As we prepare to celebrate National Care Leavers’ Week 2024 in October, it’s vital to recognise the strength and potential of young people transitioning from our care.
The week (28 October to 3 November) is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges faced, while honouring their achievements and individuality.
In the past two years, we have driven change at Cumberland Council, shaped by our young people.
We were the first council in the UK to formally recognise care experience as a protected characteristic. Alongside this, we have: launched a new Care Experienced and Cared For Strategy; enhanced our corporate parenting board, creating a wider membership while ensuring our partners, staff and elected members understand their role as corporate parents; and developed key partnership initiatives.
National Care Leavers’ Week offers a significant reminder that behind the statistics lie unique stories, resplendent with hope and determination.
Leaving care is daunting, often fraught with uncertainties surrounding housing, employment and education. Despite these challenges, care leavers display remarkable tenacity, funnelling their experience into a source of strength.
This week also highlights the numerous accomplishments of care leavers, from pursuing higher education and vocational training to achieving meaningful employment.
Their stories inspire, proving that, with support from providers and community, they can overcome adversity.
Community support is crucial during this transition. Our partnerships in Cumberland are invaluable as we embark on initiatives to reduce adversity and increase opportunities, offering our young people the brightest of futures.
The Brighter Future Fund is one such transformative initiative, supporting care-experienced young people in Cumbria as they transition into adulthood, providing essential resources through personalised mentoring, life skills development, and work experience opportunities.
Delivered in partnership with Cumbria Community Foundation, Cumbria Youth Alliance (CYA), and employability experts Inspira, the fund is informed by the lived experiences of participants to create a supportive ecosystem that enhances their employability and self-efficacy, reducing poverty risks while creating a community mentorship.
As we honour care leavers, let’s remind them that their past is not the future. They each have immense potential and, with support, can shape tomorrow. It is our duty to create a safe, inclusive place where support is given to enrich their lives.
One initiative supporting this work in Cumberland is The Enrichment Fund, designed to empower care-experienced individuals to overcome barriers to independent living through financial assistance towards health, skills development and engagement in the arts.
The fund supports a range of needs, including work-related expenses such as transport and clothing, and providing access to courses, certifications, and creative classes. It also addresses unique challenges, such as helping with the cost of learning to drive.
Supporting this initiative, our young people have co-designed the delivery of a ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ ball with CYA and Inspira, to raise awareness of how local businesses can support and invest in the futures of our care-experienced young people.
Life is particularly challenging for care-experienced young people; many have faced trauma and instability. Research indicates they often achieve poorer outcomes than their peers.
By removing barriers and supporting them to aspire and believe, by creating pathways for success, we help young adults transform their futures while contributing within communities.
Investing in their potential is an investment for the future: with support, they will grow and prosper towards an adulthood of opportunity and fulfilment.
- National Care Leavers’ Week 2024 runs from 28 October to 3 November. See our website for Step Ahead, the LGA’s care leavers campaign.