Leicestershire Cares’ leaving care podcast has caught the attention of BBC Politics East Midlands, for the work it has been doing to highlight the issues care experienced young people face.
Leicestershire Cares has been working with two care leavers, Casey Armstrong and Diana Omokore, to produce a series of podcasts that investigates the lived experience of care leavers. These long form discussions shine a light onto the challenges they have faced throughout their and their peers’ life in the care system, as well as seek for answers, and solutions to some of the problems that exist.
The BBC approached Leicestershire Cares to speak to Casey about her podcast and the campaigning she has done to raise the voices of the care experienced community, and we were able to arrange an interview. Casey featured on 11 October 2020 BBC Politics East Midlands episode, where views on care leavers were heard and discussed by Lee Rowley MP (Con) for North East Derbyshire and Natalie Fleet, former Labour candidate Ashfield.
Through the VOICES project, Leicestershire Cares has been working alongside care experienced young people to empower them to speak up and highlight the challenges they face to decision maker. Care Leavers are one of the most isolated groups in society and are often overlook and feel powerless to change their situation. Through participatory media projects, Leicestershire Cares has been able to position our care leavers in the eyeline of the mainstream media which help raise the profile of care experienced issues and applies pressure to the people in charge of the care system to address the inequalities and gaps within it.
The podcast, Fostering a New Approach has investigated a number of issues that include; the over representation of care experienced young people in the criminal justice system; unregulated accommodation for looked after children; and the challenges of going to university as a care leaver.
Get involved in the podcast
If you have a questions for Casey and Diana to discuss on their podcast, tweet them at @LeicsCares #CEYPPODCAST or email jacob@leicestershirecares.co.uk
For more information about our Voices project contact jacob@leicestershirecares.co.uk
Find out how we work with care experienced young people
Listen and subscribe to all of Leicestershire Cares podcasts here