BASW Supports National Care Leavers' Month

BASW stands in solidarity with care experienced people and continues to speak out in support of care leavers' rights. Some key resources, campaigns and educational material are listed below.

• Rebekah Pierre – An Open Letter to The Social Worker Who Wrote My Case Files.
• Read - BASW's Review of the Local Offer for Care Leavers in England
• Listen to our podcast Wake Up Call—a conversation exploring first-hand accounts of living in the care system, as detailed in the anthology, ‘Free Loaves on Fridays’
• Read The Black Care Experience Newsletter – October 2022.
• The Care Leaver's Association has a service which helps care leavers gain access to their records in care and works to decrease the number of care leavers in the criminal justice system.
• Read BASW England's Response to the Care Review.
• Follow the Keep Caring to 18 Campaign.
• Read through The Sky's the Limit report, reimagining the care leaving system from the perspective of care leavers.
• Are you a care experienced social worker? Find community with the Care Experienced Social Workers Association.
• Follow the Free Loaves on Friday Project – the book is now fully funded, and will be calling for contributors soon. 

Graham Price, member of BASW's Expert by Experience Forum, has written the following poem for National Care Leavers' Month.

Changing places. 

1940 housed me differently, 

To that most kids would feel fine, 

Abandoned and suckled at infancy, 

In a 100 bed  institution rife at the time. 

Love down the drain but care on tap, 

Education left to falter by indifference, 

the resilience fostered providing the sap, 

To grow the resourcefulness that made the difference. 

Life isn’t fair, that we know, 

Whatever, strengths are alive in us all,

On them we must build to allow the happiness to grow, 

We owe to ourselves and those on whom we call.