More councils vote to prevent discrimination against care leavers
Nicole Weinstein
Monday, January 23, 2023
Nottinghamshire County Council has become the latest council to pass a motion to recognise care experience as a protected characteristic.
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.”
During a brief adjournment, the clause was removed and councillors reached a unanimous agreement.
The motion states that Nottinghamshire County Council believes that care-experienced people face “significant barriers” that impact them throughout their lives. Discrimination and stigma across housing, health, education, relationships, employment and in the criminal justice system are just some of the examples cited.
It adds: “Despite the resilience of many care experienced people, society too often does not take their needs into account.”
In passing the motion, the council resolves to recognise that care experienced people are a vulnerable group and that councils have a duty to put the needs of vulnerable people at the heart of decision-making.
Terry Galloway, leader of the campaign for local authorities to adopt care experience as a protected characteristic, welcomed the motion’s success, tweeting: “I’m absolutely delighted. I didn’t think it was going to happen because the administration indicated it wasn’t going to vote for it. It went on and they found a way through.”
Sefton Council also unanimously vote to recognise care experience as a protected characteristic on Friday 20 January.
