Care Leavers’ Helpline on hand all day and night
Care leavers from across the county have come together to help revamp the publicity for a 24 hour helpline, geared towards young people who have left care.
The young people worked with corporate parenting co-ordinator, Suzanne Cotton and professional artist Sybil Roberson. Sybil, who has worked internationally with skate, surfboarding and ski wear companies helped the care leavers to produce the young person-friendly designs to be used on the promotional material publicising the helpline service.
The Care Leavers’ Helpline is a really valuable service that ensures practical help and support is available for care leavers in a crisis, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The service is managed and operated out-of-hours by the Emergency Duty Team. Suzanne, workshop organiser and facilitator, said “We hope to reach out to all care leavers and ensure they are encouraged to use the service when needed; and who better to help us with this, than the care leavers themselves.”
“The young people who attended worked incredibly hard and, as well as their creativity, I was amazed by their honesty and courage. They came up with some unique and exceptionally creative ideas to help ensure care leavers will identify with and be encouraged to respond to the new publicity material”.
Councillor Heather Timms, portfolio holder for Children, Young People and Families at Warwickshire County Council, said: “The young people on the Care Leavers’ Council are an invaluable resource.
"They have a wide range of life experiences and we are very grateful to them for giving their time and sharing these so that we can help the young people in our care, as well as those who have left it, more effectively.”
Leamington-based Jasmine Grinnell of the Care Leavers Council stressed that it is crucial that young care leavers know about the helpline and recognised the importance of the day’s task.
“This helpline is really valuable for young people who have left care. It’s really important that they know about it and I hope our efforts today help to make it well-known across Warwickshire.”
There are two numbers for care leavers. One – 0800 3894964 – is free from a landline; the second number for mobile callers - 01926 412249 incurs a small charge.