Care-experienced young people across Stoke-on-Trent have had their achievements celebrated as part of Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Care Leavers Celebration Week.
The Care Leavers Awards 2023 was held in the Jubilee Hall at Stoke Town Hall on Tuesday 26 October to celebrate the achievements of care leavers over the last 12 months. The event was organised by the city council’s award-winning Next Steps team alongside local care experienced young people who provided the entertainment on the night.
During the ceremony awards were handed out for achievements including:
- Excellence in education
- Commitment to employment
- Resilience and strength
- Making services better for care leavers
Further events taking place as part of National Care Leavers Week include a care-experienced mum and baby group Halloween party, a mental health and wellbeing workshop and a Care Leavers’ Sports Day/Football competition
The city council has also commissioned the Ask Jan service from national charity, the Rees Foundation. The Ask Jan service assists care experienced people to access comprehensive support and benefits, with bespoke budgeting advice.
The news comes as the wider ‘help is at hand’ campaign has been launched to offer targeted support focussing on:
- Money
- Energy
- Food.
Councillor Sarah Hill, cabinet member for children’s services said: “I am incredibly pleased to see the city council celebrate the fantastic achievements of all of our care experienced young people at the Care Leavers Awards 2023.
“I’m also really pleased to see us commission the Ask Jan service to help our care leavers with budgeting and financial advice. These young people often don’t have the support networks around them that many other young people take for granted and so the cost of living crisis can hit them particularly hard.
Our brilliant Next Steps team offer support to our care experienced young people up to age 25 to help end the care cliff and give care leavers everything they need to live independently.”
Information on the city council’s Care Leavers Local Offer, covering accommodation and housing, education, training and employment, health and wellbeing, money, preparation for leaving care and who can help is available at: https://www.stoke.gov.uk/careleaverslocaloffer
Residents can access support from the help is at hand campaign at www.stoke.gov.uk/helpisathand.
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