The Royal Borough of Greenwich showed pride in their care leavers this October, as part of the country’s annual celebration of National Care Leavers Week.
Young people’s successes were platformed on October 11 at The Valley in Charlton, which hosted this year’s Children in Care Education Achievement Awards.
It was an evening of commemoration for the educational attainment, progress and determination of Greenwich’s young people in community with their friends, foster families, guardians, social workers and trusted adults.
In an interview at the start of National Care Leavers Week, Janet Peel from Greenwich Children’s Services said: “We’re doing a lot more to encourage people into education.
“To build confidence again.”
This stance reflects the change in national statistics, which reported that 14% of care leavers went onto study at university in 2022.
This number was up from only 6% in 2019, according to a report commissioned by Civitas.
Greenwich is a space that its care-experienced people can be proud of, too, as the borough is a pioneer in platforming positive policies for its most vulnerable.
On this vulnerability, Peel said “Most care leavers at some point have had traumatic experiences, the majority have.
“Not all, but most – we can’t forget about that.”
Since 2022, the NHS has seen a record number of mental health referrals for young people, which Peel said care leavers just cannot afford to wait around for.
To address this, Greenwich Children’s Services appointed two mental health workers and a life-long links worker this year, who will reconnect care leavers with relationships that they have lost.
It is hoped that this increased support will cushion the transition for care leavers into independent living, so that they feel empowered to access education and employment.
Though Greenwich is doing excellent work, Peel said “care leavers can fall through the net.”
The debate over whether to make care-experience a nationally ‘protected characteristic’ is still making waves across the UK, but Greenwich Councilors unanimously voted to award its care leavers with ‘protected characteristic’ status last Christmas.
This move has meant that care leavers are recognized in Greenwich as a group that can face discrimination, so protective measures have been put in place for them in line with the Equality Act 2010.
Last year, Greenwich Councilor Matthew Morrow said: “We know that life is harder for many care leavers, who face discrimination, stereotyping, and systemic barriers through no fault of their own.
“It’s our mission to make sure that everyone gets the opportunities and consideration they deserve.”
Opportunities for education and training have blossomed as a result.
Peel said: “It’s been a better way of making sure that care leavers actually get a fair chance by saying that they’re care leavers and being proud of being care leavers.”
On whether ‘protected characteristic’ status has improved life chances for Greenwich care leavers less than one year since its introduction, Peel said it had changed a lot.
He said: “People are seeing care leavers in their entirety.
“I’m talking out there, how the public sees them.
“We see that.”
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