Pledge to children in care

Release Date: 16-Oct-2009

A pledge to children in care, outlining the services they can expect from the council and its partners, is being published this month.

Bristol’s pledge combines the expectations and demands of children and young people in care, and care leavers, with the promises and commitments made by organisations responsible for their care. It outlines the services and support they can expect to receive.

The pledge is split into five main sections that reflect the expectations for children in the Children’s Act 2004. These are:

Enjoy and achieve
Be healthy
Stay safe
Make a positive contribution
Achieve economic well-being

Commitments include promises to:

ensure children in care have an up to date care plan outlining how their needs will be met
involve young people in reviewing their care
help children in care take part in activities outside school
make sure they have somewhere to study and do their homework
make sure they have access to a telephone and a computer
give them opportunities to gain work experience
make a plan to help them as they leave care
help and support them to apply for jobs and access training

Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Clare Campion-Smith, said: “We are committed to helping children in care reach their full potential. All adults who work for and with the council have a responsibility to make sure children in care are safe, healthy and achieving their goals. This new pledge, which children and young people have taken an active role in putting together, spells out how the council and its partners promise to help.”

Becca Lowe, Chair of the Children in Care Council, said: “The Children in Care Council have been very involved in every step of this pledge; we asked for it to be made simpler to understand for younger children and now the pledge is finally ready I feel very happy. It is so good that the adults and children have worked together so closely to make Bristol a better and happier place for looked after children.”

Children in care were actively involved in developing the pledge and a copy will be included in the winter edition of R-Voice, the magazine written by Bristol’s children in care for their peers.

Author: Katharine de Lisle 0117 922 2732

For all media enquiries relating to this press release, please contact Corporate Communications on 0117 922 2650.

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