Category: News

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…

11 Apr 19

On Wednesday 10 April, Coram Voice announced the winners of Voices 2019, its national writing competition for children in care and young care leavers, at a ceremony held at Havas Kings Cross, and hosted for the third year running by actor and former Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi.

Coram Voice launched the competition in 2016 as a positive platform for children in care and young care leavers to share their stories and celebrate their talents.

Peter Capaldi said:

24 entrants were shortlisted in the competition across four categories: primary, lower secondary (ages 11-14), upper secondary (ages 15-18) and care leavers.”

The competition judges included writers, authors, poets and journalists, with a special interest in, or personal experience of the care system, They praised the entrants on the powerful and creative ways they met the competition theme of ‘Growing Up.’

The Voices 2019 winners are:

Primary winner – On Reflection, by Anonymous, age 10

Children’s author Jarvis and author Jenny Molloy said ‘we love the pace and simplicity of this piece. The title ‘On reflection’ is a perfect choice, each line reflects another and it grows in power as it reads. A beautiful and intimate poem, we wondered how the writer felt after writing this – proud we hope.’

Lower Secondary School winner – Does Height Matter? by Adam, age 11

Poet Mr Gee and author Kiran Millwood Hargrave said ‘The poem is an amazing combination of both funny & insightful observations surrounding the idea of size. The awareness of being physically “small” but potentially “huge” is both clever and inspiring to all ages.”

Upper Secondary School winner – Shedding Of Skin by Winnie, age 17

BBC reporter Ashley John-Baptise and author Alice Broadway said “WOW. What an incredibly emotive piece of writing. We were both blown away by the standard of writing and amazed that this writer has English as a second language. They told their story with rawness which engaged the reader utterly.”

Care Leaver winner – The Girl Behind The Glass by Sophia, age 21

Rap artist Ric Flo and author Kit De Waal said, “We were both so impressed with the imaginative angle to this poem.  We had to read it twice to see all the imagery and would like to congratulate the writer on such beautiful heartfelt writing with a strong and memorable title.”

Brigid Robinson, Managing Director at Coram Voice said:

“We are immensely grateful that so many children in care and care leavers shared their stories about growing up, and submitted such fantastic entries to the competition. We are proud to showcase their work and proud of every single young person who entered.”

Thank you to our supporters Havas, Cadence Innova, The Queen’s Trust, Nick and Katie Searl and Rosemary and Bernard Mayes for making the competition possible.