Carer of the Year nomination – Sophie Conlon and Jonathan Salmon

Carer of the Year nomination – Sophie Conlon and Jonathan Salmon

Sophie Conlon and Jon Salmon are therapeutic foster carers who specialise in helping teenagers who have been living in care homes settle back into a family home.

On one occasion they fostered a teenager and then the young person’s sibling moved in with them too so that they could live together.

The couple, from Blythe Bridge, have been foster carers for four years and also have three birth children.

They’ve been nominated as Carers of the Year in the Your Heroes Awards by Marie Plant, Fostering Recruitment Officer at Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

She said: “Sophie and Jon care for young people who step down from residential care so that teenagers get to live within a loving family into adulthood. Sophie and Jon are very passionate about helping these young people to succeed.

“They started out with one young teenager then at a later date they started to care for the young person’s sibling so that they could live together. Sophie and Jon also have birth children of their own.

“Sophie and Jon have encouraged the young people to progress and always give them encouragement and they have taught them many life skills ready for when they go into adulthood. They always care in a therapeutic way and guide the young person by example.

“They are so committed to being therapeutic foster carers that alongside long-term fostering they also look after young people for respite. They never say no if they have the space. They are an amazing, inspirational couple.”

Jon said: “We pride ourselves on giving the kids an opportunity. We give them something to look forward to. One of the young people who came to us had been in a gang and was at risk of county lines. Now he’s looking forward to going to college. It’s just amazing to see and we’re so proud of him.”