CHESHIRE West and Chester Council has been awarded more £939,000 to provide specialist services for children and young people in care.

The grant, from the Government’s £80 million Life Chances fund, will help commission a new service known as Fostering Better Outcomes.

It will support young people who are in, or may enter, residential care to access foster care placements with highly skilled carers.

Cllr Nicole Meardon, CWAC cabinet member for children and young people, said “We’re pleased to have secured a grant from the Life Chances Fund to help develop a new service to support children and young people in care across west Cheshire.

"Research shows that children are more likely to flourish in a family setting and the new service will help make this move possible for a number of our most vulnerable children helping them to get the best start in life.”

The aim of the initiative is to bridge the gap between the level of support and supervision an individual in residential care needs so that they can fit in to their new environment.