“Show us you care” motion from Haringey Lib Dem Group

“Show us you care” motion from Haringey Lib Dem Group – passed with cross party support


Council notes that: 

  • Care experienced people face significant barriers that impact them throughout their lives; 
  • Despite the resilience of many care experienced people, society too often does not take their needs into account; 
  • Care experienced people often face discrimination and stigma across housing, health, education, relationships employment and in the criminal justice system; 
  • Care experienced people often face a postcode lottery of support; 
  • As corporate parents, councillors have a collective responsibility for providing the best possible care and safeguarding for the children who are looked after by us as an authority; 
  • All corporate parents should commit to acting as mentors, hearing the voices of looked after children and young people and to consider their needs in any aspect of council work; 
  • Councillors should be champions of our looked after children and challenge the negative attitudes and prejudice that exists in all aspects of society; 
  • The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies, such as councils, to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation of people with protected characteristics; 
  • In March 2021 the Independent Review into Children’s Social Care began its work. 

Council believes that: 

  • Care experienced people are an oppressed group who face discrimination;
  • Councils have a duty to put the needs of oppressed people at the heart of decision-making through co-production and collaboration;
  • Services and policies should be assessed through Equality Impact Assessments to determine the impact of changes on people with care experience. 

Council resolves:

  • To formally support the Show Us You Care Too campaign which calls for care experience to be made a protected characteristic as part of the Independent Review into Children’s Social Care;
  • For the council to proactively seek out and listen to the voices of care experienced people when developing new policies based on their views;
  • To continue to build on the existing ringfenced apprenticeship opportunities for care experienced people by committing to an agreed number of apprenticeships places each year delivered through the council’s levy funding;
  • To take an intersectional approach and commit to tackling the systemic discrimination and disproportionality faced by specific groups of care experienced people.