National Care Leavers Week takes place this year from Monday 24 to Sunday 30 October.

This national awareness week is an opportunity to celebrate the success of our care-experienced young people and highlight the support from the public, charitable, voluntary and private sectors. It is also recognised as an opportunity to reflect on the ongoing challenges faced by care-experienced young people as they begin independent lives as adults.

Cllr Cordelia Law, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Torbay Council said, “Care-experienced young people can often be extremely vulnerable when they leave the care system and transition into adulthood. It is so important that we don’t allow these promising young people to fall through the gaps without accessible support. As a corporate parent, it is our duty to support care-experienced young people through that transitional phase into adulthood.

“We are so proud to have such amazing community partnerships in place to help support our care-experienced young people into the next phase of their journeys. This partnership approach has already achieved so much, and we are committed to building on this success, helping to close the disparity gaps between the care system and adulthood. We want all young people in Torbay to have equal opportunities to feel supported, confident, and ready for the future.”

Torbay Council and local care-experienced young people and adults will be marking the week with both national and local activity, sharing best practice, and celebrating success.

On Tuesday 25 October, Torbay Council and partners, alongside cared for and care- experienced children and young adults will be attending the launch of the new Torbay Youth Trust Chill’d Out Space.

This new initiative is an area specifically created to provide a welcoming space where care-experienced young people can meet with professionals from Torbay Youth Trust, the Torbay Council Care Experienced Team, Careers South West and other services in a young person friendly and welcoming environment.  

The launch event will bring together members of Torbay’s Corporate Parenting Board, the Care Experienced Team, Sound Communities, Torbay Youth Trust, foster carers and young people who are cared for and care experienced.

The launch celebrations will include music and art activities and of course – pizza and sweet treats! 

On Wednesday 26 October, My Voice, a group made up of local care-experienced young people age16- 25 who help influence and improve services based on their lived experiences – will be virtually attending the National Care Leavers Benchmarking Forum (NCLBF).

The virtual event will celebrate care-experienced young people and provide an opportunity to meet other young people with similar lived experiences in a safe forum.

The NCLBF is a national charity that advocates for and supports care-experienced young people and the professionals who support them.

As a local authority, Torbay Council is a member of NCLBF which enables staff  to access training and share national best practice in supporting care-experienced young people.  

On Thursday 27 October, three of Torbay Council’s Care Experienced Team’s Personal Advisors who support care-experienced young people and adults, will be attending the NCLBF Awards event in-person and virtually. This event brings together Personal Advisors from across England and Wales to celebrate and share best practice.  

All three have be nominated to receive the award for Personal Advisor of the Year by Torbay care-experienced young people.