Shropshire fostering agency celebrates 10 years

Shrewsbury-based New Chapters Fostercare (NCF) was established by directors Craig Walton, Martin George and Rosie Cavalot in 2014, when the organisation they were working for decided to close its Shropshire offices and relocate.

Following the usual rigours of setting up in business as well as policy writing and Ofsted registration, NCF began its journey with five founding local fostering households. Today the company maintains its goal of supporting families located throughout Shropshire and Telford, by supporting 40 foster carers and 47 children with the aim of adding six of each per year.

In addition to ‘good’ in 2015, Ofsted rated NCF as ‘outstanding’ in 2020 and again 2024, stating in its report that ‘managers, staff and foster carers demonstrate a huge amount of passion, ambition and commitment to ensuring that children achieve the best outcomes possible and improve their life chances. Children benefit from a stable, happy family life.’

“Our most recent Ofsted inspection is testament to the excellent relationship between staff members and in turn with our foster carers,” said Craig Walton, strategic director. “Our shared value base and focus on what is right for the child rather than how to make more money has helped us through some challenging times. There are fewer and fewer foster carers coming forward to offer stable home lives to an increasing number of young people, some with complex needs. For example, exacerbated by the rise in abuse, child sexual exploitation, County Lines and domestic violence, the demand for foster placements has increased nearly threefold, in the area since the covid pandemic, all while the squeeze on local authority budgets creates additional external pressures.”

However, NCF is looking to the future with plans to offer core support services in-house. The company continues to maintain a high retention rate of foster carers and prides itself on the matching process between both local carers and children. Through its trauma-informed approach, children who have suffered harrowing experiences early in life such as abuse, loss and rejection are helped to feel safe going into and through their foster family relationships.

Craig Walton continued: “It’s a privilege for us to change children’s lives and we know there are so many more amazing people out there with the commitment and resilience to help a vulnerable child recover from their trauma, so we would urge them to make contact. They could not only start a new chapter in their lives but also provide a much needed one for a vulnerable child.”

For more information about NCF visit: newchaptersfostercare.co.uk.

By Neville Street - Contributor