Homes and Horizons
Introduction
Homes and Horizons is an award-winning, innovative 10-year partnership between Somerset Council, care providers Homes2inspire (part of the Shaw Trust), and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, to co-design a brand new model of care for our most vulnerable Looked After children.
We are working together to deliver an innovative blended set of services for 30+ children and young people with:
- 10 residential homes for children across Somerset providing care for approximately 20 children
- higher needs foster care provision providing specialist care for approximately 20 children
- a new therapeutic education service on two sites providing education and emotional support for approximately 30 young people. Find out more about our school here
This combination means that children and young people who require more in-depth help will have wraparound personalised support, a safe and welcoming home, and tailored education with expert staff experienced in mental health, therapy, and social work.
The voice of children and young people with care experience has been central in the Homes and Horizons project: from the initial planning stages right through to delivery, the stories and issues raised by Somerset children have informed every part of the process.
In June 2023 the project won a prestigious Municipal Journal (MJ) Award: Somerset Council wins national award for groundbreaking children’s home partnership
Fostering
Our High Need fostering service with enhanced wrap-around support provides children and young people with specialist foster care in a nurturing home environment, often providing an alternative, or ‘step down’ from residential care.
Specialist carers support our children and young people to recover from the trauma they have experienced in their lives by parenting them in a trauma informed, therapeutic way.
Our children and young people need carers who are resilient and patient with high levels of empathy, compassion and understanding, alongside consistent routines and boundaries. This can be a demanding role, but it is full of rewards and achievements with support provided every step of the way. Carers receive support tailored to each child’s care plan and extensive on-going training and development opportunities, helping them learn the skills and techniques they need to parent young people who may of experienced trauma in a therapeutic way.
Homes and Horizons carers are ‘home-based’, enabling them to be available for the children and young people they care for on a day-to-day basis. Carers also benefit from retainer payments, which means they continue to receive payments even when a child is not currently placed with them (as long as they are available to take a child), providing a secure weekly income
They say it takes a village to raise a child, and we agree. We believe that by working together we can do more than just raise a child, we can make a lasting difference to their life and future.
Click here to find out how you can change a child’s story in a rewarding role as a Homes and Horizons High Need foster carer.
You can also contact the team directly for a no commitment chat. Call 01823 214007 or email fostering@homesandhorizons.org
We look forward to hearing from you.
For more information about Homes and Horizons vacancies, please email: careers@homes2inspire.co.uk.
See our current vacancies – Shaw Trust
