Newham Council has launched a new scheme to appeal to residents to foster teenagers in care.

Its fostering team is looking for people who can show a teenager in care a different way of life in a new specialist fostering scheme.

The authority wants people who are used to working with young people to consider the challenge of fostering a young person, aged 11 to 18. These young people may have been in residential care and the council is hoping to recruit people with the skills needed to help them be part of a family.

Cllr Rev Quintin Peppiatt, executive member for children and young people, said: ”Teenage years can be a demanding time, particularly for young people who are in care. The care and support a young person receives in these crucial years can have an impact on the rest of their lives.

“If you have real empathy with young people and are up for a challenge and would like a change of career becoming a specialist foster carer could be for you.”

For this new project, the council’s fostering team are looking for people who have professional experience of working with teenagers and who are looking for a career change. You may be a teacher, youth leader, community worker, social worker, an existing foster carer or have other experience of working with young people.

Once accepted, foster carers will be offered specialist training in addition to the standard fostering training.

All foster carers have their own supervising social worker to support them and access to 24-hour telephone support. The council will pay competitive fostering rates covering the child’s expenses and a fee.