Gateshead Council children's team and carers reach finals of prestigious awards
Gateshead Council is delighted that one of its children's social care teams and two foster carers have been shortlisted as finalists in the National Children and Young People Awards 2023.
The awards celebrate excellence in care for children, young people and families by awarding individuals, teams and organisations who excel in providing best practice care across the UK.
The council's kinship care team have been shortlisted as a finalist in the Biggest Impact (Team) category which looks for an initiative that has helped promote positive change for the lives of vulnerable children and families, working creatively and passionately to promote advocacy and wellbeing.
The council highly values the role of kinship carers in supporting vulnerable children and created a new kinship care team in April 2021. Over the past two years the team has worked hard to establish an excellent service that provides the best possible support for kinship families.
Fiona MacNaughton, team manager of kinship care at Gateshead Council, nominated the team for their collaboration, creativity and dedication to their work. She said: "The kinship care team work tirelessly to support their carers and children.
"They have developed an advisory board for children and carers to ensure their views are integral to our service delivery and their contributions have helped our kinship carers with appropriate accommodation, therapeutic support, training, grants and one to one support to enable them to provide the best possible environment for the children they care for."
Foster carers Helen and Steve, who were nominated by their social worker, have also been shortlisted as finalists in the Foster Carer Award category.
This award showcases carers that can demonstrate commitment and perseverance even in the most challenging of circumstances to make a difference to the child or children in their care by putting them at the heart of everything.
The couple has been fostering a sibling group of three for the past four years; two sisters and a brother. One of the girls has a kidney condition that requires consistent care and medication and the other children have also had medical needs, which Helen and Steve have support them to receive the best possible care for.
Despite living with multiple sclerosis, Helen is the children's main carer and ensures they enjoy lots of activities both together and individually. As well as supporting Helen with the children, Steve also runs a boxing club where he invites children in care to attend classes and training, free of charge.
Helen and Steve said: "We are so pleased to reach the final of these awards. The three siblings we have in our long-term care are just part of the family now and are doing well despite their disadvantaged start to life. We love them like our own and are happy we have had the opportunity to take care of them."
Councillor Gary Haley, cabinet member for children and young people at Gateshead Council, said: "We are delighted that the kinship care team and two of our foster carers have been shortlisted as finalists at the National Children and Young People Awards.
"It displays their dedication to carers and children and the endless work to continuously improve the service to them."
Hosted by Care Talk magazine, the awards ceremony will take place at the ICC, Birmingham on Saturday 21 October.
If you are interested in becoming a foster carer in Gateshead please visit fostering or call 0191 433 8333 to have a chat and find out more information.
For more information on kinship care at Gateshead Council, visit
Gateshead Council is delighted that one of its children's social care teams and two foster carers have been shortlisted as finalists in the National Children and Young People Awards 2023.
The awards celebrate excellence in care for children, young people and families by awarding individuals, teams and organisations who excel in providing best practice care across the UK.
The council's kinship care team have been shortlisted as a finalist in the Biggest Impact (Team) category which looks for an initiative that has helped promote positive change for the lives of vulnerable children and families, working creatively and passionately to promote advocacy and wellbeing.
The council highly values the role of kinship carers in supporting vulnerable children and created a new kinship care team in April 2021. Over the past two years the team has worked hard to establish an excellent service that provides the best possible support for kinship families.
Fiona MacNaughton, team manager of kinship care at Gateshead Council, nominated the team for their collaboration, creativity and dedication to their work. She said: "The kinship care team work tirelessly to support their carers and children.
"They have developed an advisory board for children and carers to ensure their views are integral to our service delivery and their contributions have helped our kinship carers with appropriate accommodation, therapeutic support, training, grants and one to one support to enable them to provide the best possible environment for the children they care for."
Foster carers Helen and Steve, who were nominated by their social worker, have also been shortlisted as finalists in the Foster Carer Award category.
This award showcases carers that can demonstrate commitment and perseverance even in the most challenging of circumstances to make a difference to the child or children in their care by putting them at the heart of everything.
The couple has been fostering a sibling group of three for the past four years; two sisters and a brother. One of the girls has a kidney condition that requires consistent care and medication and the other children have also had medical needs, which Helen and Steve have support them to receive the best possible care for.
Despite living with multiple sclerosis, Helen is the children's main carer and ensures they enjoy lots of activities both together and individually. As well as supporting Helen with the children, Steve also runs a boxing club where he invites children in care to attend classes and training, free of charge.
Helen and Steve said: "We are so pleased to reach the final of these awards. The three siblings we have in our long-term care are just part of the family now and are doing well despite their disadvantaged start to life. We love them like our own and are happy we have had the opportunity to take care of them."
Councillor Gary Haley, cabinet member for children and young people at Gateshead Council, said: "We are delighted that the kinship care team and two of our foster carers have been shortlisted as finalists at the National Children and Young People Awards.
"It displays their dedication to carers and children and the endless work to continuously improve the service to them."
Hosted by Care Talk magazine, the awards ceremony will take place at the ICC, Birmingham on Saturday 21 October.
If you are interested in becoming a foster carer in Gateshead please visit fostering or call 0191 433 8333 to have a chat and find out more information.
For more information on kinship care at Gateshead Council, visit
