Have Your Say
Helping care experienced young people make changes to the systems around them is a really important part of what we do. We offer young people a range of groups where they can make a difference to the care system. Twice a year, young people take over Cornwall’s Corporate Parenting Board- in the spring we highlight the three most important things that young people want the Corporate Parenting Board to change, and in the autumn we ask the Corporate Parenting Board to feed back to us on their progress.
2025 Priorities
Young people take over our Corporate Parenting Board twice a year. Young people highlight the areas that other young people tell us needs improving; this is usually focussed on three or four themes and underpins the Corporate Parenting Board Action Plan for the year. Every local authority has to have a Corporate Parenting Board; in Cornwall it includes Elected members (County Councillors) and senior leaders in Social Work, Health, Education, Housing and Employment. Duncan Williams represents the voices of young people at Corporate Parenting Board’s ordinary meetings.
Housing
To improve housing and reduce homelessness for care experienced young people aged 18-25. Following our advocacy work in 2023-24 Carefree have launched a housing scheme in St Austell and now have a team of Tenancy Support Workers to work intensively with young people as they transition into new housing. Carefree are also sharing young people’s ideas, experiences and needs by running regular Housing Round Tables- where professionals from all areas linked to housing provision all attend to review what further considerations should be made when providing care experienced young people with accommodation. Carefree was also successful in lobbying for young people to have Band A on Cornwall Homechoice- which allow care leavers to have greater choice and priority when bidding for housing.
Protected Characteristic
Carefree began endorsing care experience as a Protected Characteristic in 2023. This has since been accepted and recognised by Cornwall Council and we are now working together to explore how this can be implemented wider. We are working with businesses in Cornwall to develop their understanding of care experience and how additional consideration should be taken when providing support for care leavers in the work place. Part of this work included a partnership with the NHS, who have developed a manager training toolkit around supporting care experienced employees. We are also currently working with Waitrose and Corserv to provide employment opportunities and work experience to care experienced young people.
Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Support
Carefree continue to advocate for services to improve and recognise the specific needs of the care experienced community, as well as recognising the need for young people to have long term relationships.
2022 Transport Campaign
Last year we successfully campaigned alongside Barnardo’s for free bus travel for Care Leavers in Cornwall for ages 16-25. This is now in action and having a positive impact on young people’s lives.
How do Young People Make their Voices Heard?
Carefree helps young people influence the services they receive both nationally and locally!
Things care experienced young people do in Cornwall to influence change
- Termly group to learn about participation and campaigning and raise voices 11-25
- Social Worker training
- Foster Carer training
- Awena, the Virtual School Governing Body discussing education in Cornwall
- Carefree Shadow Board
- Cornwall Youth Council and Youth Parliament
- Housing and homelessness steering group and consultation
- Corporate Parent Board takeover
- Elected members briefings
- ‘It’s Been Emotional’ Care Leavers event and consultation space
- Working with Cornwall’s Integrated Health Board
Things care experienced young people do nationally to influence change
- Attend and present at the National Care leavers’ Benchmarking Forum up to 4 times a year
- Attend and speak at conferences like The Eden Project’s Anthropy Event
- Attend and speak to National government and charities looking for feedback and good practice across the UK- Home Office, Department for Education, Corum Voice, APPG, Become
- Carefree is a member of the Esmée Fairbairn Learning Group, where we work with many other charities who work with care experienced young people .
- https://www.catch-22.org.uk/find-services/nlcbf/7
- https://anthropy.uk/
- Carefree’s Lawrence Lloyd speaks at APPG!
Carefree’s Lawrence spoke in Parliament at the All Party Parliamentary Group for Care-Experienced Children and Young People. Read on for Lawrences inspirational speech: “My name’s Lawrence, and I’m a care-experienced young person. I’m really grateful to be here today —
Read more Carefree’s Lawrence Lloyd speaks at APPG! - Cornwall’s Communities: Documentary Film Project
Could you support The Cornwall Lived Experience Partnership to capture people’s experience of living in Cornwall- see below for information on how to get involved! We Are Cornwall’s Communities: Documentary Film Project We want to hear your story! The Cornwall
Read more Cornwall’s Communities: Documentary Film Project - Carefree meets Transport Minister to talk ‘Transport for Freedom’
On Thursday, a group of care leavers and workers from Carefree met Richard Holden, Minister for Roads and Public Transport, to discuss the success of a pilot scheme offering care leavers free bus travel up to the age of 25
Read more Carefree meets Transport Minister to talk ‘Transport for Freedom’
Want to change things or learn how to?
Email [email protected] or ask your PA/ social worker