CARE LEAVERS ASSOCIATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Young Person 's Project Coordinator
National Director: David Graham : Policy, media, finance, strategy, fundraising - david.graham@careleavers.com
I have been involved with the Care Leavers Association (CLA) for over twenty years and have been Chair since 2011. I spent my childhood in children's homes from the age of three to the age of seventeen, in Liverpool and Birkenhead. In Liverpool, in the late 1960s, I lived in some of the big institutions (now all closed) that were run by Roman Catholic nuns. In Birkenhead, in the 1970s, I lived in a Family Group Home. From there, via ten months at my father's house, I was lucky enough to get to university at the age of 18, in 1981.
I was a non-active member of the National Association of Young People in Care (NAYPIC) from the mid-1980s. I then ran a care leavers group in Norfolk in the early 1990s, whilst completing my PhD. From there, I moved to Portsmouth to start my academic career and increasingly focussed my research and writing on issues related to looked after children, leaving care and adults who were in care as children. I moved to Bradford in 1998, helping me to become more involved in the CLA as it developed. I have recently retired from my working life as a university academic, giving me more time for the CLA and for writing and research related to its work. You can get further biographical details about me from a piece I have written on access to files in that section of the site.
I have long believed that those who have been in care, whatever their experiences, should try to work together to improve the lives of those living in the child care system now and in the future. I also think we should try to improve the experience of those going through the leaving care process and help those adults who are still dealing with various legacies from their care experience.
Sue went into care at the age of 13 for a few days, then was returned to residential care at the age of 14 until 17, following a traumatic childhood.
Sue has been a member of the Board for four years. She is very passionate about the needs of care leavers, especially in relation to access to their care records. As a parent, Sue is also concerned about the difficulties that may face care leavers if and when they have children of their own.
As a care leaver who has accessed her care files, Sue is hoping to demonstrate to local authorities the importance that care files can have for care leavers, and how they need to look at offering care leavers understanding care and supportive assistance when they apply to access their records as she knows how difficult this can be. Also, Sue believes that once these needs are recognised by many local authorities, care leavers can be part of influencing the ways in which being a ‘looked after' young person can be improved. Care leavers hold a wealth of experience and knowledge, which could be taken on board by local authorities.
Sue enjoys spending time with her daughter, cross-stitch and anything involving using a computer.
I first became aware of the CLA in 2014 when I was asked if I was interested in volunteering for the GOAL Project, a preparation for independence project run by Carrie Harrop, the young people's project worker… she was also my foster sister.