Sharing the experience of care

A recent conference brought together dozens of people aged between 15 and 80 to discuss their experiences of the care system.

The event, held at Liverpool Hope University and funded by charities and donations, aimed to give care-experienced people a platform to explain to policymakers and children's services leaders how the care system needs to change.

More than 170 people attended the care experience conference, which was organised by a group of campaigners chaired by Ian Dickson.

Here, Dickson explains the motivation for the conference, while attendee Mark Riddell, the government's care leavers tsar, identifies the key messages from it and what now needs to happen.

I left care at 18 in 1968. Ill prepared to cope and without support, I soon became homeless. Fifty years later, and after swathes of legislation and guidance, young people still leave care, ill-equipped to cope and under supported. Many become homeless. They too feel lonely, isolated and worthless.

The negative statistics miss out something. People can move on successfully. Most care leavers don't appear in statistics and many of those who do move through them into a different life. Within 12 months, I had a home and a job, and never looked back. Young people leaving care might be statistics temporarily, but most pass through and merge into the community.

At nearly 70, am I still a "care leaver"? Not to me. In my mind, I'm "care experienced".

The care experience is not determined by age or status - anyone and everyone who is, or has been, in care is care experienced. Care is a fluid, dynamic process whose impact can last a lifetime.

With that in mind, the conference for care-experienced people was held to bring the care-experienced community together. Not children in care, not young people who have just left care, not care leavers - all of us. It was recognition of that fluidity of the care experience; that the person who is a "statistic" at 18 might be a doctor at 33.

Imagine the benefit to the younger care-experienced child from sitting alongside their older peers. The wisdom of a community of care-experienced people whose views and advice span a lifetime, not just at the point of leaving care. A collective confidence to challenge constructively and advise decision making, a determination to change things for the better and the sophistication to know how to press for change

If decision makers and practitioners can work together and engage this deep reservoir of wisdom, the learning that could be used to improve the care system would be immense. The benefit to young people in care from seeing the potential for their older selves and listening to positive stories could be immeasurable. That's why care-experienced people and policy makers must work together.

Mark Riddell, care leavers tsar, DfE:

One thing I have always advocated and encourage all local authorities to promote is the idea of using people's stories about their care experiences to discuss and change practice. The value of learning from care-experienced people is crucial to how we develop services for the future.

At the conference, I heard lots of examples of things that are improving and things that remain a challenge. Here are some key messages I took away from the day:

• The council tax exemption is a real help for care leavers.
• Care-experienced young people are seen as the expert and employed in a few councils as care leaver ambassadors.
• Being able to stay with your foster carer to 21 gives stability.
• The difficulties that moving between local authorities or being placed away from your home authority can cause, and finding out that wherever you have moved to won't offer you a leaving care service.
• Too many changes of social workers, and having to retell their story, is traumatic for care leavers.
• Care leavers are still unsure of their rights and entitlements, and many are not aware of the local offer, pledge or promise. One care leaver said: "We have to constantly ask if we can have this and that when we should be informed about things that should be a given like free leisure, bus passes, driving lessons, maths and English support."
• Care leavers talked about not seeing their personal adviser enough or not having been out for a meal with them as you would do with your own family. They also talked about being told there is no money due to austerityor time due to high caseloads.
• Many talked about pathway planning, or the lack of it, and how it does not feel alive but more of a tick box exercise.

What was striking is that many care-experienced people, young or older, were able to relate to these examples. I am hoping that with reforms around changes to corporate parenting boards, the involvement of key partner agencies, co-production by care leavers and local offers extending up to 25 years, the system will change. However, this will take time. I believe 2020 will signal the dawn of a decade of care leavers, with councils adopting the following characteristics:

• Recognition this is "their" and "our" time to get it right
• Both local and national policy reflects the diverse needs of care leavers regardless of place
• Councils challenge each other and ask "is this a good enough offer for my own children?"
• Care leavers are not made homeless by their parents
• There is free transport
• Being employed in the "family business" is the norm and not the exception.