Liz Roe shares insights from our social value roundtable with stakeholders in Greater Manchester (GM) discussing ways for the region, particularly its business community, to better support care-experienced people in accessing education, employment, and training (EET).
This roundtable builds on recent work we've done as part of our social value commitment on the Regional Care Cooperative (RCC) programme, where we engaged directly with care-experienced individuals at the Greater Manchester Participation Network. We heard from them about their challenges and ideas for solutions, and then engaged with business leaders in GM to promote changes that can help care-experienced people access EET. In this blog, we discuss three main takeaways from the roundtable.
MV's Chief Executive, Andrew Laird and MV Consultant, Liz Roe, were joined by:
Deborah Blackburn: Director of Children’s Commissioning, Nursing, and Wellbeing, Salford City Council
Michael Crook: Head of Strategic Procurement, STAR Procurement
Scott Darraugh: Chief Executive Officer, Social AdVentures
Anne-Marie Carney: Senior Commissioning Manager Sufficiency (Children), Greater Manchester Combined Authority (and GM RCC team member)
People familiar with the children’s social care sector know that the term ‘corporate parenting,’ which refers to the state's duty of care for children under council care, is a controversial term. It feels cold and impersonal, and it doesn’t conjure an image of a loving home. However, our roundtable considered that there may be some utility in this term when using it to appeal to businesses to take responsibility for their communities’ care-experienced young people. Corporations, alongside local authorities, play a crucial role in supporting, mentoring, and shaping the early careers of young people.
The urgency of this issue is evident in the statistics: 39% of care leavers aged 19-21 in the UK are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), compared to only 13% of their peers without care experience. NEET young people face higher risks of homelessness, criminal justice system involvement, and poor health outcomes.
Recognising these challenges, three main lessons stood out to me from the roundtable:
There is an opportunity for greater cross-system and regional coordination to improve access to EET
Addressing a challenge as complex as this one requires cross-system coordination to maximise impact. Our attendees highlighted several existing initiatives in Greater Manchester that could support care-experienced people in accessing EET. For example, volunteer-to-career pipeline programmes and various apprenticeship models currently exist in the region. Furthermore, JIFFL, an AI tool, matches the right work vacancies to the right person – there is an opportunity here to use this tool to benefit care-experienced people. The Path to Independence app, developed by a care-experienced person, offers career and education resources for those transitioning out of care.
Yet, there seems to be limited coordination or a central repository for this information, which limits their impact. Greater Manchester benefits from a strong Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), and, as of 1st April 2025, an officially-launched RCC. Together, these organisations present an opportunity to coordinate and enhance existing efforts on a regional scale.
Supporting care-experienced people is a win-win for businesses, care leavers, and the region overall
All ten Greater Manchester local authorities have executed motions to include care leaver status as a legally protected characteristic. This means businesses are incentivised to actively seek ways to remove barriers for care-experienced people. Furthermore, organisations with more diverse workforces benefit from boosted creativity and innovation, better decision-making, and greater opportunities for professional growth.
By supporting care-experienced individuals, businesses can demonstrate their social value and corporate social responsibility. Social value responses in procurement exercises generally comprise 15-20% of the total score in public contract bids. Evaluators look for evidence that the social value work will be genuinely impactful and contribute towards Council priorities, which often emphasise care-experienced people.
On a regional level, Greater Manchester and other regions can benefit greatly from supporting care-experienced individuals into EET. For example, GMCA has identified four foundational economy sectors that are a priority due to workforce shortages. Enabling NEET young people to access employment in these sectors could simultaneously alleviate workforce shortages and reduce strain on public services.
Supporting care-experienced people can take many forms
Many businesses want to support care-experienced people but simply don't know how. Oftentimes, small businesses see large-scale, resource-intensive initiatives like John Lewis' Building Happier Futures programme, and assume that any such work is entirely out of reach. However, while these efforts are commendable, they are not the only way to make a difference.
Businesses of any size and status—whether private, for-profit, charity, or third sector—can make an impact. Initiatives like hosting company open days for prospective applicants or offering support with DBS check completion can alleviate barriers without requiring extensive resources. As another example, Manchester City Council has a guaranteed assessment scheme for care-experienced people.
Furthermore, we’ve heard repeatedly from care leavers that creating an understanding, flexible, and kind office environment makes a big difference. Greater Manchester is on a journey to becoming a trauma-responsive region. Businesses can play a pivotal role in this transformation by fostering psychologically safe and supportive cultures for care-experienced individuals. This approach not only benefits young people but also enhances overall workplace productivity and reduces absenteeism.
Note that this roundtable represents initial thoughts and is just one step in a longer journey. Next steps must involve consulting more widely with additional stakeholders throughout the system.
The visuals below represent themes we heard from care leavers at the Greater Manchester Participation Network.
To read more about our Regional Care Cooperative (RCC) programme, click here. If you'd like to discuss any of the themes in this article, please contact Liz Roe.
If you are a business looking to better support care-experienced young people, check out the Care Leaver Friendly Employment Charter, Become charity.
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