Ensuring every child has meaningful relationships to depend on

Yet, for many children in the care system, these relationships are often broken. Many are separated from their siblings, have to change school, are moved far away from family and friends, and some experience frequent changes of foster carers or children's homes. Too often this leaves them isolated. Moreover, as they approach 18, they often face a care cliff, with their professional support systems disappearing, leaving them more vulnerable to poverty, exploitation, poor mental health and loneliness.

It is therefore not a surprise, albeit a terrible indictment on our country, that 25 per cent of homeless people are care leavers, and that care leavers in England are more than 10 times more likely than their peers to be not in education, employment or training at the age of 21.

Family Rights Group (FRG) designed the Lifelong Links approach to turn this on its head. The purpose of Lifelong Links is to ensure that children in care and care leavers have the meaningful relationships in their lives that we all need. The child is at the centre of the approach – it only happens with the child's agreement and it goes at their pace. Lifelong Links was initially trialled between 2017 and 2020 in seven local authorities in England.

FRG is currently working with 32 local authorities in Britain to support them to implement Lifelong Links in their locality.

The Lifelong Links approach involves an FRG-trained co-ordinator using a range of tools, to find and safely connect the child with relatives and others who care about them, such as former foster carers or their school friend's mother. The network is brought together at a celebratory family group conference where a lasting support plan is developed with and for the child or young person, which needs to be embedded in the local authority's care or pathway plan.

Reports from practitioners show a big impact on individual children's lives. On average, children and young people expanded their social networks from seven to 26 individuals – a staggering increase. Some of these include grandparents who have been storing up birthday presents for their grandchild in the hope that one day they would be able to see them again. There are numerous examples of children finally starting to see brothers and sisters who they had been separated from, and being reacquainted with foster carers, pets, teachers and even former social workers who had been particularly important to them.

The ripple effect of Lifelong Links extends far beyond childhood. A study by Professor Michael Sanders at King's College London's Policy Institute, carried out in July this year, shows that care leavers who experienced Lifelong Links are 10 per cent less likely to face homelessness. This powerful statistic demonstrates that strong family and community relationships are essential for young adults to thrive. Lifelong Links helps to achieve this.

With the positive impacts of Lifelong Links so well documented, and local authorities across the country already offering it to their children and young people in care, there is no excuse for not rolling it out nationwide. Until this is achieved, our most vulnerable children's life chances will be impacted by a postcode lottery. As we get closer to the general election, FRG is calling on all political parties – through its Build Not Break campaign – to put meaningful relationships at the centre of their offer to all care-experienced young people.

• Cathy Ashley is chief executive of Family Rights Group