SCIE media releases 2007
Young people from care become inspectors of services
06 June 2007
A ground breaking new project, giving young people who have been in care a chance to inspect local authority children's services will be launched today, Wednesday 6 June at the House of Commons.
The LILAC (Leading improvements for looked-after children) project trains care-experienced young people to inspect statutory, voluntary and independent children's services - particularly looking at how young people are involved in key decision making processes including their choice of school and their placement. The inspections are based on standards that the young people themselves have devised. Services that meet the agreed standards will be awarded the LILAC kite mark to recognise their good practice in participation.
The LILAC project has been successfully piloted at York City Council and West Sussex County Council. The evaluation of the pilot inspections highlights that looked-after children and young people are more willing to open up and share truths with care-experienced inspectors.
LILAC was initiated by A National Voice (ANV). It has been managed by Fostering Network with support from the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) and the National Leaving Care Advisory Service NCLAS.
Speaking about the project, LILAC lead -and Chair of ANV, Lucinda Smith, said: "When I was in care the local authority involved me very closely including in the decision to choose my foster carers, as a result my placement was really successful. However, I know from talking to other people that I was very lucky and that lots of children in care don't always have such positive experiences. I wanted to help improve the system and believe the LILAC project will do this.
"The pilot inspections have shown us that care-experienced young people have much to offer in assessing and supporting the development of a service's planning, reviewing, complaints and participation procedures. The young people involved have been fully trained and developed a robust framework of standards to inspect against. Now we're looking to take LILAC forward and role it out at a national level but to enable us to do this we need the government to invest further in the scheme."
Chief Executive of Fostering Network, Robert Tapsfield, said: "Children and young people in care have the right to be heard, to influence how services are delivered and to take part in decision making - their futures depend on the services they receive and they are the experts on these services. LILAC provides the means for young people in care to have a real influence over the services that affect their lives. With the LILAC project, inspectors will act as advocates and champions of looked-after children - ensuring their views make a difference and change services for the better."
Chair of SCIE, Allan Bowman, said: "It is vital that children's services actively involve the young people who use them in their development. Although this has increased in the last few years, some services only consult on one aspect - ticking the participation 'box' but not necessarily developing as a result. The LILAC kite mark of approval will encourage services to raise their game - spreading the messages of good practice and involvement."
The report from the LILAC pilot project will be launched at Portcullis House by David Kidney MP on June 6. For more information about the LILAC project visit www.fostering.net
Media contact
Fostering Network
Claire Dickinson | Media and Communications Officer
| T: 020 7620 6441/6416 | Email: media@fostering.net
SCIE
Annie Goss | Media and Communications Officer |
T: 020 7089 7117 | M: 07739 458 192 |
Email: media@scie.org.uk
Notes
- The launch of the LILAC pilot report will take place at Portcullis House on June 6 between 5.30 and 7.30 pm and includes a programme of speeches. Media representatives who would like to attend the event should call Claire Dickinson or Annie Goss (details above).
- Lucinda Smith (LILAC project manager and ANV Chair), Caroline Porritt (young inspector) Robert Tapsfield (CEO Fostering Network) Allan Bowman (Chair SCIE) and Martin Hazelhurst (NCLAS) are available for interview.
- The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) was launched in October 2001 as part of the Government's drive to improve social care. It is an independent registered charity, governed by a board of trustees. Its role is to develop and promote knowledge about good practice in social care across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For more information about SCIE visit www.scie.org.uk
- A National Voice is an organisation run by and for care experienced young people. For more information about A National Voice, visit www.anationalvoice.org
- The Fostering Network is the UK's leading charity for all those involved in fostering, and exists to ensure that all fostered children and young people receive the highest standards of care. The organisation has offices in Cardiff, Glasgow, Belfast and London. For further information visit www.fostering.net
- The National Leaving Care Advisory Service is part of Rainer and is the only national organisation concentrating solely on young people leaving care. It provides advice, policy, training and consultancy to those who work directly with young people. For further information visit www.leavingcare.org
