At a full council meeting on Tuesday 15th December, councillors heard from care leavers and council employees Liss Phillips and Umar Teerab on their experience as care leavers and the success of Ba...
At a full council meeting on Tuesday 15th December, councillors heard from care leavers and council employees Liss Phillips and Umar Teerab on their experience as care leavers and the success of Baby Box, a project they designed to support young care experienced parents.
The Baby Box Project, led by care experienced employees and apprentices at the council, launched earlier this year and was recently selected as joint winner of the Best Project Award at The National Leaving Care Bench Marking Forum. It was set up to provide useful supplies to help young people who have recently become parents.
Boxes include essential items such as nappies, wipes, new-born clothes, thermometers, bibs, towels and other necessities. The project also provides the young parents with financial support to help them buy items such as a cot, buggy or car seat. To further support care leavers, the project has a Young Parents Forum that is led by young people to raise awareness of the service and to discuss issues that are important to young parents. The project, along with other support during the COVID-19 pandemic has supported numerous young people, during challenging times. A young person who received a baby box during lockdown said: “I love all of it, it’s so useful. I am very grateful and appreciative of the gesture.”
The team at the council has worked incredibly hard bringing the project together and promoting Warwickshire’s role as Corporate Parents, and now Corporate Grandparents, for care experienced young people in Warwickshire.
Liss Phillips, a Family Support Worker at Warwickshire County Council and a young, care experienced mum who led on the project said: “It was an honour to speak to members at full council and tell them about the Baby Box Project.
“Our baby boxes have been so meaningful to the young people who have received them. It’s not just about the boxes, but the support for care leavers that comes with them and the reassurance to them that we are here for them and we care.“It isn’t just a box, it makes a huge difference to parents’ lives. When you are a care experienced parent you have a fear of your child being taken away because of your past, The Baby Box Project isn’t just about supporting parents, it’s about helping them prosper.
“The council also offers career development opportunities for care experienced young people like me. I completed an apprenticeship and am now in a full-time role. Things like this can make a huge difference to the lives of care leavers, especially those who are parents.
“The council can support care leavers in many ways. Sometimes all it takes is a phone call to change someone’s life, or a baby box to change their perspective. The council gives opportunities for care experienced young people to achieve more and making their voices louder can make a huge difference.”
Umar Teerab, a Family Support Worker, a care leaver and previously an unaccompanied asylum seeker, also won an award from the NLCBMF for Champion of the Year 2020 for his contribution to supporting other young care leavers. At full council, Umar said:
“In 2014 I was an unaccompanied asylum seeker and I was learning to speak English. In 2019, I was given an opportunity to work as an Apprentice at WCC and I’m so pleased I applied.
“The staff have been so supportive along the way and I will now work hard at making sure that other vulnerable young people get support like me and they are motivated to achieve great things. It’s this support that pushed me further so I’m really proud to represent WCC, I wouldn’t be here without the support I received.”
Cllr Jeff Morgan Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services said:
“We are delighted that Liss and Umar have been selected to represent care leavers at such an important gathering. I am really proud of Liss, Umar and the whole of the Children and Families Service. A lot of hard work has gone into the Baby Box Project and other initiatives to support care leavers and this makes a huge difference to the lives of children and families.
“We put children and family at the heart of everything we do so I am delighted that this has also been recognised nationally at the National Leaving Care Bench Marking Forum. With the right support, care experienced young people like Liss and Umar can achieve impressive things. They are also both incredible examples of the dedication and passion that our staff have, striving to make Warwickshire the best it can be, now and for future generations.”
The NLCBMF brings together over 100 local authorities to promote the development of quality leaving care services through shared learning and to enrich the outcomes for care leavers across the country. Warwickshire’s Baby Box Project jointly won the Best Project Award alongside Brent and Leicestershire.
For more information on the National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum visit https://www.catch-22.org.uk/national-leaving-care-benchmarking-forum/
For more information on leaving care in Warwickshire visit https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/leavingcare or follow us on Twitter for regular updates https://twitter.com/WeCare_Warks