UPDATE: Councils that have passed the motion to Treat Care Experience as if it were a Protected Characteristic.

An overwhelming response and feedback from registrations so far are that; Local connection rules still being used as a barrier – 36% Care leavers not receiving the correct housing priority or banding – 33% We will be addressing these concerns on this webinar so all those supporting care leavers out of area are well informed and able to better support and advocate. Register here ngforms.co.uk/localconnectio…

We now have 188 registrations from 66 Local Authorities for our webinar on care leavers living out of area. Feedback tells us this is important. That response says a lot. Local connection and housing remain real issues for care leavers, particularly when they are living away from their home Local Authority. From 30 September 2026, important changes come into effect. We’ll explain what they mean, the rights care leavers have, and most importantly, what practitioners can do when those rights are not being recognised. Martha Cover, Associate Member at Coram Chambers, will take us through the legal position and how to interpret the “must”, “may” and “could” within statutory guidance. I’ll share the story behind the campaign, how the changes came about and what they should mean in practice. Wednesday 30 September 2026 3pm–4.30pm | Online 188 people have already registered from 66 Local Authorities. If you work with care leavers — particularly those living out of area — don’t miss out. Register here: ngforms.co.uk/localconnectio… Please share with Leaving Care PAs, housing teams, supported accommodation providers and others working alongside care leavers.

95 registrations from 40 Local Authorities across the UK demonstrate that this is an important topic for our Care Experienced Community. FREE TO ATTEND: Please don't miss out on information that will help you support care leavers living out of area with their housing! Many of those registering so far are Leaving Care PAs, Managers, Homelessness leads supporting care leavers and IRO's, that are supporting Care Leavers living outside their home local authority. From 30 September 2026, important changes come into force. Care leavers living out of area must not be deprioritised or treated differently simply because they come from another local authority. Join Martha Cover, Associate Member at Coram Chambers, and me as we look at what has changed, what it means in practice and how practitioners can challenge decisions and help care leavers get their rights. We’ll also hear directly from Tay and Daveena, who were part of the campaign that helped bring about this change. Wednesday 30 September | 3pm–4.30pm | Online If you support care leavers living out of area, don’t miss out. Register here: ngforms.co.uk/localconnectio… Please share with Leaving Care teams, housing colleagues and anyone supporting care leavers.

This webinar is for Leaving Care PAs, supported accommodation staff, foster carers, children’s home staff, housing teams and anyone supporting care leavers living out of area. Care leavers should not be deprioritised or treated differently simply because they come from another local authority. We’ll explain why — and give you practical tools to help make sure it doesn’t happen to the care leavers you support. Terry Galloway – Founder, Hazel Card & Care Leaver Champion Terry led the campaign to change local connection rules for care leavers after seeing first-hand the barriers faced by a young person, Tay, who was living out of area. Terry will take you through how the campaign developed, the journey to Downing Street and Parliament, what has now changed in legislation and statutory guidance, and what those changes should mean in practice. Tay and Davina will also provide insight into the campaign and why the change was needed. Martha Cover – Associate Member, Coram Chambers Martha will look at the law behind the new arrangements and, importantly, how statutory guidance should actually be interpreted. What does “must” mean? What about “may” and “could”? Martha will explain the legal weight of those words, the duties on local authorities, what practitioners should look for when a care leaver is being deprioritised, and the practical steps they can take to challenge decisions and help care leavers secure the rights the law and guidance provide. Wednesday 30 September 2026 | 3pm–4.30pm | Online | Registration required ngforms.co.uk/localconnectio…

I’m literally in tears, reading the words of this plaque. Shortly before my sister Hazel was killed we made a promise to create systemic change in the care system. She had children go into care, my brother James is also dead, he had children go into care. This work is personal. Too many care experienced people are dying young. We live 20 years less than our peers and we are 70% more likely to die prematurely. I’ve traveled throughout the UK, pushing and prodding for systemic change, it is not easy, many can’t connect the dots. But I’ve lived it and live it everyday. On the journey I’ve spoken in many councils across the UK pushing for Care Experience to be recognised as a Protected Characteristic and on one such occasion in Bedford I stood side by side with Jacqui B who is also care experienced. She has gone on to create the first public acknowledgment in recognition of the Care Experienced People we have lost. This is a long time coming and such a credit to her. I call on every area to follow her lead, create a space where care experienced people can go and mourn the loss of their siblings, their friends and those that they don’t know, but who died young because of a broken care system. Here is me and Jacqui standing side by side at Bedford Council. youtu.be/X3QWmgCii3o Josh MacAlister MP

This is Brilliant @SarahReform

As Lord Justice Baker said last night: “Giving birth is one of the most profound and important experiences a person can go through.” Now imagine that on the very same day, the Local Authority takes you to court to remove your child. Sometimes there are clear and necessary reasons why a same-day application happens. Under current legislation, an unborn child is not a legal entity and has no legal rights until birth, meaning that where urgent removal is considered necessary, proceedings can only begin once the child is born. But variations in practice across the country, particularly in the North East, suggest something is going wrong. I believe a significant contributory factor behind many same-day applications may be a lack of planning caused by insufficient mother and baby placements in the areas where they are needed most. Alongside this, there are growing concerns that some Care Experienced parents are being drawn into social care processes simply because of their childhood experiences, rather than evidence of actual parenting risk. If we are serious about reducing removals, then we need to understand: • What types of placements and support are actually required for mothers, fathers, and babies • What best practice looks like • Where provision is missing across the country • How earlier intervention and proper planning can prevent crisis action at birth Both of my siblings lost their children to the care system. My own journey has been about creating systemic change. I run a not-for-profit supported accommodation provider specifically for Care Leavers, and I have always wanted to build something that helps mothers and fathers keep their children safely, with the right support around them. Because with the right support, families can thrive. Removing a child from their parents should always be the last resort. So this is a call to action. Researchers. Social workers. Midwives. Health visitors. Family judges. Local authorities. Providers. Care Experienced parents. Academics. Policymakers. Charities. Please get in touch if you can help me better understand: • what is needed • what good practice already exists • where the gaps are • and how we can collectively reverse this trend As I said last night, if we build the right model, the sector will respond. @CoramFamilyLaw Research by Karen Boradhurst OBE

Family.... This is genuis

We are off...

Can you guess which councils are voting here to Treat Care Experience as if it were a Protected Characteristic? These are the first 11..... We are now at 131 across England, Scotland and Wales.

What a day in Sunny Scotland, hosted by Falkirk Council Champs, where young people from across Scotland came together to talk about change in the care system. We have a number of champs boards who are going away to campaign for Protected Characteristics in their councils. thank you so much for having me with you today