Ambassadors for Vulnerable Children and Young People: How They Improve Practice

In this webinar with live Q&A event, four Care Ambassadors from Gloucestershire County Council outline the various practice initiatives and projects that they have been, and continue to be, a part of as they use their own experiences to inform structural change within the local authority.

Watch as Em, Henry, Eliza and Becca all speak about how they work to embed their knowledge of the care system into improving the chances of future care leavers.

From working closely with Gloucestershire’s Social Work Academy, their direct engagement with directors and senior leadership, to their inclusion on interview panels, the group explain how their wide-reaching work is helping social work professionals improve and re-evaluate their practice when working with those living in care.

In addition, the group outline how they work closely with new care leavers to ensure a smoother transition out of the care system, as well as delivering targeted training to professionals to help improve the voice of care-experience children and young people within wider practice.

This webinar includes a pre-recorded presentation directly followed by a live Q&A session that presents the opportunity to learn more about the Care Ambassadors, their work, and their plans for the future.

The Participation Team at Gloucestershire County Council employs 15 Ambassadors aged 16-25.

They are experts by experience, bringing knowledge of support for children in care and care leavers, young people in the youth justice system, and children’s mental health issues.

The Participation Team has the responsibility to deliver participation activities across Children’s Social Care, including Early Help, Safeguarding, Children in Care, Youth Support and Children & Families Commissioning.

Our purpose is to:
– improve the participation of children and young people in the development and delivery of services that impact on their lives, and
– develop mechanisms to hear the voices of vulnerable young people whose views and ideas may otherwise go unheard.

The Ambassadors help us to remain child focused; they challenge us, work with us and often identify work that requires improvement. They are creative, social media savvy and help us to communicate effectively with children and young people.

Click below to sign up to watch this eye-opening webinar on how the Care Ambassadors at Gloucestershire County Council initiate change to help those within the care system, using their own experiences as fuel to improve the lives of care experienced children and young people in both Gloucestershire and beyond.