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Newport to recognise care leaver as a protected characteristic

Care leavers will be given greater recognition by Newport City Council when it is designing policies and services.

That is following a decision at Tuesday’s council meeting to recognise care leavers (care experienced) as a protected characteristic.

‘Care experienced’ will be added to the list of protected characteristics on the council’s next Strategic Equality Plan, which is due to be published later this year.

The move will see the council take the specific needs of care leavers into account whenever it is taking decisions, and give the council greater autonomy to put in place policies and programmes which will promote improved outcomes for care leavers.

The decision was supported unanimously at the meeting following a motion proposed by the leader of the council, Councillor Jane Mudd, and seconded by Councillor Stephen Marshall, joint cabinet member for social services.

Prior to the meeting, a celebration was held at the Civic Centre for a number of care leavers who were presented with handmade quilts as part of the Quilts for Care Leavers project. The care leavers also had a chance to speak to the leader and other elected members about their experiences.

Commenting on the motion being passed, Councillor Mudd said: “I’m delighted that council has given its support to care leavers being given this greater recognition by the city.

“We recognise that care leavers face a very unique set of circumstances and challenges, and it is only right that we do everything possible to take these circumstances into account when designing our services.

“Passing this motion places care leavers’ needs at the heart of our decision making processes. We call upon other public bodies who have not yet done so to consider recognising care experience in the same way, so that together we can help deliver better outcomes for care leavers across Wales."

Rowan Aderyn, who has experience of growing up in foster care and supports the move, said: "Without foster care I would simply not be alive today. I will be forever grateful for the support of so many services and yet over my lifetime I have seen and heard of so many examples of the prejudice care experienced people face. 

“We have ignited a spark in Wales. By protecting care experience, we are on the journey to building a future where every child, regardless of their past, has the chance to shine.”