Leaving care teams have helped combat loneliness in young care leavers by organising activities around Christmas time.
Why?
Christmas is a time when families get together and spend time with each other. It can be a particularly lonely time for those who do not have family to share it with. Care leavers who struggle financially may find it difficult to treat themselves and their families.
To help care leavers and their families cope at Christmas the leaving care team found different ways to support their young people.
What?
- Christmas presents. Over 200 presents were sent to care leavers and their children. Over £3,000 was raised by a Just Giving campaign and the Personal Advisors bought the presents.
- Stocking. 50 young people received a stocking with chocolates, fun gifts, the crafts to make Christmas cards and recipe card. Young people were asked to send in photos or videos of them cooking or making their cards Christmas treasure hunt. 50 young people took part in a 12 days of Christmas treasure hunt around a local park. An icon for each days was hidden in the park and there was a riddle to help find it.
- Various activities including a Christmas walk, hair and make up workshops Christmas dinners. 30 young people had a Christmas dinner cooked for them by a PA and delivered on the 23rd.
- Phone call on Christmas day. 10 young people who were on their own received a phone call from the worker or a manager.
Impact
Young people said how much they had enjoyed the events – especially the treasure hunt. The Just Giving campaign helped to raise the awareness of
care leavers needs in the wider community.
Activities like these are an opportunity for the leaving care team to build a positive relationship with young people and show that they are there for them. Compared to care leavers in other local authorities, more care leavers in Coventry reported that it was easy to get in touch with their leaving care worker (79%) and trusted their worker (86%) ’all or most of the time’.
