Get Involved and Make a Difference

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What is the Super Council?

The Super Council is a group for children in care between the ages of 7 and 11. It is a chance to talk about some of the issues that affect Children In Care in Kent.

Important people at Kent County Council and other organisations often come to speak to the Super Council to find out what they think about any new ideas or before changes happen. This is a way for you to have your say, be listened to and make a difference to the lives of other Children In Care.

The Super Council also like to play lots of fun games as well as do arts and crafts or other activities, such as go bowling. It’s also a great place to make new friends! There are snacks and drinks provided at each meeting.

Are you are interested in joining the Super Council? Or do you just want to have your say? Click here to send us a message.

What are Challenge Cards?

challenge card

What are Challenge Cards?

In February 2015, after talking to children and care leavers, the VSK Participation Team created Challenge Cards. Children and young people in care can write down things they think Kent County Council should be doing better for them and other children like them. They are a way for you to have your voice heard by your corporate parents and the decision makers at the council.

Find out more about Challenge Cards here

How can I make a Challenge?

Any child or young person in care can send in a Challenge. You can:

Bring it to a Super Council meeting
Email VSK_Participation@kent.gov.uk
Post your Challenge to VSK, Worrall House, 19 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4AE
Give it your Social Worker who will pass it to the VSK Participation Team
Find out more about Challenge Cards here

What happens next?

The Challenge is taken to one of the Children in Care Councils where it is talked about. Challenges should be about issues that affect lots of Children In Care. If the council thinks that the challenge is a personal issue for you, the Participation Team will send it to someone who can help you, like your Social Worker. If the Challenge is agreed by the Council, it is discussed at the Children In Care Managers’ Meeting. It is the people at this meeting who must decide on actions to meet the Challenge. They must update the Children in Care Councils about what they will do. The progress of the challenge is also reported to the Corporate Parenting Panel.

You Said, We Did

Challenge: 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.

Challenge: 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.

Challenge: 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.

Challenge: 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.

Challenge: 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.

Challenge: 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 Advisers to fill out and distribute to the young people they work with. Ask your Social Worker or Personal Adviser for one if you don’t have theirs!

Challenge: 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.

Challenge: 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.

Challenge: 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.

Challenge: 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 is now committed to acting as a rent guarantor to support care leavers secure independent housing.

What is the role of the Participation Team?

The Participation Team's role is to encourage all children in care and care leavers to speak up, voice their opinions and to help change the services that they receive. They work hard to support children and young people to come to events and council meetings and help organise the Children in Care Councils. This means that everything that Kent County Council does for Children In Care includes their views.

Alongside Participation Support Officers and Assistants, there are Apprentice Participation Workers within the Participation Team. They are undertaking training with Virtual School Kent and are here to be a link between you and the people who make important decisions in Kent County Council. Many of them are young people who have been in care at some point. Their role involves supporting children, encouraging them to speak up about their views and experiences, and talking about what they would like to change about the care system.

They organise the activity days that are run in the school holidays. The activity days are an opportunity to meet new friends, build confidence and have fun. If you want to find out more about what's on offer, email VSK_Participation@kent.gov.uk.