Raising aspirations for care leavers in Hertfordshire with Project Positive

Why?

Hertfordshire’s Your Life Beyond Care survey results highlighted that many of their young people did not feel positive about their future, and many were not in employment or training. Care leavers also shared that many of the jobs available to them in their area were low income, and that this often lead to further struggles with life, poor mental health and a sense of isolation.

What?

In collaboration with Amazing Apprenticeships, Hertfordshire reached out to several local companies to raise this issue and seek out more meaningful work opportunities for their young people. ‘Project Positive’, as it came to be known, developed into a coproduced campaign that was launched in Hertfordshire during National Care Leavers Week.

Project Positive had three main strands, all connected and each as important as the other.

1. Support for care leavers

• Tailored support to ensure care leavers had the skills and confidence to apply for opportunities.
• Help to address any emotional health and practical needs.

2. Support for training providers

• Training to help providers understand the needs of care leavers – including handling trauma and attachment issues.
• Maximizing additional support and encouraging flexibility.

3. Support for employers

• Training to help employers understand the needs of care leavers – including handling trauma and attachment issues.
• Coaching to encourage programme flexibility and individual needs.
• Additional support from the project team.

The project highlighted the positive skills and qualities that young people have developed through the experience of being in care. The launch website included a section aimed at employers, titled, ‘Why you should employ a care leaver’.

Impact

Young people shared that the project has helped to raise the aspirations of care leavers in Hertfordshire, reducing the stigma around being care-experienced and offering better support and routes into the workplace.

Many local companies are looking to join the project and it has inspired other local authorities, like North Yorkshire, to develop their own equivalents.

The story was picked up by the Guardian newspaper who wrote this article about the project.