Author: David Graham

Dr Rosie Canning and Dr Jim Goddard discuss the life and importance of Graham Gaskin in relation to accessing social care files. It is not widely known, amongst people who grew up in care before 1989, that we owe our rights to access our child care files to a fellow care leaver. That’s why this this short account was written for Care Experienced History Month.

On Saturday it was announced that David Graham, who has been National Director of The Care Leavers Association (CLA) since 2010, has been awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List. David’s award is richly merited. The official notification records that the award is ‘For services for care leavers’. This clearly reflects David’s hard work, commitment and steadiness throughout his years with the CLA. It also reflects his immense resourcefulness in helping us achieve so much in that time with relatively meagre resources. This includes the years of the pandemic, which were very challenging for us as well as for many others. And for the last 18 months David… Read More

Figures released to the Times reveal that 450 of the UK’s most vulnerable have died over the past decade The government has refused to ban care placements for 16 to 17-year-olds in “unregulated” settings. The government has revealed that 450 of the UK’s most vulnerable children have died in care over the last decade, including 50 that were housed in controversial unregulated accommodation. Figures released to The Times through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests show that 400 “looked after” under-18s died in regulated care placements between 2011 and 2021 — a figure that amounts to 130 deaths per 100,000 children in care. That is more than 16 times higher than… Read More

On the 23rd May the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care published its long awaited final report. Overall we are disappointed with the final conclusions of the review. Whilst we support some of the recommendations the review has missed the opportunity to dramatically improve the lives of young people in care and care leavers. You can read our initial thoughts on the report at the bottom of this page. This is based on discussions with the trustees and staff team. The report is very lengthy and it has a number of supporting documents. We intend to produce a more detailed response in the coming months. The government has up to… Read More

Along with other members of the Access To Records Campaign Group we have produced a briefing paper outlining the problems and impact of the current ‘care-less’ system when a care experienced adult asks a local authority for information from their care records.

We are very concerned that the current cost of living increases that we are all dealing with will have a major effect on young people leaving care. We have joined with Catch 22 and others to write a letter to the government asking them to offer more support to care leavers during this difficult time. Young care leavers set for grave financial struggles as cost of living soars – Catch22 (catch-22.org.uk)

Jakeb Arturio Braden worked for The Care Leavers Association (CLA) from 2014 to 2017. He was the key worker on an important, pathfinding project funded by the UK’s Department of Health. That project examined the health issues facing care leavers of all ages. Amongst other results, the project received survey responses from over 400 care leavers and over 200 professionals. It was a demanding and wide-ranging piece of work that provided strong evidence of many neglected adult health issues related to growing up in care. Jakeb fully appreciated the project’s significance. He cared deeply about the health issues, both physical and mental, that many care leavers, of all ages, face.… Read More

You are all invited to remember the life of our beloved Jakeb.  The funeral will take place at 10am on Friday 21 January 2022 at the Old Chapel of The Manchester Crematorium (M21 7GZ). The funeral will be a brief event and will be followed by a longer reception from 11am to 2pm at a venue nearby (address to be confirmed).  You are welcome to speak and share your memories of Jakeb. Please RSVP to help arrange the speakers and the catering arrangements: thanosch@yahoo.com One of the many causes close to Jakeb’s heart was the wellbeing of people with Neurofibromatosis.  In lieu of flowers, you might wish to make a… Read More