The Aberlour Sustain service has kept 11 families together in Ross-shire
Young people who were on the brink of being taken into care have stayed with their families thanks to a innovative charity service.
Aberlour Sustain, based in Ross-shire, has worked with 14 families over the last 12 months. In total 11 young people who were at risk of being taken in residential care or placed with foster carers have stayed with their families.
The Scottish Government minister for early learning and childcare, Maree Todd, said she found the service humbling on a recent visit.
Todd said: “We are committed to making our care system the best it can possibly be and early intervention is key to achieving this. Early engagement with families whose children are on the edge of care is vital to ensure they receive the support they need, when they need it most.
“It has been a humbling experience to meet the Aberlour staff at Sustain and the people who use its services where I was able to see first-hand how crucial their work is in supporting families in the area who are very much in need.”
There are many reasons why children and young people are identified as at risk of needing to enter the care system. It could be due to the impact of adverse childhood experiences on both children and their parents, parental capacity being compromised and the subsequent children’s behaviour issues this creates.
Sustain works intensively with families, offering personalised support. For example it provides support over evenings and weekends when other traditional supports are not available. It also offers more face-to-face contact, often several times a week to develop strong relationships and trust with the children, young people, parents, carers and the wider family.
Jim Wallace, director of services at Aberlour, said: “We know that early intervention works. It works for our families and communities, and it has positive financial implications through reducing the council’s expenditure had these children required to be place in care.
“The Sustain project is all about providing a service tailored to the needs of each family and their unique set of circumstances. This approach, combined with the skill, expertise and dedication of our staff has been the key to the success we have seen here.”
Sustain is one of 40 services provided by Aberlour Children’s Charity across Scotland.
