Thursday 28 March 2024
 6.7°C   NE Fresh Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Council / Councillors keen to keep fostering in housing policy

Lerwick Town Hall.

THE VALUE of foster carers and adoptive parents was raised at Lerwick Town Hall on Tuesday morning during a discussion on council housing policy.

Specific consideration of people who foster or adopt children and are struggling with their accommodation will be retained in Shetland Islands Council’s housing allocation policy after concern was raised by councillors.

Lerwick members John Fraser and Peter Campbell both thought that a plan to remove the section on fostering and adoption and amalgamating it more generally elsewhere in the policy would send out the wrong message at a time when the council is looking for more foster carers.

A refreshed housing allocation policy was brought to members of the council’s development committee, with a number of changes suggested in response to a consultation undertaken with tenants and applicants.

Previous policy assigned 40 points to applicants with fostering/adoption arrangements which could not be fulfilled due to their housing situation.

Housing manager Anita Jamieson said the points was a relatively low amount, adding that the council gets “very few” applicants eligible for fostering points.

But Campbell said he did not think fostering and adoption should “get lost” within the policy in other areas.

He said “we are all aware of the difficulties” in Shetland at the moment in recruiting foster parents.

“I think we should not be seen in any way to be discouraging this,” Campbell stressed.

An amendment from Fraser to approve the new policy but retain the fostering and adoption section was approved by councillors.

He said “as local authority we have a duty of care as a corporate parent to look after vulnerable children”.

The Lerwick North councillor said he hoped it could “encourage people to come forward and give up their time and give up valuable parts of their life, to provide a secure, nurturing home for vulnerable young people”.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.

Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.

Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has  over 600 supporters  who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.

Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -

  • Bring you the headlines as they happen;
  • Stay editorially independent;
  • Give a voice to the community;
  • Grow site traffic further;
  • Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.

 
Categories

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.