Children’s social care reform accelerates with more support for care leavers

Thousands more young people will soon receive additional crucial support when leaving care as today, 21 September 2023, the government announces 27 new local authorities to join the Staying Close Programme.

The Staying Close Programme provides a package of continued support and guidance to young people leaving care. This includes ensuring they have accommodation, resources and practical and emotional help provided by a member of staff from their former children’s home, to help them thrive as independent adults. The 27 local authorities have been awarded £27 million to run the Staying Close Programme, taking the programme to a total of 47 local authorities nationally, worth £53 million overall. This funding means more care leavers than ever before will have access to this support.

The government also introduced a new standard on non-instructed advocacy for very young and non-verbal children and young people. These updates set expectations for what high quality advocacy provision should look like and place the voice of children and young people at the heart of the system.

In addition to this, the Labour Party has announced plans to launch a “Sure Start for teenagers” designed to reduce youth violence & poor mental health among young people if elected.