Whilst every child’s journey into care is unique, care’s potential to have a lifelong impact is universal. All trauma, especially at such a young age, can create scars that run deep. These are scars with the potential to burst open when least expected.
It is a national scandal that having overcome challenges early in life — struggles that would be inconceivable to most of us — so many who have been in care go on to face yet more challenges and stigma in adulthood.
Look at the figures as highlighted by the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care. Seven in ten care leavers die early; nearly half of all under 21-year-olds in contact with the criminal justice system have been in care; and a quarter of people who are homeless in England have care experience.
These are not facts of life that we should simply accept. No parent would be happy with this, and as corporate parents we shouldn’t be either.
At Waltham Forest we have 317 young people in our care. It is an honour and privilege to raise these children and we as a council — their corporate parents — have made their welfare a priority.
But there is always more that can be done.
That is why last week (April 27) Waltham Forest councillors agreed to treat experience of the care system the tenth protected characteristic, alongside those set out in the 2010 Equalities Act like age, disability and race.
This is no tokenistic act. It will commit us to putting the perspectives and needs of those with care experience at the heart of our hiring, policy and decision-making processes.
We’re not acting alone. We are joining a growing number of councils around the country and from across the political spectrum who are all taking this step, inspired to act by the voices of care experienced campaigners like Terry Galloway.
The fight can’t stop here though. The stigma and challenges faced by those with care experience aren’t confined to local authority remits or borough boundaries, so the solution can’t be either. We need national action to amend the Equalities Act at source.
The Care Review recognised the barriers faced by those with care experience as one of the equalities battles of our lifetime. Last week Waltham Forest stepped up to play our part in fighting it. Will the Government join us?
Councillor Alistair Strathern is Waltham Forest Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young people
