Councillors from the Labour and Green parties Pic: Hackney Council  

Hackney Council has promised to continue provide quality support children in care transitioning into adulthood. 

Councillors have signed a charter that outlines the Hackney promise to children in care. The charter makes six promises to children in care focusing on their rights, where they live, their education and employment, health, identity and shift into adulthood. 

The report released by the council states that: “As corporate parents, all Council officers and members share a collective responsibility to ensure that care experienced children and young people who may have had disrupted experiences of family life get the support they need to live the happiest and healthiest lives possible.” 

A Hackney council representative told Eastlondonlines: “All local authorities and elected representatives are collectively ‘corporate parents’ for children in care”, including non Cabinet members. Councillors from Labour and Green Parties all joined to sign the charter.

Councillor Anntoinette Bramble Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Young People and Children’s Social Care said in a press release: “We are incredibly proud of the achievements of our care leavers, many of whom have had to overcome experiences of trauma, abuse or neglect.  

“We know that many care experienced young people overcome incredible challenges, which can make it difficult to take part in education, training and employment, or to maintain interpersonal relationships. 

“We believe that our corporate parenting duties do not end once a young person reaches a certain age, and we as councillors need to continue to do everything in our power to support our care leavers as they begin their independent journey into adulthood.  

“This is part of our 2022 manifesto commitment that set out our promise to ensure that we have a solid leaving care plan for our young people, codesigned with them to best respond to their specific needs and concerns.” 

A Hackney care leaver is a young person aged between 18 and 25 who has been looked after by Hackney for more than 13 weeks after their 14th birthday, including some time after their 16th birthday. All Hackney care leavers are entitled to access support from the Children and Families Care service. 

The Hackney Leaving Care Service provided support to 364 care leavers as of December 2023.