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Participation in society

We know that if we work together, things will be better for all of us. This section tells you about the ways that you can get involved to make life better for Care Leavers now and in the future.

For all ages

  • We will tell you about clubs and groups that you can join to meet other Care Leavers and young people.
  • We will ask you how you feel about the way we run Sandwell Children’s Trust and see if we can work together to make things better.
  • We will help you get advice and guidance to secure British Citizenship if you need to apply.
  • We will develop a Young Consultants programme which will reward you for helping us to make our service better. The things you could be doing may include:
    • Helping us recruit staff
    • Delivering training to staff and foster carers
    • Checking our work to make sure it’s good quality
    • Inspecting children’s homes
    • Talking to other Care Leavers and looked after children about their experiences.
  • We will involve you in planning and invite you to events that celebrate your achievements. These could be things like:
    • Care Leavers week
    • Care Leavers festival
    • Care Leaver’s Celebration event
  • We will tell you all about the Care Leaver’s Covenant and the opportunities that can help you.
  • We will invite you to join the Care Leaver’s Forum which is a group of Care Leavers working with us to make things better. If you join, we give you a reward and help you with transport costs to get to the meetings.
  • You will have the chance to help with election processes that Sandwell Council run. This could be when new councillors or MPs are elected. You will be rewarded for this.
  • You will have the opportunity to sit in the Corporate Parenting Board (CPB) to represent other Care Leavers. The CPB is a meeting between young people and the partners that are working to make things better, like the Children’s Trust, the council and Health.
  • We will invite you to help organise and enjoy events where you can meet other Care Leavers.
  • You will have the opportunity to take part in the National Take Over Challenge.
  • You have the right to see the information that we keep about you, including the files and records written about you when you were in care. Your PA can help you access this information if you would like to.
  • You will have free access to any events that Sandwell Council normally charge entrance for. These include the fireworks display and Christmas events.

 

 

When you are 16-17 years old

  • We will help you apply for important documents before your 18th birthday, such as your passport, provisional driving license, birth certificate and national insurance number.
  • We will help you access programmes run by the National Citizen Service if you need them.

When you reach 18 years old

  • We will help you to register to vote.
  • You could be entitled to an English National Concessionary Pass if you are registered disabled. This gives you free off-peak travel between Monday to Friday. www.networkwestmidlands.com/tickets-and-passes
  • You will get a birthday card from the Chief Executive of the Children’s Trust every year until you are 25.