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 ReadingGraham Gaskin
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.
Continue ReadingSuicidal Thoughts Research
We are working together with Cambridge University to research mental health needs of young people with social care involvement. As part of this work, we are looking at the support provided to young people who have suicidal thoughts. We are trying to learn more about the experiences of suicidal thoughts and self-harm among adults with a history of social care involvement to better understand how services can adapt to better meet the needs of social care-experienced young people who are experiencing self-harm or suicidal thoughts. We would love for you to help us if you: 1. Are between 18-30 years old 2. Have had experience of social care involvement before… Read More
Continue ReadingNew Year Honour for our National Director
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
Continue ReadingHundreds of Children die in care!
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
Continue ReadingIan Dickson
By David Graham (National Director) of The Care Leavers Association The recent death of Ian Dickson, a long-term campaigner for improvements in support for looked after children and care leavers, has prompted a plethora of memories from those who knew him. I decided to write this appreciation of Ian in order to reflect on, and record, our relationship with him over many years. I wanted to add to the record my perspective on some of the varied ways in which Ian’s positive impact affected people around him. Ever since Ian first joined the Care Leavers Association, many years ago, he has always remained supportive and encouraging of our work. Such… Read More
Continue ReadingReview of Children’s Social Care
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
Continue ReadingAccessing Social Care Files Briefing
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.
Continue ReadingCost of living increases
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)
Continue ReadingJakeb Arturio Braden (1969 – 2021)
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
Continue ReadingJAKEB ARTURIO BRADEN (1969-2021)
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
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