The motion, brought forward by councillor Daniel Williamson and councillor Helen-Ann Smith, of the Independent Alliance, was passed at a full council meeting on 19 January, ten days after councillors at Nottingham City Council voted to pass the same motion.
However, plans included in the proposal to introduce the protected characteristic “until as such time as it may be introduced by legislation” were refuted by council leader Ben Bradley, who stated that care experience “is not by legal definition” a protected characteristic.
He added: “The premise behind the motion that one day care experience will be a protected characteristic is sadly not right.
“By adding care leaver to the Equality Act, you open up the whole range of life experiences to that legislation. You bring into the scope of that bill every experience under the sun.
“That’s the government’s view and my view.”
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