know how; with passion, empathy and determination. I am beyond grateful to each and every member of staff.
Stuart Carlton is corporate director for North Yorkshire CC’s children and young people’s service