Every 15 minutes, a child in the UK goes into care. Many of these children however, could have stayed with their families, had they got the help they needed before things reached crisis point.
Here, we learn about the Fostering Network’s Step Up Step Down service and how it works to support families as soon as problems emerge; helping families to stay together - where this is the best outcome - and to reduce care admissions.
Stepping up for families
Launched in Northern Ireland eight years ago, the Fostering Network’s Step Up Step Down (SUSD) service provides tailored support to children and their families who are at risk of entering the care system. Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, this pilot project was developed in partnership with the South Eastern Trust.
Through its team of family support foster carers, the service works to grow family bonds, increase parental capacity and reduce the number of children and young people entering care. The initiative pairs families with specially trained family support foster carers who provide assistance when required and step back once the family is in a more stable situation. The family support foster carers not only mentor parents but also offer respite breaks for children and young people.
Since its inception, the program has helped over 140 parents and caregivers, as well as 222 children and young people, with 95% of those supported able to remain at home with their families.
Jade Irwin, who oversees the service, highlights its unique approach. “While the service provides short breaks typical of traditional foster care, it also incorporates a strong educational and mentoring component. This empowers birth parents in a nurturing way, often leading to long-term, positive change for families that is more sustainable.”
Beyond helping to keep families together, the programme has significant financial benefits for local authorities and health and social care trusts by lowering the number of children on the child protection register and preventing children from having to access high level costing placements such as residential care.
In 2023, the service expanded to Wales with funding from Welsh Government and The KPMG Foundation, introducing two demonstration models in Pembrokeshire and Powys. Discussions are currently underway for a wider roll out across the UK.
“My hope for step up, step down” explains Jade, “is that every family who could benefit from this service will be able to access it. This must be done incrementally and developmentally but ultimately; we need to ensure greater accessibility for families to access this impactful service.”
'The Step Up Step Down girls are like walking angels'
We spoke to Sharon, a mum from Northern Ireland, who having struggled with her daughter's behaviour, sought help from the SUSD service.
“My life was just falling apart around me. I was just crying all the time,” explains Sharon, who just over a year ago, had reached her ‘lowest point’ and was struggling to manage the behaviour of her nine-year-old daughter *Chloe, who has recently been diagnosed with ADHD and autism.
“She was hitting me, hitting her teachers, she barely went to school. We couldn’t have anyone around the house, and I couldn’t go anywhere. My partner was really unwell at the time because of his back, it was a really bad time of my life”.
Sharon first heard about the Step Up Step Down Service through Chloe’s social worker and since joining the programme, has seen a transformational difference in family life.
“Thanks to Step Up Step Down I now feel better equipped to support Chloe when she struggles with her emotions”, explains Sharon. “Chloe is now attending school regularly; her learning has come on leaps and bounds, and her behaviour has significantly improved”.
Chloe is supported by family support foster carer, Tracey. “She’s been like a best friend, and I know she’s always on the other end of the phone.” explains Sharon, “She’s taken the time to get to know Chloe in a way that suits her best, as she initially struggled to spend time with anyone but me.”
“Tracey is Chloe’s best friend now,” Sharon explains. “Chloe has attachment issues – she would have severe anxiety if she was apart from me, but now Tracey takes her out at 12pm and brings her back at 8pm.
“She doesn’t stay overnight, we’d have to build up to that. But this is a big thing for her. And now she goes to school every single day.”
In the past, Sharon often blamed herself for Chloe’s struggles, thinking they were down to her being an older mum and having had a complicated pregnancy and birth. She didn’t know she was pregnant with Chloe until eight months in, and her three-year-old son was unwell at the time.
“I used to think it was my fault, because I had a lot of trauma when Chloe was born and I couldn’t take her for the first couple of days, so I thought it was my fault she’s the way she is now.”
Since attending one of Step Up Step Down’s therapeutic support courses, Sharon says her outlook has completely changed and she’s now able to show herself compassion and understanding and build her understanding of Chloe’s needs.
She describes the support she gets from the Step Up Step Down team as “like having best friends,” who regularly call and check in with her to make sure everything is okay. Sharon explains she was anxious about an upcoming surgery, as she wouldn’t be able to give Chloe the time and attention she needs. However, Tracey stepped in and made plans to take Chloe out and give Sharon the peace of mind that her daughter would be looked after.
Without Step Up Step down, Sharon says “my life would be in the pits, I don’t even want to think about it”.
“The Step Up Step Down team are like walking angels” she says. “They’re just genuine girls who really want to help. They’re not there to judge you or put you down, they’re there to build you up, make your life happy. And you know what, they’ve done that.”
The SUSD team recently supported Sharon to have driving lessons and take her theory test, which she’s now passed, something Sharon wouldn’t have believed she’d be able to do a year ago.
“I’ve just got so much more confidence. I feel so much happier because I’ve made good friends. People who I know I’ll have in my life forever.”
For more information about the Step Up Step Down service contact [email protected]
