Councillors have acknowledged that young people who have spent time in the care system often face less favorable treatment and should be considered similarly to those with protected characteristics. The report highlighted that young people in care typically have lower educational attainment compared to their non-care-experienced peers and are disproportionately represented among the homeless population.
An Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, published in May 2022, recommended that the Government should recognize care experience as a protected characteristic. The review also suggested new legislation to expand corporate parenting responsibilities across a broader range of public bodies and organizations.
Following this, a motion will be presented to the Council to treat care experience as a locally protected characteristic until it may be officially recognized by legislation. If the Cabinet approves this motion, the council would be able to take additional measures to ensure that care-experienced young people are not discriminated against. The council would also work with partners to enhance support for care-experienced individuals in various areas of life, including housing and accommodation, health, employment, and education and training opportunities.
Councillor Stacie Elson said: "I’m so pleased that this motion was passed at Council last week. People who have care experience are often some of our most resilient members of the community, but despite this, it’s important their needs and the long-lasting impacts of being in care are taken into account. These are real people with real lives, who often face discrimination in all walks of society, including housing, health, education, relationships, employment, and the criminal justice system.
As a council, we should be championing our children and young people who are and have been in our care, and challenge the negative attitudes of society. I look forward to bringing a report to Cabinet in the future, where we will formally request that the authority and its partner organizations treat care experiencers with the respect and equality they deserve, and handle care experience as a protected characteristic as though it was legislation".
