Calderdale Council has signed up to the Care Leaver Friendly Charter, to help create opportunities for young people leaving care.
The Council is committed to supporting young people leaving care and does all it can to ensure they have the opportunities to enable them to reach their potential.
The Care Leaver Friendly Employer Charter is a nationally recognised agreement which has been developed by the Care Leaver Covenant in collaboration with recruitment specialists Penna. The charter sets out nine principles for employers to adopt and outlines key activities to work towards in recruitment, tracking and development, ensuring that care leavers are identified and supported.
By signing up to the charter, Calderdale Council has made official its status as a Care Leaver Friendly Employer and approved a set of criteria to work towards, to support care leavers to thrive in the workplace.
This includes a guaranteed interview for Calderdale Council apprenticeships or jobs, for care leavers who meet the minimum criteria for the post. Care leavers working at the Council would also be given support within their role and receive compassion and understanding around any additional challenges they may be facing.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, Cllr Adam Wilkinson, said:
“We want to support all young people leaving care and see them thrive, both professionally and personally. Our commitment to the Care Leaver Friendly Employer Charter further reinforces our corporate parenting responsibilities by providing opportunities within the organisation and recognising the amazing talents that so many of our young people possess.”
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Resources, Cllr Silvia Dacre, said:
“Reducing inequalities is a key priority for the Council and we understand that many care leavers face additional challenges, both accessing employment opportunities and feeling supported throughout their time in work.
“We want our young people to achieve their very best and one of the ways we’re doing this is by making sure that our recruitment process is as accessible as possible and providing greater opportunities for our young people to be supported into work or training.”
Supporting people to reach their potential and ensuring the borough is a place where talent and enterprise can thrive are key themes of the Vision 2024 for Calderdale. The year 2024 marks Calderdale’s 50th birthday. Where do we want to be by 2024? Get involved with the debate on Twitter with #VisionCdale2024 and find out more at www.calderdale.gov.uk/vision