A PIONEERING scheme for looked-after children looks set to revolutionise the way young people are cared for by local authorities.

Councils in the UK are being recommended to adopt North Yorkshire County Council’s innovative No Wrong Door programme in a national report on residential care in England.

The report, commissioned by former Prime Minister David Cameron and written by Sir Martin Narey, says the programme stands out for the ambition and innovation in the support offered to the most troubled and challenging young people.

No Wrong Door is designed to break the traditional cycle of young people who enter the care system in their teenage years following a path of multiple fostering placements, insufficiently planned periods in residential care and placement breakdown.

The council says the cycle runs the risk of young people becoming increasingly vulnerable and developing offending behaviour such as substance misuse; disengagement from education; high risk-taking behaviour and frequently going missing.

It replaces traditional council-run care homes with hubs which combine residential care with fostering.

Each hub has a team trained to focus on solutions and includes a life coach, who is a clinical psychologist, a supportive police role and a speech and communications therapist.

Sir Martin said: “It is the sense of ambition and high expectations which this very clever and sophisticated programme has for the most challenging children which is so special.”

Police and crime commissioner Julia Mulligan has agreed to fund two police liaison officers for No Wrong Door as well as to help fund an intelligence analyst for a year to track the activity and safety of those in care.