Cllr. David Thomas: Our children are our future

Last week saw the very popular annual Children’s Week take place on Paignton Green. I was there on Wednesday and, together with Cllr Nick Bye, our Cabinet Lead for Children’s Services, we were very happy to present certificates and prizes to the award winners of our first ever Torbay Children and Young People Awards.
These awards, which were designed and supported by our Youth Council and Young Persons Panel, are a great opportunity to recognise and celebrate the positive contribution made by children, young people and others working in Torbay. There were 12 awards to give out in total, ranging from Young Person of the year to best activity/attraction, as well as the adult and young person making a difference for young people.
I would like to say thank you to our Children’s Services staff and the Imagine This partnership for supporting our Young People for putting on this awards ceremony as well as a big thank you to all the organisations across Torbay who very generously provided prizes that the children and young people can use to celebrate their amazing achievements. More information about these awards, and to see the full list of those who won, and who donated prizes, can be found on the council’s website.
Continuing the children and young people theme, Cabinet last week also saw us recommend to Council the new Corporate Parenting Strategy. When a child comes into care, the council becomes the Corporate Parent and this strategy outlines our aspirations about the kind of corporate parent we want to be. It also shows how we, the local authority, will work alongside our partners, including education, police and health services, to achieve this ambition. Being a Corporate Parent doesn’t just sit with us though, it requires everyone, from council officers to elected Members to GPs to teachers, recognising their role as Corporate Parents and also understanding how they can support us to be the best possible Corporate Parents we can be.
Our vision is the Bay’s children and young people are able to thrive. We want our cared for and care experienced young people to be safe, happy and healthy, so they can reach their full potential. We wish to give our cared for and care experienced children and young people the access to all of the opportunities that good parents afford their children. This Strategy outlines how we and our partners will achieve this vision. We will be discussing this at Council in September, which will be streamed live on YouTube so make sure you tune in if you want to know more.
Leading on from our Corporate Parenting Strategy, Cabinet also received a report from our Fostering team, who do such great work, alongside our amazing fostering families who are dedicated and committed in supporting those who need to be cared for, helping them to reach their full potential.
We are always looking for foster carers. We currently have 351 looked after children in Torbay and of those 226 are living with foster carers.
As a foster carer you can provide a safe and loving home for children aged 0 to 18 years old and we also need carers who can support short and long term placements.
The role is a paid one and the Fostering team can support you and provide training through the whole process.
So if you have time and space in your life to help a child grow and thrive, please register for one of our Fostering Information Sessions or contact the team. The Fostering team will also be in Paignton Town centre, outside Natwest, on Thursday 31 August so if you are in the area pop over and have a chat with the team to find out more information.