Collaboration and unity are vital across the Eastern region, and this was powerfully demonstrated at the recent Eastern Region Leaving Care Network Conference. The event saw over 160 colleagues from all 11 local authorities in the region come together to share knowledge and inspire change.

The conference featured compelling keynote speeches from Dr Jenny Malloy, author of “Hackney Child,” and Scott King, Director of Section 31 Training. Both speakers challenged delegates to be professionally curious, adopt a trauma-informed lens in their work, reflect on their practices, and celebrate their achievements.

However, the true stars of the event were the care leavers from the Eastern region. Despite having never met before, they collaborated to share their stories, experiences, challenges, and ideas with the delegates. Their focus was particularly on the transition from NEET to EET. The courage, articulation, and honesty of these young people was both inspiring and challenging, highlighting the complexities behind the NEET label. They emphasised the importance of workers understanding them as individuals, recognising their unique needs, challenges, and aspirations.

The Eastern Region Leaving Care Network aims to leverage the insights gained from the conference to drive further regional initiatives to improve the experiences and outcomes for care leavers in our area. Importantly, the conference marked the beginning of the Eastern Region Care Leavers Participation Network. This network will ensure that the voices of care leavers are at the heart of all efforts, guiding and supporting the work ahead.

To conclude, I’d like to share a poignant poem by Zoe, a care leaver not in education, employment or training, which she presented at the conference:

I wasn’t too sure what to say at the start 

Although I’m reading from a piece of paper 

It’s written from my heart 

And turned into a form of art 

So let me paint a picture 

A picture for you all to see

I thought I’d start of by sharing a little bit about me 

I was once a girl who didn’t see a future at all 

I was only 13 when I left mainstream school

Now I didn’t finish secondary or go to college or get my uni degree 

And sometimes I feel like I’m not where I should be 

But I was only a kid when I went through what I did 

And I know I’m not the only one 

Many young people have to face a lot 

Local authorities and education sectors constantly finding ways to improve 

But I think many search for the answers in places where they’re not 

Many may believe funding is key 

But I wouldn’t completely agree 

The things I’ve gone on to achieve 

Wasn’t because of my EHCP

In fact, I’ve hardly used it

It’s because people didn’t let me quit 

It’s because I had people believe in me 

I think fundamentally what is key is to be heard and to be seen

to not be denied opportunities due to the places we’ve been 

For someone to believe in us, that inspire us to go far

That whatever challenges we may face in our lives doesn’t determine who we are 

Or the future we will have 

It’s an important lesson to teach 

To show that even when something feels impossible to accomplish and far out of reach 

You can still make it to that point one day 

Sometimes it gets dark but that’s where people come in to help guide the way 

This has to be more than a job, more than just employment 

It has to be a passion that may be filled with challenges but also enjoyment 

With a forever growing desire for seeing young people succeed 

To put it frankly I think good, kind people is what we need 

I think the system has been and is in some ways still broken

But I do believe we can turn it around

Start a fresh, start a new 

The people that have that power are with us in this room

The people with the opportunity to shape and change a life is all of you. 

This poem encapsulates the spirit and resilience of care leavers, reminding us of the importance of listening to, and supporting these young individuals as they navigate their paths.