The campaign for care experience to become a protected characteristic has led to 57 councils acknowledging the impact of their work on care leavers and those in the care system.
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Children’s commissioner consults on making care experience a protected characteristic
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Tackle stereotypes by making care experience a protected characteristic, campaigner urges
The motion aims to protect those with care experience from discrimination and ensure those in the system are safe.
St Helen's Borough Council is the latest council to back the campaign, after passing the motion on 2 October.
Campaigner Terry Galloway, who is care experienced, has been at the forefront of encouraging local authorities to pass the motion after a recommendation made in the Care Review for care experience to be recognised as a protected characteristic nationally was dismissed in the government's response.
He said: “This campaign is enabling us to be heard at the fundamental level, which is policy and service design. It’s those policy designs that have discriminated against us for decades.
“For me, the holy grail is when we get to that point where the system just works, where we are no longer butting up against a broken care system. Without protected characteristics, there is nothing that can make people open their eyes to the trauma and injustice we face on a daily basis.”
Ahead of the motion being passed, St Helen's councillor, Trisha Long, acknowledged that there is "a terrible and utterly unacceptable inequality and disadvantage experienced by this group of people."
Inverclyde Council, Rushcliffe Council and West Northamptonshire Council are other authorities who have also recently passed the motion.
