Oldham Council launches pioneering Stepping Forward fostering campaign

The Stepping Forward campaign, a first for Greater Manchester, focuses on identifying children in residential settings who could live within a caring family environment and match them with foster carers who can meet a child’s individual need.

Stepping Forward Carers are given specialist training and support and may come from a range of professional backgrounds such as residential work, policing, nursing, education, youth service, those with foster carer or Staying Put foster care experience and other child-focused roles, or they may simply be people with a drive to make a positive difference and offering love and stability until a young person is ready to live independently.

Jo is Oldham’s first Stepping Forward foster carer and immediately felt drawn to the scheme.

“I came across the scheme through email and instantly felt a desire to learn a little bit more. The whole process probably took a few months,” she said.

Jo was already fostering one child when she was introduced to the idea of welcoming another young person from residential care into her family home. Both Jo and the Oldham Council fostering team felt confident he would thrive in her care.

“It was important to me that they would bond,” Jo said. “They really are bonded and are genuinely friends now – it’s amazing.”

She described the positive changes she has seen since he moved in.

“At first he was very quiet and unsure, and slowly he’s opening up. He’s doing lots of activities that he’s excelling in. He has the most amazing laugh – such an addictive giggle – and he’s really settled now.

“He plays extremely well with the other child and fits in with the rest of my family. They’ve really taken to him. It’s like he’s always been there. And he’s doing better at school and socialising better too.”

Connor Pinnons, the Children in Our Care Team Manager supporting the placement, highlighted the careful planning that helped make the matching process and transition a success.

“The transition into Jo’s care was really important. We spent a lot of time looking at that transition and how that would look for him,” he said.

“We had a tailored plan, right down to introducing him to the family dog and his bedroom. He was involved in decorating his room, and all of that careful planning – with Alex, the fostering social worker, Jo and the residential placement – really helped him settle. Even small things like the washing powder used on his clothes were thought through very carefully.”

Connor added that the difference the move has made is clear.

“It’s been lovely to visit him post move-in because he’s having experiences he wouldn’t have had before. He’s part of that family unit. When I visit, he’s happy, he’s got mucky knees, he feels comfortable. He can go to his room to chill out.

“It’s the small steps that are massive for him – things like giving you a cuddle or coming to you when he’s upset. These might seem small for others, but for this young person, they are huge milestones.”

“We knew Jo would be so good at the scheme because she constantly sees past whatever behaviour is there, she knows what is being communicated and she sees a child through it. That’s one of the big things about this scheme where we find a proper, loving parent figure for our children.

Fostering social worker Alex Dale said: “For some children residential care is the right setting and that works really really well for them, but for young people like Jo’s young lad he needs to be in a family home and we can see he’s thriving.”

Oldham Council’s Stepping Forward Campaign continues to seek individuals and families who believe they could offer a child the opportunity to grow and thrive within a supportive family home.

Stepping Forward foster carers receive specialist training and ongoing support and a generous financial package of over £75,000 a year.

“We need people who are resilient, who are passionate about kids and people with stickability,” described Connor.

And Alex said: “You don’t do it by yourself. You’ve got a team around you and there’s a real wraparound for the foster carer.”

“Don’t be put off if you do work and have a really busy life,” said Jo. “I’m a single person and I work full time in a senior position. This scheme allows you to make adjustments so you can be more present and available which is amazing for me.”

Cllr Shaid Mushtaq, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “Stepping Forward is about giving young people the chance to live in a loving family home where they can feel safe, supported and valued. “There are young people in residential care ready for that next step, and with the right foster carers around them, they can really thrive.

“Our Stepping Forward carers come from all sorts of backgrounds – some work in roles supporting children already, while others are simply people with big hearts who want to make a difference.

“Jo, Oldham’s first Stepping Forward foster carer, felt an instant connection to the scheme, which shows just how powerful it can be.

“If you can offer stability, encouragement and a safe place to call home, I’d really encourage you to step forward and find out more. You could make a life-changing difference.”

Anyone interested in the scheme should quote ‘Oldham Stepping Forward Scheme’ when they call 0300 303 0321 or enquire online.