We are in the process of producing a report on the outcome of a unique series of three conferences held in late 1999 by First Key (NI) and VOYPIC on the theme of 'Partnership and Participation in Care; Influencing Policy and Practice' in Northern Ireland.

Credit is due to Vivian McConvey and Paula Keenan for the original idea for the conference series which turned out to be a resounding success. Tribute should also be paid to all those individuals and agencies who participated, many of whom took a variety of roles and committed considerable time and energy to the intensive planning, preparation, organisation and running of the conferences.

The Conferences

'Hands On Change' Conference (13th October 1999) was the first event was facilitated by First Key (NI). It involved practitioners in the care field having the opportunity to explore the potential benefits and challenges of working in interagency partnership. The 85 delegates comprised care workers and managers from voluntary and statutory agencies as well as representatives from the NI Housing Executive, Social Security Agency, Probation Board and Training and Employment Agency.

Delegates were addressed by key note speakers from a range of partnership perspectives including Europe and joined workshops based on a number of themes including housing, benefits and education. Together they produced a series of messages and recommendations to be delivered to policy makers and politicians.

The second conference 'Care Into the Millennium' (29th October 1999) was facilitated by VOYPIC. It offered the opportunity for young people in the care system to come together to explore their experience of care. Almost 90 young people attended the workshops which explored various aspects of residential and foster care. They too came up with a number of reflections and suggestions for change in care system.

The final event , 'Where To From Here; Influencing Policy and Practice' (11th December 1999) was held in Parliament Buildings at Stormont , Belfast and was jointly facilitated by First Key (NI) and VOYPIC.

The audience comprised local Assembly members, key civil servants and senior managers from the Health and Social Services Boards and Trusts, representatives from children's' rights and child care organisations in the voluntary sector and young people.

The conference aimed to lobby politicians, policy makers and senior managers and to provide practitioners and young people with an opportunity to debate and discuss current issues. And it did just that!

We are indebted to Monica McWilliams (Women's Coalition) our host, chair and key note speaker. As we got underway, we had an unexpected visit and brief address from Peter Mandelson, Secretary of State for NI, who endorsed the work we were undertaking - and left with a copy of the conference document under his arm.

Paula Keenan outlined the purpose and context of the conference through highlighting key research findings on leaving care in Northern Ireland. Vivian McConvey and Karen McAlister (VOPYIC) then presented the key messages and recommendations coming from the Practitioners and Young People respectively (see below).

The presentations were interspersed by a very entertaining 'futuristic' drama by members of VOYPIC comparing care experiences in 1999 and 2099!

Practitioner Recommendations—

Research: Is needed to develop and implement core education standards for looked after young people in NI and to investigate young care leavers experience of discrimination and exclusion in employment with the aim of raising public awareness and promoting equality in employment and access to services.

Rights : A Charter of Rights is needed for young people in care, their parents and carers. All young people should have a guaranteed place in care until they are ready to leave. They should only leave as part of an inclusive and realistic planning process. Young people's educational needs should be fully integrated into care planning arrangements. Social security agency staff and others with responsibility for care leavers should receive awareness training aimed at helping them inform and advise young people of their entitlements to benefits or other kinds of support services.

Interagency Protocols & Provision: At departmental level, the DHSS and Social Security Agency should clarify their respective financial responsibilities toward care leavers re: education/training/financial assistance/after care support and accommodation. At service delivery level, all agencies and sectors working with social services need to establish joint protocols identifying their respective roles and responsibilities toward care leavers. Young people should be involved in developing such protocols which need to take account of different levels of interagency working and wider policy initiatives. A regional leaving and after care consortium should be established following a period of feasibility and consultation. Social services and other agencies (education, careers & training, social security, probation/ youth offending teams) should jointly fund initiatives to directly assist care leavers to access appropriate advice , education, training and, particularly employment opportunities.

Young People Recommendations

Care Planning and the Review System: The review system needs to change to enable more realistic planning and time-scales to prepare young people for leaving. Review meetings should be shorter, more participatative and young person friendly and involve less paperwork and use of professional jargon. A leaving care plan should be established for young people leaving both care and juvenile justice settings which identify resources and responsibilities.

Provision: Social services and other agencies need to work in partnership to offer care leavers more choice in aftercare services and accommodation. This should include a named after care worker and the opportunity for young people living independently to access more practical (24 hour) support with follow through. Young people need to be able to access information on independent counselling services and dedicated young person friendly mental health services. Care leavers should have more information on what support and services are available to them in their area and how to access them. Young people in juvenile justices settings need to be better informed about the system and have more say. VOPYIC should develop an advocacy role in such settings.

Rights: All young people in care should be treated as individuals and be entitled to the same conditions and money - all young people should be entitled to after care services. In foster care, confidential information about a young person should only be disclosed on a 'need to know' basis. In residential settings, police should only be called to a children's home when a serious incident has occurred. After care should follow on from leaving care. A greater range of accommodation options is needed for care leavers along with financial support from social services. Young people should be allowed to make mistakes and given support and have the opportunity to be mentored by their peers. There is a need to develop multi-disciplinary approaches in juvenile justice settings to enable professionals to communicate and work more effectively together.

And Now What?

Our first commitment is to produce the conference report which we plan to have available by Mid 2000. Another is to take forward how a Leaving and AfterCare Consortium might be established and used to direct future action against the Change Agenda and monitor progress against it.

This and other work we are undertaking on developing Standards in Leaving Care in N.I. will help inform the development of First Key (NI)'s public policy strategy.