ASCC Award Room
Wakefield Council's fostering campaign Room has been highly commended by the Association of Social Care Communicators (ASCC) for Best Campaign at the prestigious 2009 awards. The judges thought that Room was an excellent brand that has produced real results for children being fostered in Wakefield. The ASCC were inundated with entries from across the country, with Room being selected as one of the best pieces nationwide.
Launched at the start of 2009, the Room brand gives fostering in Wakefield a strong, positive image, and mirrors the sense of comfort and warmth that a home should provide for both adults and children. Room has not only captured the ASSC judges' attention, with recent results showing the positive effect that the campaign has had within the local community.
The Wakefield fostering team have seen a 357% increase in enquires from February 2009 to July 2009, compared to an average six months in 2008. Within four months of the Room launch, 6 carers have been approved with a minimum of 42 approved carers expected for the year, representing a staggering 1000% increase on the 2008 figures. The campaign has clearly impressed the ASCC and, more importantly, is helping to improve fostering and the lives of Wakefield's children today and for the future.
Room in Your Letterbox
After the successful launch of Room, Wakefield Council's new Fostering Services' brand, the lifestyle and fostering magazine Room has been sent out to 86,000 households throughout Wakefield. The magazine is packed with advice on fostering, as well as lifestyle features and tips on some of Wakefield's treasures. Encompassing the many different aspects of family life, the magazine aims to inject a healthy dose of fun into fostering, and celebrates the joys of being part of a family.
The magazine complements Wakefield Council's recent local campaign to promote the new Room brand, and looks at fostering as a positive, enriching role. Wakefield's foster children are at the centre of the magazine, with interviews and a feature showcasing their artwork. The Room magazine aims to promote fostering as a lifestyle, looking at the many different aspects of making room in your life for a child in need. With practical advice on the financial rewards of becoming a foster carer, to hints and tips on how to make family life fun for everyone, the magazine is a must-read for both prospective foster carers and parents.
Wakefield's People Make Room
Since the launch of Wakefield's newly rebranded fostering services Room, the people of Wakefield and the surrounding areas have pledged their support with a surge in enquiries and large numbers of prospective carers making room in their lives for the children of Wakefield. The new brand gives fostering a strong, positive image, and mirrors the sense of comfort and warmth that a home should provide for both adults and children.
The rebrand is clearly having a positive effect within the local area. The fostering team have seen a 357% increase in enquires from February 2009 to July 2009, compared to an average six months in 2008. Within four months of the Room launch, 6 carers have been approved with a minimum of 42 approved carers expected for the year, representing a staggering 1000% increase on the 2008 figures.
The rebrand has been supported with great enthusiasm from the Fostering Team, and their hard work and dedication has had a huge impact on Room's success. Here's what Paul Walsh, Service Director for Safeguarding and Family Support at Wakefield, had to say about the surge in new enquiries: ‘The end product was a greater success than we anticipated in that we have rebranded our fostering service and, more specifically, Raw Design Studio have managed a very successful local foster care recruitment campaign which has had a significant impact on expressions of interest from potential carers.'
Links
http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/socialcare/childrenincare/fostercare/
http://www.baaf.org.uk/index.shtml
http://www.yourfamily.org.uk/home
http://www.independent.co.uk/student/magazines/fostering-make-a-real-difference-419942.html
