Care Experienced Futures: Supporting Care Leavers in Leeds
Research by the National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) revealed that eight in ten children in care have, at least once, had their belongings moved in bin bags at least once.
The My Things Matter campaign, sparked by the research findings, is a collaborative effort led by NYAS and supported by Madlug, a social enterprise dedicated to giving dignity to children in care when they move. The campaign works with local authorities, such as Leeds City Council who commit to working towards five pledges. One of the pledges focuses on ensuring that children in care do not move with bin bags and are supported to have appropriate luggage and receive pack-away travel bags for their valuable belongings, thereby addressing a significant issue identified in the research. Leeds City Council has received over 800 free Madlug bags and already distributed over half of these to children in care across the city.
This November, during National Care Leavers Month, Wellington Place hosted the Madlug Pop-Up Experience, offering interactive sessions that highlighted the incredible work supporting care-experienced young people.
Supported by Lloyds Banking Group, Child Friendly Leeds, in partnership with Employment and Skills Leeds, the Pop-Up featured a workshop with Leeds employers united by a shared ambition: creating employment opportunities, training, and support for care leavers in our city.
Welcomed by Councillor Helen Hayden (Lead member for Children and Families), the workshop emphasised the importance of being trauma informed. When organisations understand the challenges care-experienced young people can face, they can create workplaces where individuals feel safe, valued, and supported. Places where they can thrive, not just survive. Emmerline Irving from the West Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership shared practical insights on designing recruitment, onboarding, and workplace culture with empathy at the core.
John Lewis & Partners, a proud Child Friendly Leeds Ambassador, showcased products designed by care leavers alongside their Building Happy Futures programme, which provides support, financial aid, and employment opportunities for young people leaving care.
While CGI, an IT and business consulting firm, highlighted their involvement in the Leeds Business Anchors Work Experience Programme for Care Experienced Young People. This immersive one-week rotational placement across five businesses offers young people a unique insight into the world of work in a supported and structured environment. For businesses, this is not just a philanthropic act, but also a way to diversify their workforce and gain fresh perspectives, making it a rewarding experience for both businesses and care leavers.
A city-wide commitment
With 10,000 young people leaving the care system each year in the UK, the need for support is clear. Leeds City Council is committed to helping care-experienced young people in every aspect of their lives and welcomed the determination of businesses in the room to do more. 40 attendees from across a range of sectors pledged their support, offering:
- Work experience placements
- Skills workshops to aid employability
- Guaranteed interviews for entry-level roles
- Trauma-informed training for staff
We’re excited to turn these pledges into action and create opportunities that help care-experienced young people build the futures they deserve. If you’re a Leeds employer and want to get involved, please get in touch.
Young people have access to a wide range of work experience, employment and volunteering opportunities.
Young people know where to get information and advice and are supported to access a wide range of opportunities that meet their needs and aspirations. This includes work experience, employment, training and volunteering.
