Councillors across UK back call to make care experience a protected characteristic
Fiona Simpson
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
A campaign for care experience to become a protected characteristic in law has been backed by 25 councillors who won seats in the recent local elections.
Local elections were held in every council area in Scotland, Wales, London and many parts of England on 5 May while Northern Ireland elected its new assembly.
Ahead of the vote, 105 candidates pledged to propose a motion urging Care Review chair Josh MacAlister to recommend to the government that care experience becomes a protected characteristic in law.
This would mean care-experienced people would be protected by certain types of discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.
Some 25 candidates who made the pledge have now been elected across 18 councils in the UK, three of whom have experience of care and one who has been both a foster carer and an adoptive parent.
#Overwhelming support down to every single one of you #CEP that have told your stories over the years. Our politicians are listening. #CEP everywhere take a bow. RIP those we have lost. @ShowUsYouCare2 #ShowUsYouCareToo Pledge here https://t.co/mPJ1c8rKjW @TammyPalmerLD pic.twitter.com/RvGSecYZ6k
— Terry Galloway (@TerryGalloway) May 4, 2022
Among those who were elected was Emma Williamson, now deputy leader of Cumberland Council, who is care experienced.
She said: “I am passionately supportive of ensuring those with care experience have a voice and are protected.
“Often this can be perceived as a weakness but it’s a strength, such experiences and challenges help create resilience and this is what enables us to thrive and be the best version of ourselves, not many people allow themselves to be vulnerable.
“It’s something I want people to know is okay. We all have a past and sometimes it’s a strength.”
Thank you to everyone that supported me, voted for me or wished me well. I won so pleased to serve you for another 5 years 🌹 pic.twitter.com/zfpex9wxvv
— Emma Williamson (@emzkiki) May 6, 2022
Izzy Knowles, Mossely ward councillor at Birmingham City Council, added: “I have worked in the care sector as a residential child care officer.
“I am also an experienced neighbourhood police officer and have worked in a homeless charity. I have seen first-hand the impact of a poor care experience on young people and the damaging effect that has on their future wellbeing, physical and mental health.
“Birmingham City Council represents thousands of young people in care. It has a responsibility to continually review and improve its services.”
Local election candidates were encouraged to sign the #ShowUsYouCareToo pledge, led by the #ShowUsYouCare campaign, which is run by care-experienced people.
In #Haringey, we are united to give children in care a voice.@TammyPalmerLD and @CllrSeema shared their personal experiences of being in care at Full Council this week.
— Haringey (@haringeycouncil) March 17, 2022
A ground-breaking motion was then subsequently passed in support of the ‘Show us you care too’ campaign. pic.twitter.com/Gy0hJnAlTH
Terry Galloway, who is part of the #ShowUsYouCare campaign, said: “We are so proud that 25 of the 105 candidates were returned as councillors.
“This means we can move forward straight away in 18 councils. Our work is also about pushing on with the policy work and building the evidence of how this will impact the care-experienced community and part of that work will be to work with employers.
“The main focus for us is to show our community that they won’t have to declare they are care experienced to benefit from it as a protected characteristic because there is so much indirect discrimination in policy and how decisions are made, we want to go right to the source, which gives us voice”
CYP Now previously reported that the #ShowUsYouCareToo motion was first passed by a local authority at Haringey Council on 14 March.
Liberal Democrat councillor Tammy Palmer urged members to back the motion in a moving speech about her own lived experience of the care system. Palmer did not stand in the most recent local elections.
