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Young People

Double national awards success for Sefton Young Advisors

31 January 2022
Martin Driver
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Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Sefton CVS, Young People
Young Advisors Co-ordinator Georgia Ribbens with the Community Project of the Year
Young Advisors Co-ordinator Georgia Ribbens with the Community Project of the Year

A project which enables the voices of young people in Sefton to be heard in community life has landed two top national awards.

Members of the Sefton Young Advisors (YAs) are celebrating after one of their team was honoured as national Young Advisor of the Year, and they also collected the Community Project of the Year award for an initiative with Sefton Council.

Trained consultants

The Young Advisors are managed by Sefton Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) and are trained consultants aged from 15-23 who help organisations to understand the interests of young people, and how to get their message across to them in a more youth-friendly way.

Both awards were presented at the recent AGM and conference of the national Young Advisors charity which was held online this year due to Coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

Youth proof

They also help agencies to ‘youth proof’ the way they operate, and to attract and maintain the interest of young people in their work.

Isabelle Heeley has been honoured as the country’s top Young Advisor.
Isabelle Heeley has been honoured as the country’s top Young Advisor.

According to the award citation, Isabelle Heeley was recognised as the country’s top Young Advisor for her leadership and communication skills, her friendliness and her valuable input into the key projects the Young Advisors have worked on over the last 12 months.

Great example

Commenting on Isabella – who has recently started university in Korea whilst continuing to work as a YA remotely – Co-ordinator Georgia Ribbens said: “We have been very lucky to have Bella on our team and she has set a great example for future members!”

Meanwhile, the Young Advisors received the second award for their consultation work as part of the Sefton Your Streets initiative. This involved gathering opinions from secondary students on issues around travelling to and from school safely.

Creativity

Sefton CVS Chief Executive, Angela White OBE, said: “To win these two prestigious awards is a fantastic achievement and I would like to congratulate Isabella and the whole of the Young Advisors team on their success.

“As their work on Sefton Your Streets has again shown, they are consistently proactive and creative in finding new ways to ensure that children and young people are given more of a say in decisions that are made about services that affect them.

“I am delighted that their creativity and hard work has been recognised at national level in this way and for Sefton Council’s continued support of the YAs.”

Invaluable

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, said: “The Sefton Young Advisors provide an invaluable service supporting young people across the Borough and ensuring their voices are heard.

“I would like to congratulate Isabella and the team as a whole on this national recognition and look forward to our continued work with them.”

Find out more about Sefton Young Advisors

Children and young people’s views on using mental health services in Sefton being sought

20 January 2022
Martin Driver
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Categories: Front Page, Health, Latest News, Young People

Children and young people, and their families, who have used mental health services in Sefton are being asked to provide feedback to Sefton CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services). People waiting for an can also take part.

Sefton has been selected to take part in the ‘4 Week Wait Pilot’, a project to improve waiting times for patients accessing mental health services commissioned by the CCGs in Sefton.
In an online survey, Sefton CAMHS is asking young people and their families what they think mental health in the Borough looks like. They also want to understand people’s experience of waiting times for mental health services in Sefton.

Feedback received will help Sefton CAMHS make changes that will enable children and young people, and their families to access help smoothly and within four weeks.

The form, which only take a few minutes to complete can be found here.

The survey closes on Monday 31 January 2022.

If you have any queries about the survey, please contact Sefton CAMHS at: sefton.camhs@nhs.net

Foster for Sefton in 2022! Make a difference to a young person’s life by being their #EverydayAngel

6 January 2022
Charlene Smith
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Categories: Front Page, Health, Latest News, Sefton Council, Young People

The dedication and support Sefton’s Foster Carers provide to vulnerable children in the Borough means many of these young people see their carers as ‘Angels.’

This New Year, Sefton is launching its #EverydayAngel campaign to show its appreciation for all the fantastic work they do and for the care they provide.

Sefton is also urging local people to think about becoming an #EverydayAngel themselves by fostering a local child and help to turn their life around.

Angela and Paul have fostered with Sefton Council for three years and are helping to spread the important message about this rewarding role.

Angela said “We’re just ordinary people. We don’t class ourselves as angels but as a foster carer it is almost like you are a guardian angel to some of these children.

“At the moment we are fostering two beautiful little girls as well as working full time. If we can do it, anyone can”

Christine and her daughter Olivia foster for Sefton and really see the difference they are making to children’s lives.

Christine said: “I love fostering, it’s so rewarding to help children and watch them grow and become more confident”

Olivia said “I love to help my mum out, putting them to bed and giving them cuddles and kisses. To me my mum is an angel and I know our foster children think that too” 

Cllr Mhairi Doyle MBE, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said:

“Our foster carers are naturally loving people with big hearts. We know that they see themselves as normal people but to Sefton and the children they care for, they are a lifeline and they truly are our ‘Angels’.

“Through our #EverydayAngel campaign we want to highlight how Sefton really values all of our carers’ hard work and dedication.

“If you think you have those nurturing qualities and feel you have something to give then please get in touch with us and find out more.”

Sefton’s Foster Carers are paid for their skills, receive full training and support, plus allowances. Anyone who is thinking about fostering can find out more by speaking to one of the team or by visiting the dedicated website at https://seftonfostering.co.uk/ 

Or they can call the freephone number – 0800 923 2777

Sefton Council appoints new Executive Director of Children’s Social Care and Education

6 January 2022
Martin Driver
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Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Sefton Council, Young People
Martin Birch
Martin Birch

Sefton Council has appointed a new Executive Director of Children’s Social Care and Education.

After a thorough recruitment process, the Council has appointed Martin Birch, who is currently Director of Children’s Social Care at Together for Children, in Sunderland. Together for Children is owned by Sunderland City Council but controlled by an independent board to ensure operational independence.

Track record

Cllr. Mhairi Doyle, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care said: “Martin has a strong track record and I am pleased that we have now appointed him to head up our Children’s Social Services teams at a time when they are facing unprecedented levels of demand.

“Sefton Council is well on with addressing the challenges raised by a recent OFSTED inspection and Martin will focus on driving those developments and improvements forward.

Sefton Council committed an extra £6 million to children’s social care in April and in September announced a further £4 million investment in staffing. Extra staff have already been appointed and the Council has established a transformation team supported by the Department for Education.

Committed and skilled

Cllr Doyle continued: “The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic mean that demands on our committed and skilled Children’s Social Care teams is unlike anything we’ve known before.

“Martin joins us at a time when we are putting in place the high-quality, responsive service that families, children and young people across Sefton need.”

Thrilled

Martin Birch who has been with Sunderland Council since 2018, but who hails from Merseyside said: “I am thrilled to have been given this wonderful opportunity. It’s an exciting time to join Sefton Council with significant investment within the Children’s Services, providing the impetus for the next chapter of the improvement journey.

“I am looking forward to working with colleagues to provide the very best services to children, young people and families within the Borough”.

Sefton Council and the Plaza Cinema join forces to help bring the festive cheer to foster families

9 December 2021
Charlene Smith
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Categories: Front Page, Latest News, Sefton Council, Sefton Stories, Young People

Sefton’s fostering families were enchanted as they joined together for a special screening of Encanto at Crosby’s Plaza Cinema, as part of the Fostering Services’ Christmas celebrations.

Sefton partnered with the Plaza Community Cinema in Crosby to arrange for the showing of the new Disney film, which focuses on the importance of family. The event was organised to say ‘thank you’ to Sefton’s foster families for all the invaluable work they do to look after vulnerable children from the Borough.

Angela, who has been a foster carer for nearly 30 years and who came along to the screening with her foster children, said;

“All of the children have had a brilliant time at the pictures, and it’s been so good to get together and have a catch up with other carers.

“I absolutely love being a foster carer and have always known it was something I was going to do. If anybody is thinking about it, please get in touch with Sefton Council and you won’t regret it. It’s really, really rewarding.”

Cllr Mhairi Doyle MBE, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said:

“I am so happy that we were able to bring our foster carers and their families together a Christmas time to create some special memories and put an extra smile on our young people’s faces.

“It has been a difficult year and we want to let our carers know how much we appreciate their hard work and dedication.

“Events like this show how, as a foster carer at Sefton, you will be part of one big family and support network so if you are thinking about fostering please get in touch.”

Christine Physick from the Plaza Community Cinema said;

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome foster families for a special screening at the Plaza. As a Community Cinema events like these are what we are all about.

“We’ve had a lot of happy children and happy families so it’s great to be able to give them a little celebration at the end of what has been a difficult year.”

Sefton’s Foster Carers receive full training and support, plus payments for their skills and allowances. Anyone who is thinking about fostering can find out more by speaking to one of the team.

Find out more or make an enquiry on our dedicated website https://seftonfostering.co.uk/ 

Get in touch on our freephone number 0800 923 2777

To find out about films at Crosby’s Plaza Cinema, visit Plaza Cinema | Liverpool Community Cinema

 

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