We kicked off the Summer with our Corporate Parenting Event at the Malling school in Maidstone. This event celebrated the importance of Corporate Parenting and gave young people the opportunity to meet with some of their Corporate Parents, including the Chairman of Kent County Council and the Chair of Corporate Parenting Panel, as well as senior Directors, Assistant Directors, and Service Managers from within Integrated Children’s Services. We were also pleased to welcome representatives of the Children’s Commissioner at the event. Young People and their Corporate Parents had the chance to bake and decorate nature inspired cupcakes together and design and create bug hotels and bird feeders.  

Throughout the Summer, we held many activity days across the county. Young People enjoyed the rides at Diggerland in Strood, paddleboarding, kayaking and canoeing near Canterbury and bushcraft at Shorne Country Park near Gravesend. There were also lots of opportunities for animal spotting, with trips to Port Lympe and Wingham Wildlife Park and a day for disabled young people and their households at the Rare Breeds Centre in Ashford. Younger children enjoyed Teddy Bear Picnics with games and arts and crafts.

It was brilliant seeing so many familiar faces and meeting lots of new young people too and we’re already looking forward to the October School Holiday!

Adoption Picnic

On Friday 11th August, we held our Annual Summer picnic for our Adopted Families. The Young People had a chance to see Captain Fantastic do some magic tricks, balloon making and party entertaining! The families also got the opportunity to see and hold some reptiles including snakes, spiders and lizards.It was a lovely day for all families to get together and have some fun in the sun. As well as getting their crafts hands on at our arts and crafts stalls. The Young People made their own DIY suncatchers and for the little ones they decorated their own henry the hedgehog. It was a great day had by all!

This year, we decided to do things a little bit differently and hosted the event at Marleybrook House, a beautiful venue near Canterbury with its own funfair. Young people and their guests had the opportunity to play garden games, experience all the funfair had to offer and of course, receive their awards from senior staff and elected members, including KCC’s Chairman, Mr. Gary Cooke.

It was brilliant to be able to recognise all the young people’s hard work in their education and in the community and celebrate all of their achievements this year. Many of the young people’s stories were incredibly inspiring, showcasing their resilience, determination and perseverance to do their very best, often in the face of adversity. We are already looking forward to next year!

The new forum, called OCYPC MAGIC (which stands for ‘Our Children’s and Young People’s Council’) is designed especially for young people who have special educational needs and disabilities aged 11 – 18 and are in care, adopted and those who have a Social Worker. Meetings will take place during the school holidays, or on Saturday mornings. During meetings young people will be able to share their views and be listened to in a safe and friendly environment, as well as contribute to making changes to the way services are designed and delivered for young people. Topics will include things that affect them at school, in their education and around their wellbeing. They’ll use lots of resources, visual elements and interactive activities pitched to suit the needs of young people, and there will be a high staff to young person ratio, so everyone gets the support they need. Their views will be shared with senior leaders in Kent who are responsible for SEND support so everything they say will really make a difference! Young people can take part in a way that suits them either by attending the main meetings, in smaller groups or on an individual basis. If you know a young person who would be interested in joining this exciting new forum, please contact: VSK_Participation@kent.gov.uk.

Tuesday also saw the first meeting of our new Council group for Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, OCYPC Magic (Making a Great and Important Difference)! At this first meeting, we introduced the group to the young people and explained its purpose – to give young people with additional needs an opportunity to share their views and opinions about school and what helps them learn and support them to make positive changes. We asked them about their experiences at school; what makes them happy, what makes them feel safe and what helps them learn. Finally, the young people shared some ideas for the creation of a new Logo for OCYPC Magic.

Next up was our annual Countywide Event at Kingswood Activity Centre near Ashford. This was an occasion for the Children in Care Councils and the Children WHO Care Council to meet, work together and have fun. During the meeting, our Young People made suggestions about how the government could meet one of its key missions following the Independent Social Care Review, ‘Make care better for children in care and care leavers’. They also began helping us to create a competition entry for the Coram National Voice Awards, celebrating our Challenge Card process and Children in Care Councils.

On Thursday, young people tested their aim with archery, ability in climbing and high ropes and survival skills during an action packed day at Creed Outdoor Learning in Teynham.

And last but not least, we had two activities on Friday. It was really windy at Betteshanger Country Park near Deal, but despite the weather we had so much fun with our group of young people aged 16+. Everyone tested themselves on the obstacle course and learned new skills at the archery followed by a lovely picnic on the grass.

Finally, together with young people aged 7 – 15, we explored one of the oldest castles in the UK, Dover Castle, and had fun learning more about his history.