As leading figures in local government gather in Harrogate for the Local Government Association (LGA) Conference, delegates will be anticipating an event taking place the following week 200 miles south.
Rachel Reeves’ first Budget statement will obviously be the background buzz. The new Government’s primary mission is economic growth, but it knows that will not be possible without delivering on its fourth mission, ‘breaking down barriers to opportunity’.
Organisations can go further in ringfencing opportunities for care leavers with councils taking a lead
Recruitment specialists Penna are hosting a dinner for local authority chief executives during the conference where we will discuss what more can be done to help care leavers make their next steps and how disadvantaged young adults can unlock their full potential. How can we achieve this together when money is tight?
For the last five years, diversity and inclusion specialists, Spectra, has been delivering the Care Leaver Covenant for the Department for Education (DfE). We work with more than 500 organisations across the country to connect care leavers with exclusive opportunities in education, work, wellbeing, money and their home life.
They may need a nudge, a door opening or a helping hand, but care leavers have enormous reserves of resilience, empathy and insight from their life experiences.
Councils have been a central part of the Care Leaver Covenant story, going beyond corporate parent duties with a ‘whole-council’ approach to supporting care leavers, including council tax exemptions, apprenticeships, procurement policies to deliver social value and encouraging local business to provide meaningful opportunities.
We were delighted to work with the LGA, along with Trowers & Hamlins, to produce Employment Guidance on Creating Opportunities for Care Leavers. It answers several frequently asked questions from organisations that want to offer employment opportunities to care leavers. Trowers & Hamlins partner Rebecca McGuirk said: ‘It’s been a pleasure to support the Care Leaver Covenant on the employment guidance and be a part of something that will have a positive social impact, giving businesses the confidence to create more career opportunities for care leavers.’
Organisations can go further in ringfencing opportunities for care leavers with councils taking a lead.
LGA chair Cllr Louise Gittins, who will be joining us for our discussion, said: ‘We are delighted to be working with Spectra to support care leavers into employment. The Care Leaver Covenant helps transform care leavers’ lives and we have called on our member councils and small businesses to sign it.
‘Care leavers are an ongoing focus across all our work and making sure they get the support they need to transition to independence is crucial. It is the job of councils, as corporate parents, to ensure care leavers have the best possible start in life and to prepare and support them so they can thrive in adulthood.
‘While councils demonstrate a wealth of good practice every day when supporting care leavers, there is also a need to consider changes that can be implemented on a wider, national level, that councils alone cannot deliver.’
While minds might be Budget-alert, we will be looking forward to National Care Leavers’ Week starting on 28 October. It is an opportunity to celebrate the potential and ambition of the care leaver community.
Many councils will be joining us to light up their public buildings to generate greater awareness of care leavers.
Our experience of managing the Care Leaver Covenant and our background in mentoring, has inspired us to set up a new charity – the Ambitious Together Foundation (ATF).
Around one quarter of all young people have been classed as children in need at some stage. Adverse childhood experiences lead to poorer outcomes – in health and wellbeing, education, employment, secure homes and forming relationships.
The ATF’s mission is to enable disadvantaged young adults to unlock their full potential.
Two strands of ATF’s work are to raise £10m for a ‘Next Steps Fund’, providing direct financial support to beneficiaries and to create a cross-sector volunteering network to mentor and coach socially excluded young people.
Indra Morris, former director general at the DfE, has agreed to chair ATF and will be part of the discussion being steered by The MJ‘s editor, Heather Jameson.
The public finance challenge is acute, but that does not mean ambitions for our young people or our determination to break down barriers should be curtailed.
We know we can achieve more by working together across public, private and voluntary sectors. We can untap other funding if we can create the channels to direct it those who will benefit
Matthew Gordon OBE is founder and chief executive, Spectra
