We have co-produced Our Promise with the Children in Care Council (CiCC).
We have co-produced Our Promise with the Children in Care Council (CiCC).
As corporate parents, we have listened to what you have told us is important to you. We promise that in everything we do we will:
1. Make sure you feel valued, loved and respected
2. Find the right home for you and help you to feel safe and settled there until you are ready to move on
3. Support you to stay safe, be happy and lead a healthy lifestyle
4. Make sure you have a social worker or personal advisor who will spend time getting to know you and explain how they can help you
5. Listen to you about what is important to you and involve you in decisions that affect your life, your care and your future
6. Write down what you tell us carefully so that you don’t have to keep telling our story
7. Use the language that you are comfortable with when we are writing or talking about you, your life, your care and plans for your future
8. Help you stay in touch with people who are important to you, especially your family, so long as it is safe for you to do so
9. Help you to understand your life story when you are ready to and in a way that works for you
10. Explain when we have to make decisions you may not like or agree with
11. Find the right school for you, and help you to learn and do your best
12. Help you to have new experiences, do activities you enjoy and have fun
13. Make sure you have access to a range of work and learning opportunities
14. Encourage you to dream big and celebrate your achievements
15. Work with you to plan your future and make sure you have the right support in place when you leave care
16. Listen to and act on what you tell us about your experiences in care and leaving care, and what we can do to make it better
Let us know how we’re doing
We want you to let us know how we’re doing at keeping our promises to you. For example, we would like to hear from you if:
- You feel that we have not kept any of these promises
- You’re unhappy with the support you’ve had from us
- Someone has worked hard to support and help you, and you think they should be recognised and praised
- You want to share your experience of care with us, good or bad
You can talk to your social worker, carer or independent reviewing officer about how we have done. If you think we have not kept our promises, this person could help you solve the problem.
If you want to take things further, you can find details on how to do this by visiting our Compliments and Complaints page for children and young people and by checking out our complaints guide for children and young people in care.