BELIEVE IN ME AWARDS
Young people give positive view of care in national awards
The Department for Education and Skills together with The Who Cares? Trust ran the first ever young people’s awards for adults working with children in care, in London in March 2005.
To find out more about the 2005 awards, please click here.
The awards, entitled Believe in Me, reflect how adults working in the care
system or who come into contact with young people in care, can make a positive
impact by promoting and supporting young people’s talents and interests and
so improve their opportunities in the future. The awards are open to a broad
range of professionals and carers, and nominated solely by young people.
The initiative comes from recommendations within the green paper Every Child
Matters and were backed by Margaret Hodge MP, the then Minister of State for
Children, Young People and Families. Having a breadth of professionals and
carers as potential award nominees underscores the government’s commitment
to a new workforce for children, putting them at the heart of services.
The Believe in me awards particularly aim to raise the profile of foster care
by recognising the invaluable contribution foster carers make, and to encourage
potential foster carers to come forward.
Margaret Hodge in promoting the awards said:
"Foster carers play an invaluable role in the lives of many children. This award scheme is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the work of these carers and ensure that they receive the recognition they deserve. I hope that this event will inspire and encourage even more people to consider foster caring as a realistic and rewarding opportunity."
Susanna Cheal, Chief Executive Officer of The Who Cares? Trust welcomed the
contribution of young people to the awards:
"The nominations will reflect the talents and interests of young people in care and show us who has really walked the extra mile for us."
Over 28,000 nomination forms were sent out to young people in England through
the Trust’s own award-winning Who Cares? magazine . The awards were also be
promoted by statutory and voluntary sector organisations that form the steering
group for Believe in me.
The WHO CARES? Trust is a Registered Charity (No. 1010518).
A Company limited by guarantee. Registered in London (No. 2700693).
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