The Story of Coram Voice

It started in a London living room in 1975. Since then Coram Voice has grown to become the leading national charity for the voice of children in care. Read more about our story and our ambitions in our 50th Anniversary Report (PDF, 3MB).

1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s

1975

Social worker Gwen James meets in her living room with other social workers worried that children in care are not being listened to and from this the charity Voice for The Child in Care is born.

Our aim then as it is now was to ensure that children in care are listened to and involved in decisions made about them.

That is just the start of the journey…

1977

Coram Voice’s first advocacy case supporting a seven-year-old girl.

1979

The International Year of the Child and we launch our ‘A Voice in Their Lives’ campaign promoting the need for young people to have an independent person to act as an advocate. The telephone helpline in Gwen’s home is inundated.

1987

Coram Voice establishes the first visiting advocacy service to secure children’s homes.

1989

The Children Act (1989) incorporates a complaints process for children in care and the concept of an independent person working alongside the investigating officer during the investigation of complaints.

1990

Coram Voice launches our first community advocacy service in the London Borough of Greenwich.

1991

In October the Children Act (1989) is implemented, recognising the importance of listening to the wishes and feeling of children in decision making.

Coram Voice establishes the first service providing Independent People for Children Act complaints.

1995

Our London-wide advocacy service is launched with the first advocacy helpline  and a team of advocates supporting children and young people from across the capital.

1998

Coram Voice’s successful advocacy for secure children’s home leads to a request to set up the first visiting advocacy service to Medway Secure Training Centre.

2000

Led by John Kemmis as CEO, we found and co-chair the National Children’s Advocacy Consortium to campaign for advocacy as a legal right.

2001

The Children (Leaving Care Act) 2001 is implemented and Coram Voice publish the first edition of ‘Sorted & Supported‘, a guide for young people, explaining their rights as care leavers

2002

After intense lobbying, advocacy is enshrined in law, giving young people the right to an advocate when making a complaint.

The National Advocacy Standards written with Coram Voice were introduced.

2003

The Home Office ask Coram Voice to develop the model for advocacy provision in all young offender institutions and secure training centres.

 

Coram Voice publishes Start with the Child, Stay with the Child – a Blueprint for a child-centred approach to children and young people in public care.

2004

Coram Voice’s advocacy service for children in youth-offending institutions and secure training centres nationally begins

2005

Coram Voice launches the The Alliance for Child Centred Care with the goal of improving outcomes and bringing about a truly child-centred care system.

We establish our specialist projects to support care leavers and children and young people with disabilities.

2009

Coram Voice wins the Skills for Care Accolades Award for “most effective practice in workforce development across partner agencies” for our work with Kirklees Council to improve looked after children’s reviews.

2010

We create ‘It’s My Review’ publication to put children and young people in the driving seat of their reviews

2011

Publication of  ‘Where’s my Advocate?’, commissioned by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. It is the first report of its kind.

2012

We pilot our groundbreaking Homeless Outreach Project in London, removing  young people from homelessness and ensuring they receive the support from children’s services they are entitled to.

2013

Coram Voice joins the Coram group of charities in October.

Our Bright Spots programme, a partnership with the University of Bristol, launches to understand from children’s point of view their care journey and what their experiences of it are like.

2014

Coram Voice’s report ‘The Door Is Closed’  highlights the work of our Homeless Outreach project and provides evidence of children who are homeless because they are not provided with the services they are entitled to.

2015

Coram Voice develops a new search tool for young people so they can find out where their local advocacy service is.

We launch Voices, the only national writing competition for children and young people in care.

2016

 

The ‘Your Life Your Care’ survey, developed by Bright Spots  is rolled out across six local authorities.  It gathers the views of 611 children and young people in care and the first Bright Spots report ‘Our Lives, Our Care – looked after children’s views on their well-being’ is published.

2017

Coram Voice is awarded  the National Advocacy Advice Line and Safety Net and Always Heard is born, making sure that no child in England will ever be without advocacy when they need it.

In July, Coram Voice was delighted to have been to become the home for A National Voice – the only organisation run by and for children and young people in and leaving care.

The Bright Spots Programme extends its mission to give care experienced young people a voice with the development of ‘Your Life Beyond Care’ – a survey asking care leavers about their lives and experience of leaving care. Thirty care experienced young people in two local authorities helped us write the questions and tell us about what is important to them.

2018

We set up ‘Project Advocacy’, a ground breaking collaboration with Essex police and local advocacy providers to ensure young people in contact with the police who need advocacy get it.

Our Bright Spots Programme is the biggest national survey of looked after children’s views on their lives and experience, reaching 3,885 children and young people from 23 local authorities.

We launch the first videos on YouTube developed by young people in care describing what advocacy is.

2019

New Belongings programme starts supporting eight local authorities and their care leavers to improve services based on care leavers’ views.

We employ care experienced Digital Creatives who produce eight films with other young people about your rights leaving care

2020

What makes life good? Care leavers’ views on their well-being published

Bright Spots pilot in Scotland starts in partnership with CELCIS

2021

Independent Review of Children’s Social Care launched. Coram Voice is the only charity to work directly with the review to gather the views of over 300 children in care and care leavers.

Bright Spots Resource Bank launched showcasing examples of how local authorities are making life better for children in care and care leavers

2022

First A National Voice awards at the Amplify conference celebrates the work of Children in Care Councils

Managing Director, Brigid Robinson receives an MBE for her distinguished service to children and young people

Staying Connected report shares 7,500 children and young people’s views on family time

2023

Government publishes Stable Homes, Built on Love strategy and ANV supports DfE to engage  young people around the strategy.

Bright Spots report on the experience of children in kinship foster care.

2024

ANV ambassadors co-create a guide to engaging care experienced people for the Local Government Association (LGA) and Grand Campaign report on Setting Up Home Allowances.

 

Disability, disparity and demand report shares insights on numbers and experience of disabled children in care and care leavers.

The Door is Still Closed report shows that – 10 years after the first analysis – homeless 16- and 17-year olds continue to be denied care

2025

Coram Voice marks 50 years of the Voice for the Child in Care with the launch of the Coram Voice Care Ambition.