Resetting the care system
Resetting the care system: the employability sector’s contribution
Good relationships underpin successful life outcomes for young people leaving the care system. To move away from coercive and chaotic choices, equitable access to health services, education, housing – and crucially employment – is key.
This premise was explored by Terry Galloway from Norman Galloway Homes at ERSA’s recent Youth Employment Forum. Terry shared his own experience of the care system and called for systemic change to improve the life chances of care leavers.
Care experienced people are 70% more likely to die prematurely, are vastly overrepresented in criminal justice and homeless populations, and levy the state with a lifetime social cost of up to £1.2m each.
Terry and colleagues are leading the call for care experience to be classified as the tenth protected characteristic under equality law. Joining existing Equality Act 2010 groupings would protect care leavers from direct and much indirect discrimination. While this call continues at national level, many local councils and regional authorities are voluntarily adopting care experience as a protected characteristic. Can your organisation join them?
Equally, Terry believes that Corporate Parenting Principles must be strengthened and meaningfully implemented across public and third sector bodies. These seven attributes: Equality of Opportunity, Voice, Heard, Promote Wellbeing, Relationships, Prepare for Adulthood, and Aspirational, provide children in care with the stability and support they need to make progress and set ambitious goals for themselves. They help shape local services and ensure responsibility for care leavers is a priority for everyone. Are they incorporated in your delivery?
Norman Galloway Homes invites approaches from youth forum members to:
- Implement these two important aspects of care reform. Terry is happy to advise on your organisation’s journey to do this.
- Partner with them in developing and delivering new pilot schemes for care leavers.
- Help understand the scale of the issue: canvass your clients and staff to gauge care experiences.
Terry can be contacted on any of these matters at terry@ngalloway.co.uk; 07838 317574; @terrygalloway
ERSA’s Youth Employment Forum met online on 22 February. It also included updates from GLA on Youth Provision in London and UKSPF; and 4-22 Foundation on its recent success for young people.
Resources
Youth Employment Forum
Supported by Youth Futures Foundation
Watch on demand here (1 hour 27 minutes, Terry Galloway begins at 54 minutes)
Find and register for future events here.
