When it comes to creating sustainable and secure foster placements one thing is certain: supporting the children and young people in the families who foster is key. "Children who foster are crucial to a placement. If we don't address their role in the placement it's possible that it could break down", says Tanya Rogerson, senior social worker, North Tyneside Council.

Since 1995, North Tyneside Council's fostering team have been supporting children in foster families through the Children Who Foster support group.

The support group, winner of the supporting children and families in fostering and adoption category at last year's Community Care Awards, gives children and young people space to explore their feelings about sharing their parents, their homes and their families with foster children. It also offers them a safe place to address any issues they might have. Paula Gibbons, fostering team manager at North Tyneside, says: "The young people say: 'nobody else understands what it's like to foster'."

She points out that while "foster carers are well supported and fostered children have support workers, a social worker and advocacy - the children who foster have no one and yet they are expected to share their families 24/7". She says: "We're trying to redress the balance."

Gibbons says: "The children and young people in the families who foster were largely ignored by social workers before - visits would be done during the day when they were at school or they'd be sent out of the room". She adds: "The children and young people who attend the support group are now more assertive. They stay and they want to be part of what's going on."

Children who foster need to be equipped to cope with various situations that might arise. Rogerson says: "A fostered child will often share their stories with the children who fosterÉand they need to know how to deal with what they hear. We decided that the group wasn't going to turn into a youth club - there are other facilities for that."

To other people thinking of setting up a similar group their advice is: "Be clear that it is work and fun and instead of worrying and talking about it - just do it."

A year ago the support group developed training for children and young people whose parents or grandparents are undertaking the initial foster carer training course. This is important because it recognises the role children who foster play and encourages the development of their role. It helps the children of potential foster families to think about the impact that fostering will have on their lives. An important aspect of this work is to help children and their families make informed decisions about whether or not to foster.  Hearing honest accounts from the real experts is crucial to this.

Better placement outcomes have been observed for children who have been placed with foster families who are realistic about the impact it will have on them.

The young people who volunteered to do the training drew on their own experiences of fostering. "They felt truly valued," says Rogerson. "Since winning the award there's no shortage of volunteers!" she adds.

The young people could hardly contain their excitement at winning and Gibbons describes the award as being "the pinnacle of my career". She says: "The day was fantastic - it was like winning the Oscars."

The prize money will be used to employ a drama teacher to work with the support group to develop their skills and confidence in facilitating the training sessions.