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If you have Young People at Heart, contact us now

Call 07518 173083
Email hello@youngpeopleatheart.org
email hello@youngpeopleatheart.org or call us on 07518 173083

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Young People at Heart local authority

Why choose Young People at Heart?

Introduction by Gary Cox, founder of Young People at Heart

Young People at Heart are a not-for-profit, Independent Fostering organisation. Registered with Ofsted on 9 April 2015 and we hope you will consider us when you make future placements.

Having worked in the independent fostering sector since 2003 and been Chief Executive in for-profit agencies and most recently in a venture capital backed fostering group, I have become increasingly aware that the right levels of care and support for young people are the key to achieving successful outcomes and this can sometimes become incongruent with for-profit or venture capital backed motives. My wife Davina and I decided we wanted to make a difference in the lives of young people in care so we formed Young People at Heart as a not-for-profit organisation for one simple reason; we wanted to create an independent fostering environment where outcomes for young people were paramount for the organisation and everyone associated with it.

Since our conception, I have been encouraged by the level of interest and support from interested parties, including Local Authorities, potential staff, our very experienced panel chair who described Young People at Heart as ‘exactly the opportunity I’ve been waiting for’ and foster carers who have heard of the organisation and subscribe to the ethos of working with a not-for-profit agency. We are also delighted to have a young person from care on our fostering panel who will be an excellent role model and ambassador for young people as she is currently studying for her social work degree.

Quality is the cornerstone of everything Young People at Heart does and, without the drive for profit to reward shareholders and investors, outcomes for young people is paramount for everyone in the organisation.

Gary Cox

Chief Executive

Service development

Young People at Heart has two Offices. Our Head Office in Essex recruits carers in Essex, Suffolk, Thurrock, Kent and the East London Boroughs. While our Office in Hereford recruits carers through-out Herefordshire.

In each office we have a small number of staff and foster carer group, ensuring that growth is achieved in a controlled and safe way. This enables the Registered Manager, at each site, to ensure that the quality of the service provision and the standard of outcomes for young people are maintained. As staff numbers grow, opportunities for career advancement will enable us to open offices in new locations. Foster carers will have access to 24 hour on call support with a qualified social worker, in conjunction with the Local Authority out of hour’s service.

As the parent of a young person with a disability, I will be ensuring that Young People at Heart develops a provision for young people in foster care with ambulant and non-ambulant disabilities as part of the services we offer to Local Authorities. In a previous role, I came across some excellent practice in Western Australia where foster carers with specialist training and adapted or adaptable homes were able to foster young people with severe disabilities, enabling the young person to enjoy support and nurturing in a fostering environment.

Being a not-for-profit organisation means funds that would have been paid to shareholders or investors will be available to reinvest in the young people, foster carers and staff. Plans for developing the service include:

  • Leaving Care service provision
  • Foster Carer NVQs
  • University research collaborations
  • Apprenticeships for young people in care and birth children of foster carers
  • Holiday or short break facilities (e.g. Caravan at coast)
  • Staff sabbaticals and further education
  • Contact centres, the first of which will also become our Registered Office in place of our current serviced office.

Placement fees

We are available for planned and emergency placements and plan to offer placements for young people with disabilities. Contact us for a discussion about our fees.

Where foster carers transfer to Young People at Heart with a placement from another fostering agency, if the placement fee is less than our standard fee, we will honour the existing placement fee to ensure Local Authorities are not disadvantaged by the foster carer choosing to move to Young People at Heart.

When carers transfer to us, we work closely with the Local Authority, the agency the foster carer is leaving and the foster carers to ensure the best interests of the young person in care are protected.

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Young People at Heart

Our name is our ethos.

Find out more about Young People at Heart

If you would like out find out more about Young People at Heart or would like to consider making a placement with us, please contact us: Email: gary@youngpeopleatheart.org Telephone: 07518 173083 (foster carer or placement enquiries)

Young Person’s Savings Fund

In addition to any contractual savings on behalf of young people, Young People at Heart will save £10 per week for each young person in placement in a separate and audited trust account. This will be held in trust for the young person until they reach 18 years of age when the money will be made available to them to use in a manner that will benefit them. This might be for driving lessons or acquiring skills.