Rutland County Council has become one of only three local authorities in the East Midlands to receive additional funding so it can expand the first-class support it gives to children and young people in its care.

The Council operates a range of vital services that protect and support children and families in Rutland. This includes fostering and adoption and Early Help for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), as well as safeguarding services that act when children are suffering abuse or neglect. 

In total, Rutland County Council provides care for around 30 children. Some of these children benefit from a special kind of support called creative mentoring, which provides one-to-one therapy through the arts and other creative disciplines, if they are struggling at school, at risk of exclusion or social isolation.

Having worked with Leicester-based charity The Mighty Creatives to offer creative mentoring to six of its looked after children, with hugely positive results, Rutland County Council has been awarded funding by the Department for Education (DfE) to expand this type of support to children from overseas who are placed in its care.

Rutland County Council has been awarded funding by the Department for Education. Image credit: RCC.

Councillor Tim Smith, Cabinet Member for Children and Families at Rutland County Council, said: "Providing care and support for children without a stable family environment is one of the most important things we do. This applies to all children, including those from overseas who come into our care – often because they're trafficked into the UK and then abandoned. It's confusing and frightening for them and they need all the help we can give them.

"We're very pleased to have secured the funding needed to widen our creative mentoring programme, so it can include children from overseas who have no family here. We know creative mentoring works because it's already being used to great effect to support an increasing number of Rutland children. It's vital that children from overseas are given the same opportunities to build relationships and support systems through programmes like this, which provide safe and fun avenues to communicate and develop a sense of confidence and belonging." 

Rutland County Council launched its expanded creative mentoring programme, in Partnership with the Mighty Creatives, at a special event at Leicester City Football Club's King Power Stadium. The event brought children from overseas together with children's services professionals and foster carers to share information and learn about the positive outcomes that are being achieved through the creative mentoring approach.   

The programme is free for children and young people in care – matching them with creative mentors who are experienced artists and organise creative activities based on the young person's likes and interests. From these activities, each young person goes on to create several artistic pieces which will be shared later in the year, helping them to embrace their creative voice and grow in confidence. 

Rutland County Council has produced a short video, explaining more about the positive impacts of creative mentoring for children in care. To watch, please go to the Council's website.