Warwickshire County Council hosted a Care Leavers Covenant event on 15 February to engage with local businesses and give some of our most vulnerable younger residents the vital support they need wh...
Warwickshire County Council hosted a Care Leavers Covenant event on 15 February to engage with local businesses and give some of our most vulnerable younger residents the vital support they need when leaving care.
Set up in 2016 by Warwickshire County Council, the Care Leavers Covenant is a Department for Education initiative created to encourage the private, public and voluntary sectors to work in partnership with local authorities to provide additional support for care leavers aged 16 to 25.
Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi spoke at the event, saying: “Becoming an adult always brings challenges, but I know from speaking to many young people leaving care that crossing this milestone can feel like facing a cliff edge.
“I’m pleased to see businesses in Warwickshire are eager to support these vulnerable young people and provide them with practical help to guide them through this transition.
“By working together – government, councils, businesses and charities – across the country, we will continue to make sure that these young people are not held back by their past, and can fulfil their potential as adults.”
The event offered an opportunity for the council to engage with local businesses and let them know how they can provide much needed support and guidance to care leavers through opportunities including work experience, work shadowing, internships, traineeships and mentoring.
“As a local authority we have to do everything we can to support vulnerable children and young adults who are in care, but it is vital that we continue this support when they leave,” said Cllr Jeff Morgan, WCC portfolio holder for children and families.
“The statistics surrounding children in care and care leavers are staggering when compared to their peers who aren’t. Government figures from 2016 revealed that 14 per cent of children in care achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C compared to 58 per cent of children not in care. And 40 percent of all care leavers of 19, 20 and 21 years of age were not in employment, education or training compared to 14 percent of all 19, 20 and 21 year olds.
“As part of the Care Leavers Covenant we are working in partnership with businesses across Warwickshire to provide more opportunities to care leavers. This event helped us to start conversations with a wide variety of businesses across the county so that we can begin to explore opportunities to support to this important group of young people.”