The government has set up a consultation on the use of unregulated accommodation for 16-18 year olds. This comes after an investigation by Newsnight which showed that young people were being placed in appalling conditions and often left to fend for themselves. If a young person is put in a residential placement where they are receiving care then this falls under the scope of a childrens home and is subject to Ofsted regulations. If they do not receive care and instead just receive support, then they can be put into accommodation which is currently unregulated. The consultation outlines options to ban the use of unregulated accommodation for under 18s. However,… Read More
Continue ReadingSupreme Court Judgement
Landmark judgment rules that Local Authorities can face legal action if they fail to protect vulnerable children Abuse law experts say judgment provides protection for victims and legal clarity for councils A landmark judgment handed down today has ruled that local authorities can be held legally accountable if they fail to protect vulnerable young people and children in their area who are considered to be at risk, regardless of whether they are officially in care. A previous Court of Appeal decision which gave Social Workers exemption from liability in cases where children who are known to social services are harmed was also overruled. In the judgment which was handed down… Read More
Continue ReadingCJS Roundtables
https://www.careleavers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Between-Care-and-the-Criminal-Justice-System-A-Multi-Agency-Round-Table-Discussion.pdf The Care Leavers’ Association (CLA) held a series of Care Leaver Roundtable Events in November 2018 at HMP Hatfield, Wealstun and Humber in Yorkshire & Humberside. We have published the report above, which draws on the views of delegates who attended from across the Yorkshire & Humber region. These roundtables were care leaver led and brought together operational and strategic leads from across the region, with a focus on understanding what the region was able to do in response to care leavers and children looked after who find themselves in criminal justice settings
Continue ReadingNational Gathering 30th March
The Care Leavers Association National Gathering and AGM will take place on 30th March 2019 at The Friends Meeting House Manchester. Join us from 1:30 for some lunch with proceedings starting at 2. This year the theme is Building Connections: Reducing Loneliness. Our key note speaker is Ian Dickson. Care leaver, retired residential care manager and Ofsted inspector, many of you will know Ian from his tireless campaigning to improve outcomes for care leavers. Ian is an inspiring person and speaker. Come and be uplifted and energised by what he has to say. We will be having an open discussion to talk about connections and loneliness. If you would like… Read More
Continue ReadingGood News
The CLA has recently received funding for 2 new projects. The Big Lottery is funding us through its Building Connections Fund to tackle loneliness and isolation. We will work over 2 years to establish an online digital network to help care leavers across the country to connect and support each other. The Igen Trust is funding us to develop a project to improve the mental health of young care leavers. We will be working with care leavers in Sheffield and Greater Manchester as well as with the local universities to deliver group work and individual support. More information on these projects will be released soon.
Continue ReadingCare Leavers in Focus Opportunity
The Care Leavers Association is working in a partnership led by award winning charity PhotoVoice exploring the experiences of people who have gone through the care system. In partnership with 3 charities, the project will use photography to explore the experiences of adults who have left care (25+). Cameras will be provided, and no photographic experience is necessary – the insights shared through the 8 weekly workshops will help PhotoVoice develop new toolkits designed to improve the care system and support those currently in care. Drawing on PhotoVoice’s extensive experience in participatory photography and participatory-led engagement, participants will be trained in digital photography and media, storytelling and self-advocacy. They will be supported to… Read More
Continue ReadingWant to share your experience of a children’s home?
Child Care History Network is planning a conference on Wednesday 1 November at Hinsley Hall in Leeds. The main paper will be by Peter Higginbotham, whose book on children’s homes has just been published. David Lane will be speaking about the findings of the Northern Ireland Inquiry concerning children’s homes. They are hoping to have a variety of short inputs (say, 3 x 10 minutes each) from people who have experienced life in children’s homes. The intention would be to share experiences about what life was really like in homes – neither setting out to pick out the worst practice, nor whitewashing things either. If you are interested in sharing your… Read More
Continue ReadingCJS Conference
‘Between Care and the Criminal Justice System: Setting the agenda for the next decade’ This event, led by The Care Leavers’ Association (CLA) and with the support of academic partners, will re-visit the position and experience of care leavers within criminal justice settings. Identifying a number of issues which are out of scope in the current discussion, sessions will address the visibility of care leavers in the criminal justice context, the criminalisation of young people in the care system, the issues that present for criminalised adult care leavers across their life course, intersectional understanding of experiences of care and the challenges of disrupting institutional pathways between the care and criminal… Read More
Continue ReadingNew Office
The CLA is currently in the process of moving office. We will be based in a temporary office until our new office has been refurbished. This will be finished at the end of July. Please be patient with us as most of the office will remain in boxes until we move. Our new address is The Care Leavers Association, Beehive Mill, Jersey Stret, Manchester M4 6JG
Continue ReadingStop calling the police
The CLA have been asked to join a working group established by the government to develop a protocol for local authorities and police forces aimed at reducing the criminalisation of children in care. We are facilitating a small group of young care leavers who have experience of being criminalised. We will report back on progress as the work continues.
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