...to create the best opportunities for children and young people in foster care.
We know that in order to meet children and young people's complex needs our carers need to be well trained and supported. Central to this idea is our multi-disciplinary model of social work, education, health and therapeutic staff working to support our carers.
We are passionate about training and education for everyone associated with SWIIS. We know that staff and carers who believe in learning and development will wrap these values and aspirations around children and young people. This commitment means continuous development for everybody at SWIIS and is represented by our recent achievement of the Investors in People Bronze Award.
We believe in participation as a central principle within our service delivery. Adults and children do best when they are part of something and can influence things. This is also very practical as high quality feedback also lets us know where we should be developing and improving.
Partnership with our local authority colleagues is central to who we are. We know that we can only work well when we work together. We also pride ourselves in being responsive to changing needs and for example created our SWIIS Permanent Families Team in response to listening to what our Local Authority Commissioners wanted.
We are committed to evidence based practice, best practice and research. This includes living and breathing the GIRFEC principles, collecting data about our performance as well as commissioning and being involved in independent research such as Strathclyde University and the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).
This supports children and young people being
- Safe - living with skilled and committed foster carers who are able to provide warm, caring and robust placements
- Healthy - in health promoting placements supported by health specialists and therapeutic staff
- Achieving - children and young eople who attend school, clubs and other out-of-school activities whose achievements are recognised and built on
- Nurtured - foster carers and staff working and thinking with the child in mind
- Active - being offered opportunities to take part in a wide range of activities, helping them to build a fulfilling and happy future
- Respected - children and young people whose opinions are sought and understood in the context of their lives
- Responsible - encouraging children to make a contribution
- Included - helping children overcome difficulties and develop life skills to be part of their communities into adulthood
