New service will ensure siblings in care will be ‘staying connected’

Leading children’s charity Barnardo’s has partnered with Aberdeenshire Council to unveil a new service that will give siblings – separated by family circumstances and by the care system – the chance to come together regularly to share experiences and have fun.

Called ‘Staying Connected’, the mobile service will have the ability to transform venues in the heart of local communities into places where young people can meet.

The service will involve ‘Staying Connected Workers’ having resources that can be taken to any location in Aberdeenshire to provide a neutral, nurturing and creative experience for children to meet with their siblings.

Venues are being selected to provide a space for the carers of siblings to meet separately while family time is taking place, and thereby promoting the development of their relationships with each other.

The service was officially launched at Stonehaven Town Hall on Tuesday (November 19). It is the first time that Barnardo’s Scotland has been involved in a service of this type.

Director of Barnardo’s Scotland Martin Crewe said: “Although our priority focus will be on cherishing and protecting relationships between siblings, we are aware that doing so alongside promoting carers’ relationships can present additional opportunities, including the potential for separated siblings to live together in the future.

"By providing a mobile resource across Aberdeenshire, we’re helping children maintain crucial family bonds, while also supporting the relationships between carers.”

Aberdeenshire Council’s Head of Children’s Services Leigh Jolly said: “Supporting brothers and sisters to stay connected when it is not possible for them to continue living together is a significant part of the promise we make to children and young people living in Aberdeenshire.

"Aberdeenshire spans a large area, and this presents challenges in bringing siblings together. A mobile resource will enable us to respond to such need. Providing this service avoids the use of social work buildings, which will avoid potential triggers of difficult memories.”

Much of the work undertaken by charities such as Barnardo’s is underpinned by The Promise. The Promise is Scotland’s commitment to care experienced children and young people that they will grow up loved, safe and respected.

It was introduced following the Independent Care Review in February 2020, as a plan for change to improve the outcomes for children.