You said

Kent Care Leavers living in Kent should not have to pay Council Tax. (Council tax is a local tax that helps councils provide services, such as rubbish collection or street cleaning. Part of it also goes towards the police and fire service.)

We did

Kent County Council now pays the Council Tax bills for all Kent Care Leavers who need to pay Council Tax, from the age of 18 – 21 years old.

You said

Workers should think more carefully about the language they use when speaking to and writing about care experienced young people. They should try not to use jargon and communicate clearly using words and phrases that young people prefer and understand. They should ‘Mind their Language’.

We did

The Challenge was agreed, and Kent County Council is working hard to include the ‘Mind their Language’ challenge in all their work. This includes how workers write about young people in their case files.

You said

Children in Care should be clearly told how much pocket money they should be given by the foster carers and how they should receive it. There should be consistency in the amount young people receive.

We did

Two need guidance leaflets were created especially for young people explaining exactly how much pocket money they should receive and how they should be given it. These are now given to foster carers and social workers to share with young people.

You said

The Kent Pledge should extend the promise to provide a laptop or device to all young people aged 7 to 11, as well as those over 11, to help them with their learning.

We did

Now, all young people aged 7 to 11 are offered the device that best meets their learning needs. This could be a notebook, iPad or regular laptop.

You said

Young people who have been in care less than 6 months should be given a computer or electronic device to help with their learning too. Before, this challenge, only young people who had been in care for longer than 6 months could receive one.

We did

The Challenge was agreed. Now, an assessment is made when young people first come into care. If they need a laptop or device to support their learning, they are given one.

You said

Involve Children in Care in designing business cards with Social Workers’ details and contact information on them so they know who their Social Worker is and how they can contact them.

We did

The VSK Participation Team ran a competition to design the business card. The chosen design was made into a business card for Social Workers or Personal Advisors to fill out and distribute to the young people they work with. Ask your Social Worker or Personal Advisor for one if you don’t have yours!

You said

For young people in care to be able to see their younger siblings who still live with their parents or live in another placement. To meet in a safe place with a contact manager and not with the rest of the family.

We did

A decision was taken to include a discussion in each review meeting so your views about seeing your brothers and sisters are clear. This was shared with all the Independent Reviewing Officers.

You said

For Kent County Council to provide a Young Person’s Railcard to YAC members to help them with their travel costs as a reward for becoming a YAC member.

We did

YAC members are now eligible for a paid for Young Person’s Railcard.

You said

For no young person to have their belongings packed into bin bags when they move or leave foster care which can make them feel particularly worthless at what could already be a difficult time for them. Using black sacks can make young people feel that they are ‘rubbish’ or of little value. YAC wanted their Corporate Parents to review the ‘no bin bags’ policy and to ensure that all young people are provided with a suitcase or appropriate containers for moving home to enable them to pack up their belongings.

We did

Although there was already a policy in place to say that no bin bags should be used to move young people, this information was shared more widely in training sessions for foster carers. The policy was also reviewed and relaunched with a higher profile.

You said

If a young person over school leaving age decided to be fully independent and work full time paying their own rent, Kent County Council as a ‘Corporate Parent’ should act as the young person’s guarantor.

(A rent guarantor is someone who promises to pay your rent if you cannot do so. Often people on low incomes need a guarantor to rent a property)

We did

Kent County Council now has a rent deposit and rent guarantee scheme that can be accessed by care leavers, enabling them to seek housing in the private rented sector.