Category: News

11 Jun 19

In April 2019, our Voices 2019 awards ceremony took place at Havas London hosted by #PeterCapaldi, and this week, we are excited to announce the release of the Voices 2019 highlights video.

The video was filmed by a care experienced young person and Coram Voice Digital Innovator, and it showcases how important it is to celebrate the creative talent of care experienced young people through film, poetry, creative writing and public speaking.

Thank you once again to our young people, judges, social workers, guardians and advocates who helped make Voices happen. And a huge thank you to our again to our sponsors: Cadence Innova, Nick and Katie Searl, Havas, Rosemary and Bernard Mayes, and The Queens Trust. Without their generous support, Voices would not have been possible.again to our sponsors,

Please do share the video on social media, by retweeting this tweet.

30 May 19

This Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June), we are highlighting the vital role Independent Visitors play in supporting children and young people in care and encouraging more people to come forward as volunteers.

As an Independent Visitor, you will become a friend to a child or young person in care, sharing a hobby, sport or interest and making a real difference to a young person’s life. Independent visitors take part in activities including bowling, going to the cinema, picnics, and sports with the young person, helping them to build their confidence and self-esteem. Volunteers are also there to listen to any issues or concerns the young person wants to discuss, and give their support in times where a young person might be feeling upset or lost.

Debbie*, an Independent Visitor for Coram Voice in Swindon said: “Being an Independent Visitor is so rewarding, and you get to do new things that you probably wouldn’t have done before. You can help them through their ups and downs and support them to come out the other side feeling proud of themselves.”

Sophie, 23 another Independent Visitor, said: “I wanted to become an IV because it was a unique and fun way to make a meaningful and positive contribution to a child’s life. It’s incredibly rewarding for both parties!”

Our wonderful volunteers contribute their time, passion and skills to our work and make a huge difference to young people in care. We would love for you to join them. We are currently on the lookout for volunteers to become Independent Visitors in London and the South East, Lincolnshire, Swindon and Shropshire.

To find out more about the role in your area, please click the links below.

Independent Visiting in London and the South East

Independent Visiting in Lincolnshire

Independent Visiting in Swindon

Independent Visiting in Shropshire

Independent Visiting is a long-term, one to one commitment. Volunteers must be over 18 and will be subject to enhanced police checks. Full training and ongoing support will be given, and out of pocket expenses will be paid for mileage and activities.

21 May 19

Coram Voice is looking for local authority partners for an exciting new programme funded by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Segelman Trust. The New Belongings Programme (NBP) will develop a model for improving support for care leavers based on engagement and involvement of young people as experts in their own experience. The Bright Spots’ Your Life Beyond Care survey will be used alongside a self-assessment tool in the NB to provide a baseline and inform action planning by the participating local authorities and their young people.

The New Belongings programme was initially developed between 2013 and 2016 with funding from the Department for Education and has now found a new home with Coram Voice, who will use the lessons from the previous programme to support local authorities to develop their leaving care services together with their care leavers.

If you have not yet run the Your Life Beyond Care survey in your local authority and you are interested in being one of the eight local authorities partners, please send us your expression of interest or get in touch with linda.briheim-crookall@coramvoice.org.uk if you want to find out more.

Download further Information for Local authorities and expression of interest proforma.

 

16 May 19

The Children’s Commissioner for England has today published a report on the hundreds of vulnerable children in England who are locked up in institutions across the country.

The report gathers data about children living in secure children’s homes, youth justice settings, mental health wards and other residential placements, either for their own safety or the safety of others. It seeks to identify whether these institutions are meeting these children’s complex needs and whether different decisions could have been taken to prevent them from being locked away.

Worryingly, it finds that more than 200 children who are locked away are ‘invisible’ in the system due to the way data is collected.

In response to the report, Linda Briheim-Crookall, Head of Policy and Practice Development said:

“Given how little we know about these young people, to ensure they are not forgotten, it is essential that there are systems in place to give these children and young people to a voice in the care they receive. As the largest provider of advocacy in secure children’s homes, we know that advocacy is an essential service to allow these children to challenge any inappropriate decisions made about their lives and receive support that addresses their wishes and feelings. Ready access to advocacy in secure settings helps them understand their rights and entitlements and gives them a professional who can work alongside them to ensure they are heard by those that work with them.”

Find out more about our advocacy work and get support here.

02 May 19

Thousands of disabled children and young people in the care system will be able to have a say in how they live their lives, thanks to a £60,000 grant from London Freemasons to Coram Voice.

Through Coram Voice, children and young people with disabilities are provided with a specialist advocacy service enabling them to be heard and to exercise their rights. With highly experienced, independent advocates, Coram Voice is able to represent the feelings and wishes of young people, ensure the service is accessible using specialist methods of communication and train professionals through specialist courses and expert disability casework support.

The grant from London freemasons will allow the charity to help an estimated 2,000 more young people over the next three years, giving children and young people with disabilities equal access to advocacy as other children in the care system.

More than 75,000 young people in England are currently in care. Those with disabilities are especially vulnerable to abuse of their rights and to their voices not being listened to[1]. Children with disabilities are also three times more likely to be abused, but thanks to this new funding, Coram Voice can continue to work to alleviate these risks.

The grant from London freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.

Andrew Dickie, Head of Services at Coram Voice, said: “We’re very grateful to London Freemasons for their generous grant, which helps us make a positive, life-changing impact for more children and young people in care. Every child should have a voice and disabled children have as much right as other children to express their feelings and contribute to key decisions about their lives.”

Adrian Fox of London freemasons said: “We’re proud to have supported such a worthwhile cause. The trust and familiarity that Coram Voice builds with the people it works with is inspiring and changes a lot of lives for the better. Their work is vital to so many vulnerable people, and our grant will help them to reach more children without a voice.”

 

[1] Safeguarding disabled children: practice guidance 2009 – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-disabled-childre…