The success of the scheme has meant Stirling Council has an increased capacity to allow children to stay in stable, living situations close to their own community.
Through staying with local families, young people receive significant benefits, such as increased stability, a sense of permanence and continuity to a community.
The recruitment campaign was launched as part of Stirling Council Children’s & Families Service Plan 2017-2018. As a result of the campaign, eight households have been identified as becoming potential foster carers by the end of 2017, in contrast to two households which were registered in 2016.
The innovative and wide ranging campaign incorporated place based advertising, including advertising stands at a supermarket and the Thistle Shopping Centre, as well as email, online advertisements and social media posts to generate interest. There was also a specific focus on the urban north area of Stirling Council, with a leaflets drop across all households in the area.
The Fostering and Adoption Team will continue to build on these innovative methods, including creating a dedicated post to support further ongoing recruitment, which will have responsibility for taking enquiries and helping minimise delays to enquiries, thus helping improve the number of foster placements available in the Stirling area.
Convener of the Social Care and Health Committee, Cllr Scott Farmer, said, “Through increasing the number of foster carers within Stirling Council we are providing more options that will allow young people to remain in families within the local area. This provides young people with a sense of belonging and allows them to maintain access to the same education, health, employment and leisure as their peers.
“I am delighted that this campaign has proved so successful and the fostering and adoption Team will continue to build on the innovative methods used as we look to develop an enhanced fostering service for the future.”