A Message From Our Director
Dear colleagues,
As the year comes to a close, I want to take a moment to thank you, and to reflect on what we’ve achieved together in 2025.
Much of our work involves stepping in during someone else’s hardest moments; offering care, reassurance, and support during moments of crisis, fear, or change. That makes it all the more important to pause and celebrate the good. And there is so much good. So many wins, breakthroughs, and moments of connection. There are too many to list here, but I’d encourage you to take a minute to think about the impact you’ve had this year: the successes of our young people, the personal and professional achievements of your colleagues, and the positive impact we continue to make in our communities.
This year, more than 40 new young people have been welcomed in and supported by Inspire across Scotland and England. That alone is a huge achievement. But what stands out most is how they’ve been supported with stability, compassion, empathy, and love.
We’ve seen a growing number of young people return to family, foster or kinship care, and many others take bold steps into independent living. These transitions at least represent progress, and hopefully for us, a job well done. That’s a credit not just to the strength of the young people themselves, but to the relationships you’ve built and the consistency you’ve offered.
Quality has remained front and centre, with every single one of our homes receiving a Good or Very Good grading in external inspections. In a sector that’s rightly held to the highest standards, that kind of consistency speaks volumes.
It’s also been a year of continued growth where we’ve welcomed many new colleagues into the Inspire team. Whether you’ve been with us for a few weeks or since the beginning, thank you. This work asks a lot of us, and I’m grateful every day for the care and commitment you bring to it.
As a provider funded entirely by local authorities, we’ve worked hard to reshape parts of the organisation to meet the challenges of an evolving public sector, all while remaining a trusted partner to social work teams and commissioners across the UK. Throughout all of this, we’ve never lost sight of our values …..This win might not carry the same weight as the outcomes we achieve for young people, but it’s still a key expectation, and one I believe we’re setting the standard on.
We’ve made a real effort this year to listen more closely to staff voices and act on what we hear. From constructive suggestions to honest reflections, your feedback has shaped real improvements, and that’s exactly how it should be.
We’ve also found new, more creative ways to shine a light on the great practice happening every day across Inspire. Whether through recognition, shoutouts, or shared stories, we’ve worked hard to make sure the small wins don’t go unnoticed, because they matter just as much as the big ones.
And finally, it’s also been a year where we’ve faced real loss. Loss of colleagues, loved ones and most recently, we received news of a former Inspire young person’s passing - someone we had the privilege to know and to support. These moments hit hard. They remind us how fragile life can be, and how deeply we care. It’s natural to ask whether we could’ve done more. But what I hope we hold onto is this: that showing up each day with empathy and consistency matters. That giving our all makes a difference. And that the time we have, with the people we support and with each other, won’t be taken for granted.
So, while you’re working over the holidays and enjoying the moments of well-earned rest in between, I hope you find time to reflect on the role you’ve played this year. The lives you’ve helped shape. The teams you’ve lifted. The moments that really matter ….there is so much to celebrate and be proud of.
Happy holidays and wishing you and your loved ones a peaceful and fulfilling New Year.
Warmly,
Connor Martin
Managing Director