Project vision

Summary of project vision

The Stepping Stones business case was approved by Shropshire Council in 2019 and set out a vision for a project which (based on the North Yorkshire model 'No Wrong Door') would provide individualised, intensive, wrap around support to children and parents.

Stepping Stones Project is based on the premise children achieve better outcomes living in a home environment wherever possible. Stepping Stones works differently in that it works with adults in their own right to understand their own lived experience and trauma, to provide them with the opportunity to work through any issues and provide tools and strategies to enable effective parenting.

A multi-skilled team is key, working with presenting issues, the causal factors and through quick development and implementation of tailored support to get the right support first time to children, adults and families.

The project aims to change the thinking that children living in a residential care arrangement are children that cannot be fostered. It seeks to challenge the preconceived ideas that children go through a system of foster care and then to residential, with no option of return back to foster care or home when the time is right. The long-term goal with all children is to live in an environment that matches their needs and Stepping Stones aims to support children step down from residential care when the time is right for them with empathetic and skilled carers that are able to meet their ongoing needs.