Care Leavers Association UK

Care Leavers Association UK The CLA is a user led charity run by care leavers for care leavers. “An ever growing network of care leavers”

The CLA will be a user led organisation ensuring that all care leavers have the space and mechanism to input their experiences into achieving the vision

We will:

-Establish networks of care leavers around the UK
-Connect care leavers to each other through our web sites
-Establish effective user involvement mechanisms
-Create mechanisms for care leavers to support each other
-Ensure all care leav

ers of all ages have the opportunity to join the CLA
-Ensure membership packages are relevant
-The CLA will continue to be a leading authority on leaving care issues

We will:

-Ensure that we use our strength as a national care leaver organisation to shape care and leaving care policy in England and Wales
-Ensure that our policy positions inform and reflect the diversity and complexity of our members’ views within the care/leaving care sector
-Build upon our role as a valued partner to key stakeholders, and as a critical friend to government
-Promote, conduct and publish research to raise awareness of care leaver issues
-Develop fruitful partnerships with different agencies to achieve positive results
-The CLA will ensure that care leavers have access to the best quality support in the wider world

We will:

-Ensure that local authorities and voluntary organisations provide better access to records for care leavers
-Inform care leavers about their rights
-Provide a signposting service for information and guidance
-Produce resources and guides on issues affecting care leavers
-Offer training and support to organisations working with care leavers
-Work with young people to support the transition to adulthood
-Campaign for an apology from government for historical abuse and general lack of positive care experienced in the care system over the last 80 years
-Raise awareness of the concept of “identity” and its effects on those who have been in the care system, promoting a sense of “wholeness” and increasing emotional wellbeing
-The CLA will highlight discrimination where it occurs and challenge negative stereotypes

We wil:
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-Create a range of media opportunities for care leavers to showcase
-Support other organisations to change their attitudes towards care leavers
-Develop ways to increase the opportunities for care leavers to engage with education, employment and training
-Raise awareness of the unequal proportion of care leavers in the Criminal Justice System and develop initiatives to break the cycle of offending
-The CLA will build upon its current financial position, governance and organisational systems to improve stability and sustainability and ensure strength and vitality

We wil:
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-Ensure we have robust and risk intelligent systems to maximise good management of our resources and use robust planning and forecasting processes
-Ensure we are able to identify and secure diverse funding opportunities in line with our corporate objectives
-Ensure effective and transparent governance, investing in the continuous development of our trustees
-Ensure we have robust monitoring and evaluation systems that show our impact on care leavers
-Ensure that we aspire to excellence in all aspects of our role as an employer, promote the value of equality and diversity across all aspects of our business and operate in a legal and safe manner
-Ensure we develop an integrated and intelligent marketing strategy and use technology to create excellent systems of communication for our members, staff and stakeholders
-We seek to address these issues through campaigning, advocating, training, supporting and promoting policy statements

📣 Calling All Care-Experienced Writers, Creatives & Contributors! 📣We’re starting work on the next edition of Care Leave...
18/06/2026

📣 Calling All Care-Experienced Writers, Creatives & Contributors! 📣

We’re starting work on the next edition of Care Leavers Connected magazine and we’d love to hear from you.

We’re looking for articles, stories, reviews, artwork and creative pieces around the following themes:

☀️ What did summers look like for you in care?

* Group holidays
* Foster family holidays
* Beach trips and days out
* Respite care
* Staying at home while others went away
* The impact of having few or no photographs from childhood

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parenting during the summer holidays

* Tips, ideas and experiences from care-experienced parents

📚 🎬 📺 Book, Film & TV Reviews

* Reviews and recommendations from a care-experienced perspective

🎨 ✍️ Creative Corner

* Poetry
* Artwork
* Photography
* Personal reflections
* Short stories

Whether you’ve written before or not, we’d love to hear your voice. Every contribution helps tell the diverse stories, experiences and talents within our community.

To get involved, send us a message or email your ideas and submissions to [email protected]

We can’t wait to read them! 💙

Calling care-experienced young people aged 18-25The Care Leavers Association are pleased to share this research opportun...
16/06/2026

Calling care-experienced young people aged 18-25

The Care Leavers Association are pleased to share this research opportunity on behalf of researchers from the University of Turin, Italy.

They are inviting care-experienced young people across the UK to share their experiences of moving into adulthood, independence, relationships, challenges, strengths and the support that has helped them along the way.
This is a chance to have your voice heard and to help build better understanding of what care-experienced young people need, not just in the UK, but across Europe.

Taking part involves a short online form and one online interview. The space will be safe and confidential, participation is completely voluntary, and you can stop at any time.

Your story matters. Your insight could help shape better support for others.

To find out more or take part, contact:
Alessia Sponza – [email protected]
Sara Trucco – [email protected]
Please share with any care-experienced young people aged 18+ who may be interested.

Alessia Sponza

We’re sharing this on behalf of Virtual Memory Box.Have you lost photos, letters, keepsakes, videos, voice notes or othe...
11/06/2026

We’re sharing this on behalf of Virtual Memory Box.

Have you lost photos, letters, keepsakes, videos, voice notes or other important memories during your time in care?

Virtual Memory Box is looking to speak with care leavers of all ages who may be willing to share their experiences with a national journalist exploring the impact of memory loss in care — and why protecting children’s memories matters.
For many care-experienced people, memories are not “just things”. They can be our connection to identity, family, belonging, grief, love, childhood and the people we’ve lost.

Whether you left care recently or many years ago, your experience matters. Your story could help raise awareness, influence change, and help prevent future generations of children in care from losing the things that matter most.

Any conversations will be handled sensitively, respectfully and entirely on your terms. There is no pressure to share anything you are not comfortable with.

📧 [email protected]
🌐 virtualmemorybox.org

"Not another cliff-edge!?" Nope! We’re being clearer about what changes, and building safer, more realistic pathways bey...
10/06/2026

"Not another cliff-edge!?" Nope! We’re being clearer about what changes, and building safer, more realistic pathways beyond it. Come along to find out more....

🏡 MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME 🏡We’re pleased to share this opportunity on behalf of Isabelle Kirkham and the team at Lawrence ...
09/06/2026

🏡 MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME 🏡
We’re pleased to share this opportunity on behalf of Isabelle Kirkham and the team at Lawrence Batley Theatre.

Are you care experienced?
Would you like to be part of a creative project exploring ideas of home, belonging, identity and lived experience?

Make Yourself at Home is a collaborative theatre-making project for care experienced people, with no previous theatre experience needed.

The project will involve:
✨ Spoken word
✨ Storytelling
✨ Movement
✨ Collaborative theatre-making

You don't need any experience to take part – just openness, creativity and a willingness to be part of the process.

📅 Dates: 2nd July – 17th July
📍 Location: The Cellar, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield
The project will conclude with a scratch night sharing of Make Yourself at Home at the Lawrence Batley Theatre.

If you're interested in getting involved or would like to find out more, please contact:
📧 [email protected]

Please note this opportunity is being shared by the Care Leavers Association on behalf of the organisers. Any questions about the project should be directed to Isabelle using the contact details above.

Feel free to share with other care experienced people who may be interested. 💙

Join Jim (Chair of the CLA) on Wednesday 3rd June between 8-10pm where you can have a general chat and connect with othe...
02/06/2026

Join Jim (Chair of the CLA) on Wednesday 3rd June between 8-10pm where you can have a general chat and connect with other care experienced people of all ages. This is a safe space for care leavers who want to connect with others and discuss things that are important to them.

Sign up here:

https://www.careleavers.com/webinar-contact/

If you haven’t read our latest magazine yet, please do check it out! This one is a really amazing edition with so many d...
28/05/2026

If you haven’t read our latest magazine yet, please do check it out! This one is a really amazing edition with so many different care leaver voices and experiences 💙🩵

If you would like to write for our next edition please email us at [email protected]

✨ OUT NOW ✨

We’re so proud to share the latest edition of Care Leavers Connected ‘Through Every Chapter’

This issue explores life events and milestones through the lens of care experience; from birthdays and weddings to identity, belonging, family medical history, and the moments that can feel both joyful and complicated at the same time.

Inside this edition, we hear powerful stories, honest reflections, and experiences from across the care-experienced community, including international connections with Danish care leavers at the Danish Welfare Museum.

Thank you to everybody who shared their story and helped make this edition possible. We hope readers feel seen, understood, and reminded that there is no “right” way to navigate life’s chapters.

📖 Read here: https://issuu.com/careleaversconnected/docs/care_leavers_connected_spring_edition_2026

Sharing on behalf of Frankie Eastman a Trainee Clinical Psychologist. If you would like to get involved please contact: ...
22/05/2026

Sharing on behalf of Frankie Eastman a Trainee Clinical Psychologist. If you would like to get involved please contact: [email protected] 💙

✨ OUT NOW ✨We’re so proud to share the latest edition of Care Leavers Connected ‘Through Every Chapter’This issue explo...
15/05/2026

✨ OUT NOW ✨

We’re so proud to share the latest edition of Care Leavers Connected ‘Through Every Chapter’

This issue explores life events and milestones through the lens of care experience; from birthdays and weddings to identity, belonging, family medical history, and the moments that can feel both joyful and complicated at the same time.

Inside this edition, we hear powerful stories, honest reflections, and experiences from across the care-experienced community, including international connections with Danish care leavers at the Danish Welfare Museum.

Thank you to everybody who shared their story and helped make this edition possible. We hope readers feel seen, understood, and reminded that there is no “right” way to navigate life’s chapters.

📖 Read here: https://issuu.com/careleaversconnected/docs/care_leavers_connected_spring_edition_2026

Address

First Floor, Swan Buildings, 20 Swan Street
Manchester
M45JW

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Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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