Supporting Care Leavers Conference 2026
Past and Present Supporters Include
Overview
In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the need to strengthen support for care leavers as they transition into adulthood, particularly following the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care and the government’s ongoing programme of reform. These commitments have brought renewed focus to improving support for care leavers; however, significant challenges remain in ensuring consistent, high-quality support across housing, health, education and employment.
Agenda
Registration
Chairs Opening Remarks
Kathy Evans, Director of Policy & Influencing, National Youth Advocacy Service (CONFIRMED)
Keynote: Delivering Reform for Care Leavers in 2026
- Outlining progress on implementing children’s social care reform, including how recommendations from the Independent Review are translating into statutory duties and improvements for care leavers
- Examining the national rollout of Staying Close and how it is being developed as a core offer to prevent instability and reduce poor outcomes during transition
- Strengthening consistency in local authority support by addressing disparities in local offers, financial entitlements and access to services
- Identifying upcoming legislative and funding priorities, including how government intends to extend support to age 25 and improve long-term outcomes for care leavers.
Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England (invited)
Keynote: Best Practice for Supporting Transitions Out of Care
- Supporting organisations and employers to design recruitment and workplace practices that are inclusive and accessible to care leavers
- Encouraging employers to develop opportunities tailored to care leavers’ needs
- Working with local authorities and partners to connect care leavers with inclusive employment pathways and to coordinate offers of support
- Promoting awareness and good practice among organisations so that care leavers’ diverse backgrounds are understood and respected in the workplace
Bethany Caunter, Strategic Partnerships Manager, Care Leaver Covenant (invited)
Questions and Answers
Comfort Break
Keynote: Improving Services Available for Care Leavers
- Highlighting persistent inequalities experienced by care leavers, including access to mental health services and continuity of care
- Expanding awareness and implementation of new entitlements
- Strengthening coordination between public authorities and charity sector providers
- Promoting co-designed approaches that centre care-experienced young people in shaping health and wellbeing services
Chloe Grant, Director of Services, Become Charity (invited)
Case Study: Building Support Beyond Statutory Services
- Advocating for extending support beyond statutory age thresholds by demonstrating the long-term impact of relationship-based and community-led models
- Developing peer-led networks that enable care-experienced adults to maintain connection beyond formal services
- Strengthening the use of lived experience in shaping policy and local service design to ensure relevance and accessibility
- Supporting flexible, ongoing support models that respond to changing needs across adulthood rather than fixed transition points
Terri-Anne Hamer, Project Worker, The Care Leavers Association (invited)
Questions and Answers
Lunch Break
Keynote: Reducing Criminal Justice Involvement Among Care-Experienced Young People
- Examining the drivers behind disproportionate criminal justice involvement among care-experienced young people, including exclusion from education and unmet mental health needs
- Strengthening early intervention by improving collaboration between children’s services, youth justice teams and education providers to identify and support those at risk
- Ensuring trauma-informed and relationship-based approaches across policing seek to reduce reoffending
- Developing pathways into education, training and employment for those with justice system experience
Kaya Comer-Schwartz, London Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (invited)
Case Study: Preventing Homelessness and Improving Housing Stability
- Identifying key drivers of homelessness among care leavers, including early transitions, financial instability and lack of suitable accommodation pathways
- Strengthening working between housing authorities and children’s services to enable earlier intervention and coordinated planning
- Expanding access to models such as Staying Put and Staying Close, ensuring these are consistently available and support individual need
- Addressing gaps in provision for care leavers with complex needs, including those requiring supported or specialist accommodation
Senior Representative, Centrepoint (invited)
Questions and Answers
Breakout Networking: How Does Your Organisation Support Care Leavers?
Use this opportunity to connect and share insights on providing ongoing support, opportunities and resources for care leavers to support their personal and professional growth.
Comfort Break
Keynote: Creating Employment Pathways for Care Leavers
- Building structured partnerships between employers and local authorities that move beyond pledges into improved employment opportunities
- Expanding apprenticeship and supported employment pathways that reflect the needs and starting points of care-experienced young people
- Introducing inclusive recruitment practices such as guaranteed interviews and contextualised selection processes
- Developing progression routes that support retention and long-term career development rather than short-term placements
Senior Representative, Social Mobility Commission (invited)
Case Study: Strengthening Pathways into Higher Education for Care Leavers
- Examining the systematic barriers preventing care leavers from accessing and succeeding in higher education, including low progression rates and high dropout compared to peers
- Strengthening collaboration between local authorities, colleges and universities to create joined up working that improves both access and retention
- Developing the quality assurance frameworks for driving consistent support across higher education institutions
- Outlining regional and national approaches, drawing on developments across local authorities to improve outcomes and reduce inequality
Denise Rawls, Executive Director, National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (CONFIRMED)
Questions and Answers
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Kathy Evans, Director of Policy & Influencing, National Youth Advocacy Service (CONFIRMED)
Conference Close
Get in Touch
Previous Speakers
Dr Jim Gooddard
Chair
Care Leavers Association
Karen Sharp
Director Health and Care Partnership
East Kent, Health and Care Partnership
Gareth Evans
Director of Operations
Care Leaver Covenant
Cllr. Lucy Smith
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People
Bury Council
Chloe Grant
Director of Services
Become
Maria Mcevoy
Grandmasters Programme Manager
Volunteering Matters
Testimonials
Excellent event – it was very thought provoking and gave me some great ideas and platforms
Very informative of support for care leavers and care experienced… feeling both informed and inspired
The conference displayed a good range of services available… which I will be making use of
The conference had engaging speakers who shared their experiences of being care experienced and how their aspirations for people with Care experience , to achieve their full potential.
Why You Should Attend
- Gain insights into the latest national policy updates for care leavers
- Learn practical strategies for supporting young people from care to independence
- Hear from high-level keynotes and best practice case studies
- Gain 8 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota
Who Should Attend
| Job Title | Organisation |
| Personal Advisor | Local Councils |
| Safeguarding Officer | Housing Associations |
| Outreach Workers | Schools |
| Nurses | Universities |
| Teachers | Care-leaving Charites |
| Housing Officers | NHS |
Pricing Options
PRIVATE SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
Public Sector
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
Sponsorship
Raise Your Profile, Showcase Your Solutions, Generate New Business
If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact us HERE
IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.
Virtual vs F2F
Whilst F2F provide better options for networking, there are many distinct advantages of sponsoring our online conferences including:
- Wider geographical reach of delegates and a different audience who prefer online to f2f
- Lower sponsorship package costs
- No travel/accommodation
- Less time out of the office
- No stand materials required (lower costs)
- 1 of only 2 sponsors involved – less competition on the day
- Prime speaking slot in the morning of the conference including Q&A – less distractions and easier for delegates to hear/absorb information
- Receive all delegate data after the conference to follow-up directly with those who attend and don’t attend (small % but still key stakeholders)
- Ongoing exposure via OnDemand access
To find out more and discuss your specific objectives, please contact us below:
