Leo and Shelby urge Minister to improve life for country’s care leavers

Shelby Walker and Leo Dann, who are both care experienced, will be travelling to London for a meeting with the Minister in a bid to improve the life chances of those leaving care. They are being supported by Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, Luke Pollard, and the charity Barnardo’s.

Both young people are concerned about the challenges currently faced by anyone trying to secure safe, suitable accommodation when they leave the protection of a foster family or residential home at 18.

They say many landlords are reluctant to accept them as tenants when they don’t have a family member to act as a financial guarantor. This can mean they have to accept poor accommodation or risk becoming homeless.

Shelby and Leo hope to persuade the Minister to consider a rent deposit scheme for care leavers so they are no longer disadvantaged by not having a guarantor.

Shelby, 25, said: “Most young people have financial support from parents but the amount of help care leavers receive depends on where they live in the country. They should have equal opportunities to access appropriate housing in safe areas so they can have a positive outlook on life.

“I was very naïve when I left care at 19 because no one had taught me what to expect in terms of the bills I would have to pay or the forms I would need to fill in.”

Leo, 20, said he had lost out on two flats because he hadn’t been able to provide a guarantor. Although another landlord was sympathetic, having housed care leavers in the past, Leo felt very uncomfortable having to share his personal history with a stranger to explain the lack of a guarantor.

“We now have an amazing opportunity to meet the Minister and if we can help make a change that will benefit other care experienced young people it will be worth it. When I have tried to fight for things in the past no one has listened, so this is a major result,” he said.

Barnardo’s is also asking for the Universal Credit payment for care experienced under 25-year-olds to be brought in line with the sum paid to older claimants as many struggle financially when they have no family to turn to.

The charity is also calling on the Government to introduce free bus travel for care leavers to help tackle the isolation and loneliness which affects many care experienced young people. An average-priced bus pass swallows up a third of a young person’s benefits so is unaffordable for many, jeopardising education and employment opportunities as well as social ones.

Shelby and Leo have been supported by Plymouth Care Journeys, a service run by Barnardo’s, which helps care leavers take their first steps to independence. The charity’s Chief Executive Lynn Perry will be backing their calls at the Ministerial meeting.

She said: “Around 10,000 young people leave care each year and must start living independently when they are just 18 or even younger. It can be an extremely stressful and lonely time for those without financial and emotional support from family to call on.

“The young people we work with tell us that finding and keeping a safe, comfortable home is very difficult and many find themselves forced to accept poor quality accommodation or face being on the streets.

“The average age for young adults leaving home in the UK is 23 and most do so with a lot of family support to fall back on. Care leavers are expected to have the skills, knowledge and means to live independently when they are just 18. It is not surprising they often have poorer outcomes in adult life and that 25% of homeless people have been in care.”

Luke Pollard MP said: “"There are brave young care leavers in every community who, through no fault of their own, struggle to access somewhere decent to live. 

"I'm proud to be campaigning with Barnardo's for a rent guarantor scheme for care leavers, and for more help to be offered to care leavers with rental deposits. 

"These policies would save the taxpayer money in the long run and give care leavers the best possible chance of making their own way in the world with a home of their own." 

Some local authorities, such as Kent County Council, already act as a guarantor providing a deposit to private landlords. The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care published last May recommended that all local authorities should have such a scheme in place and Barnardo’s is calling on the Minister to work with the Department for Education to achieve that.

The charity would also like to see the Government provide ring-fenced funding to local authorities to set up rent guarantor and rent deposit schemes accompanied by a statutory right for care leavers to have access to such schemes if needed.