Date published: 2025-11-14 | Category: Bath, Children's Services, Focusing on prevention
A series of award winning new videos outlining key commitments that support care experienced young people until they reach the age of 25 has been launched by Bath & North East Somerset Council during national Care Leavers' Month.
The Care Leavers’ Pledge is the council’s promise to children and young people in care and those leaving care in Bath and North East Somerset.
To bring the pledge to life, young people from the council’s in-care and care-experienced groups have worked with Off the Record BANES and local film makers Suited & Booted Originals to produce 11 short videos exploring topics including relationships with social workers, education, care plans and moving on from care.
Last week the project won the digital category of the National Voice Awards organised by UK charity Coram Voice. The awards recognise excellence and innovation in children in care councils, care leaver forums, and other participation groups within children’s social care across England.
The videos were launched by the council, Off the Record and the young people this week (November 12) at an event in Widcombe in Bath that is part of the council’s Care Leavers’ Month celebrations.
The Month has also seen young people from B&NES and the wider region contributing artwork to ‘We Grow Here’, an exhibition at M Shed in Bristol running until January. It features more than 70 pieces from young people who have experienced or been at risk of homelessness or the care system.
All elected council members and officers take on the role of ‘corporate parent’ to children looked after (CLA) and care experienced young adults in B&NES. The council currently supports 151 care leavers who are allocated to a personal advisor and a further 85 people aged between 21 and 25 can ask for help at any time.
Care experienced young people in B&NES have also been sharing their experiences during the month. One person a council personal advisor supported said: “My mum died when I was 14. I never had the guidance I needed so ended up taking the wrong paths. My personal advisor stopped me from travelling further down them than I had already got. She will always be my second mum.”
Councillor Paul May, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “These videos are a powerful reminder of the importance of listening to care experienced young people and acting on what they tell us. The pledge is our commitment to them and they have shown creativity and honesty in helping us explain it. We want every young person in care to know they are valued, supported and never alone.”
Charlotte, Participation Team Lead at Off The Record, said: 'It's been a pleasure to work with our young people across OTR's in-care and care experienced councils and to see this project grow. The young people have created some brilliant artwork and recorded voice overs and original music for the films. We are really proud of their achievement in trying to help others in the care system to better understand what these pledges mean for them.”
In 2024, the council adopted care experience as a protected characteristic to ensure that its support and services help prevent discrimination against people who have experienced care.
ENDS