The Board of Trustees is the governing body of The Care Leavers Association. It usually meets every two months, on a Saturday. The Board decides the policies and priorities of the CLA and oversees the work of the staff. Since the foundation of the CLA, it has been a requirement that all Board members were in care as children (usually in foster care or residential care). Board members are elected at our Annual General Meeting and serve a term of three years.
Chair: Dr Jim Goddard
I’ve been involved with the Care Leavers Association (CLA) for twenty five years and Chair since 2011. I spent my childhood in children’s homes in Merseyside from the age of three to the age of seventeen, along with my brother. For the first thee and a half years, in the late 1960s, I lived in large child care institutions run by Roman Catholic nuns. Then, in the 1970s, I lived in a small Family Group Home for six children. From there, after ten months with my father, I was lucky enough to get to university at the age of 18, in 1981.
I was a non-active member of the National Association of Young People in Care (NAYPIC) from the mid-1980s. I then ran a care leavers group in Norfolk in the early 1990s, whilst completing my PhD in Public Policy. From there I moved to Portsmouth to start my academic career and increasingly focussed my research and writing on issues related to looked after children, leaving care and adults who were in care as children. I moved to Bradford in 1998 to teach at the university there. This helped me become more involved in the CLA as it developed. I retired from my university post in 2021, giving me more time for the CLA and for writing and research related to its work. You can get further biographical details about me from a piece I have written on access to files in that section of the site.
I believe that those who have been in care, whatever their experiences, should try to work together to improve the lives of those living in the child care system now and in the future. I also think we should try to improve the experience of those going through the leaving care process and help those adults who are still dealing with legacies from their care experience.
Daniel Bennison
Claire Haymonds
I entered the care system when I was just 7 years old and I was fortunate to be placed in a short term (2 year) foster placement with my sister. From there, together, we moved into our long term placement. The teenage years came around and, with that, teenage behaviour. At 15, I decided it was time to move on and left that “family” home, I was still lucky to be placed within a fostering environment with a lovely woman, who I remained living with until I turned 18. I still maintained relationships with my former foster carers throughout this time.
At 18, I experienced a brief period of homelessness and was offered Supported Lodgings. From there, with help from my Leaving Care worker I successfully moved into my first tenancy. I also became a mum.
I first became aware of the CLA in 2014 when I was asked if I was interested in volunteering for the GOAL Project, a preparation for independence project run by Carrie Harrop, the young people’s project worker… she was also my foster sister.
Initially, I was reluctant, thinking I was ready to leave my Care Experience life behind. I’ll forever be grateful to Carrie for her persistence, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I found a real passion for working with Children Looked After.
I was offered an apprenticeship within a leaving care service, focusing on improving opportunities and outcomes for care leavers. I worked directly with young people, as well as engaging with external partners. Changes made included creating positive pregnancy pathways for young people, ring-fenced employment opportunities and further delivery of GOAL. This passion has continued to grow and, to this day, I work with Children Looked After and Care Leavers.
I was asked to join the Board of Trustees in 2016 and have been actively involved in the charity since then, including representing the CLA at IFCO national conference and the European Project. I have never been afraid to share my life experience with young people. I feel it’s enabled better working relationships with young people and genuinely implemented change. Without organisations like the CLA, the voices of Care Leavers could have been lost, I love my role as a trustee and could not imagine not being involved.
Kerri Moore
I was taken into care at around 12 years of age. My experience was within residential care, within the Trafford area of Greater Manchester. I have experienced 4+ examples of ACE’S (Adverse Childhood Experiences).
Sadly, I entered into a relationship with a man 21 years my senior, which was abusive. I struggled with my mental health throughout my adult life and have been placed in a mental health hospital as I had reached a crisis point and attempted to end my life by suicide (I was in voluntary mental health care, not sectioned).
I share my journey openly, to provoke research and actively seek speaking opportunities. I sit on the LCR ACE (Liverpool City Region) M-RIC.
My areas of interest relate to trauma-informed and psychologically safe interventions, mental health and the intersectionality between care experienced neuro diversity and risks of har, and the impact of multiple trauma layers.
Out of my own lived experience as a care leaver, domestic abuse victim and being neuro diverse I have created The Be Me Programme®
I am grateful for the existence of The Care Leavers Association as they offer support to care leavers of all ages. I am blessed to be involved as a Trustee.
Mel Metcalfe
Hiwet Berhe
Peter McParlin
Carla Cordner
Isa Jaye
Alexa Thompson
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Deborah Bhatti
Rebecca Senior
Rebecca spent much of her early teenage years in care, in residential and fostering placements, before being placed in long-term foster care at the age of 13. She left her foster placement aged 19. She believes that empowering and supporting young people in care to obtain education and training is crucial. Rebecca would like to see a future where care leavers are encouraged to succeed, free of stigma, and treated as equals amongst their peers. She also believes in the importance of support, post-care, to help care leavers understand and make sense of the care experience as they progress through adulthood. Rebecca’s education was disrupted in the early years of care by multiple placement moves. She feels as though she was largely written off by those looking after her in residential care and was rarely encouraged to aim high. This improved when she was fostered long-term. The stability this provided enabled her to thrive. Rebecca went on to graduate with a First Class honours degree in Law and was admitted as an Australian lawyer in Victoria, Australia in 2017. She now works in health and social care regulation (in the UK), reviewing and advising on fitness to practice decisions by the ten health and social care regulators. Rebecca has previously worked within the criminal justice system and held a number of policy roles before qualifying as a lawyer. She lives in the South East of England with her husband. Like many care leavers, Rebecca experienced problems obtaining her care records and is keen to work with the CLA to improve access and support once these records are received. Ultimately, she hopes to use her skills and experience to help the CLA exercise its functions and meet its strategic aims.
To contact the Board of Trustees please email executive@careleavers.com