1st November 2024 National Care Leavers' Week

This National Care Leavers’ Week is an important one for us. We’re getting ready to launch our new programme with Severn Trent – Flow (Future Leaders, Opportunities and Work) – which specifically focusses on young people that have been, or are currently, in care.

For care leavers, the world of work can be uniquely challenging. According to the NSPCC, 35% of care leavers in England are not in education, training, or employment (NEET). These challenges have wide ranging causes, including missing school, a lack of role models and feelings of low confidence in their own abilities.

National Care Leavers’ Week is an important time to reflect on these challenges and raise awareness about the barriers that stand in the way of a brighter future for many care-experienced young people.

Together with Severn Trent, we’re empowering care leavers in and around Coventry with real, tangible opportunities and pathways towards employment. Throughout the programme, participants will learn practical employability skills, recognise the skills they already have, and gain an understanding of the opportunities open to them. Additionally, they will receive individual mentorship from professionals and being to develop their professional networks.

Through dedicated programmes and initiatives such as FLOW, we can provide underserved young people with opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed in environments that might otherwise feel out of reach.

Why National Care Leavers' Week Matters

National Care Leavers' Week creates the space to amplify the voices and experiences of young people who have been through the care system. It’s a chance for organisations, educators, policymakers, and the community to recognise and advocate for better support structures, inclusivity, and policies that will create lasting change.

Young people leaving care often face the daunting task of navigating adult life with fewer family connections, limited financial resources, and sometimes without a clear support network. It’s why initiatives like those we’ve developed with Severn Trent are so essential to begin levelling the playing field.

If you'd like to learn more about how we’re supporting young people through our work with Severn Trent, or any of our other partnerships across England, Scotland and Wales, visit our programmes page.