Conference focusing on young people's care experience is hailed a success
A conference organised by care-experienced young people from Inverclyde has been hailed a success.
The young people wanted to hold an event to bring together those involved in their care with more than 100 attendees from social work, housing, further education, employability, emergency services, Children’s Hearings and third-sector organisations.
It explored the care experience and how Inverclyde’s workforce and communities can better support children, young people and their families to thrive.
The theme for the day was around the power of relationships and how supportive, loving relationships from those who work in the care system have a lasting impact on our young people.
The conference was a partnership event with young people from across Inverclyde high schools supported by the iPromise Team and education to host their own youth-led conference. This work was part of the on-going work to extend and widen the representation of the Proud2Care network
Chief Executive of Inverclyde Council Louise Long is a member of the iPromise board and attended the conference at The Beacon.
She said: “This was a very well-organised and important event and I don’t think anyone who attended could fail to have been moved by the powerful stories they heard.
“It was crucial that the young people organised this and their voices were at the heart of it.
“The Promise is a national commitment to do better for care experienced young people. This includes being advocates for young people and using more inclusive language.
“I am proud to be involved with iPromise and I was incredibly proud of your young people who organised and delivered such an impactful and important event.
“Well done to them all.”
There are more than 400 children and young people who are in care or have experienced care in Inverclyde.
More than 100 are post-care or in kinship arrangements, where they’re being looked after by a family member.
Speakers were invited by the young people and included care experienced adults Beth-Ann McDowall, who advocates for care-experienced young people; Laura Beveridge from The Promise Scotland and James Docherty from Community Justice Scotland who is also a development officer within the Violence Reduction Unit.
They all shared their experiences of either being in care themselves or of working with young people who are care-experienced, to share ideas and emphasise the importance of listening to what the young people have to say.
The guests also heard about the innovative Columba 1400 programme in Inverclyde. In October last year, all high schools were invited to nominate three care experienced young people to attend a week-long leadership academy with Columba 1400.
At the end of the week, the young people agreed to use their learning and leadership skills to plan for a future event. Columba 1400’s virtual headteacher in Inverclyde, Susan Chambers, spoke about her work to uphold the recommendations of The Promise.
iPromise is the organisation set up in Inverclyde to deliver the Scottish Government’s Promise to care-experienced young people and involves Inverclyde Council, Inverclyde HSCP, YourVoice and young people themselves.