Continuing Care Service wins Residential Care award

A “continuing care service” run by Shetland Islands Council has been recognised at a national awards ceremony.

The event, hosted in Glasgow by the Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland (CELCIS), was attended by residential child care professionals from across Scotland.

Four staff from the continuing care service received an award for Residential Child Care Team of the Year from the Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care, which is part of CELCIS.

Attending were social care workers Thomas Summers and Rachel Kemp, team leader Elaine Aitken and senior social care worker, Naomi Gear.

The award was shared jointly with Burnside House, in West Dunbartonshire.

The Residential Child Care Team of the Year Award recognises the work of staff who have made a significant difference for the children and young people in residential child care.

Chairwoman of the education and families committee, Vaila Wishart, said: “This is a well deserved award for our staff who have worked hard over recent years to improve the lives of children and young people.

“In the past, there has been a real stigma attached to residential care and their work now shows that this can be a positive destination for young people. The service is well integrated with other aspects of Children’s Services, such as the through care and after care team, providing the best support that we can for young people in Shetland.”