Support for vulnerable care leavers requires delivering a range of training
We succeed by doing what’s right for children, says Paul Carberry
oung care leavers who have been looked after at home are widely regarded as one of the most vulnerable groups in society.
They have some of the poorest educational outcomes, are among the hardest to engage through mainstream public sector services and have a higher rate of education exclusion than the general school population.
Although the proportion of looked after leavers with one or more qualification at level 5 or better has increased from 15 per cent to 40 per cent since 2009-10, there is still more to do to close the gap between our most and least vulnerable children and raise attainment for all.
As part of the Young People’s Con- along with Barnardo’s Scotland and the Prince’s Trust, Action for Children Scotland are proud to play our part in supporting young care leavers. In recent months, that has seen the consortium work together on the ‘Delivering Your Potential’ programme across Scotland.
The one-year pilot programme will work intensively with 270 Care Experienced young people aged 16-19. It will promote a systemic change to the way leaving care employability support is delivered, supporting young care leavers to achieve positive destinations including employment, training, and education; and delivering the wider support they need to increase resilience. Recently, the consorti- um hosted Jamie Hepburn MSP, the Employability Minister, who got to meet with some of the young people who are part of the programme as well as a number of our employer partners, including Kwik Fit, Laing O’rouke and Standard Life.
Included in the group were Brooke and Kayleigh, two care experienced young women supported by Action for Children in Edinburgh. Both have come from difficult, although very different, backgrounds that created an extra barrier in finding, and maintaining, employment.
However, despite being on the programme for less than two months, we have seen enormous progress made by both. Each has a career goal and are being supported in finding training and work placements in order to turn their ambitions into a reality, with one training to be a lifeguard and the other working her way to become a carer.
We have a long history of supportsortium,