Employment aid for Wolverhampton’s young care leavers

The city council’s Education, Employment and Training (EET) plan is currently working to address the many challenges faced by young people coming out of a care environment and seeking work for the first time.

At the latest meeting of the council’s corporate parenting board, education bosses highlighted a number of issues faced by children leaving care and approaching work opportunities locally. The main concerns registered were history and culture of low aspiration; trauma and/or attachment-related difficulties and negative previous experiences; disrupted education and high level of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND); negative assumptions around children and young people in care and care leavers and financial issues.

In a report to members, the council’s EET coordinator, Helen Woodvine, said: “The council have five apprenticeships opportunities for Children and Young People in Care (CYPiC) and care leavers in a variety of positions and levels. These are all within children’s social care. The apprenticeship recruitment process is council-wide, and now includes support that allows care leavers and CYPiC to access and apply for apprenticeship vacancies at the internal stage.

“Work is ongoing to explore more vocational roles within parks and gardens, refuge, facilities and maintenance, car parks and parking, transport and catering services. We are also looking at alternative pathways into apprenticeships to allow care leavers the ability to access work experience or taster days to experience prior to applying.

“The EET panel now runs bi-monthly and has recorded a 61 per cent success rate for supporting young people’s engagement into EET activity. There are additional panels over the summer months to allow for those at risk of not being in EET (NEET) to be captured before the start of the next academic year.

“As of September 2022, the council has 25 care leavers attending Higher Education, with a further three taking a break from studies for a year. The number of care leavers accessing university has increased year on year, with a dip for the Covid year intake of 2020-21,” she added.

“We have been in discussion with four organisations to promote new external opportunities for care leavers and have secured a commitment from a number of organisations to offer work experience, volunteering opportunities and development of either apprenticeship or employment opportunities to be made available with a priority interview being given to CYPiC and care leavers.”

Organisations taking part are The Little Dessert Shop, Eurofit, The Haven Wolverhampton, Hub for Grub – volunteering opportunity, Progress Care, Collins Aerospace and Eurovia.

“Outcomes for children in care and care leavers as a result of their pre-care and in care experience are poorer than their peers. Unfortunately, sometimes being in care can have a negative impact on children’s education as frequent placement and school moves will all impact on a child’s confidence and ability to learn,” said Ms Woodvine.

“Traumatic experiences before entry into care can also cause difficulties, which may affect a child’s behaviour, self-esteem, self-regulation, or trust in authority figures. The support provided by the EET Team is to help mitigate against the negative impact  of being in or leaving care and the inequality they can face in society.”