This year, Settle has started to develop our first advocacy strategy. At the heart of the strategy is our monthly advocacy forums, where graduates from the Settle Programme and our team come together. In each session, we discuss the changes that could be made to improve the lives of care-experienced young people, within Settle’s community and beyond.

Our first forum took place in March, and since then conversations have been wide-ranging, focusing on topics like housing and finance, to areas such as support networks, community and mental health services. Something that came up regularly in our discussions was the importance of home, not only for tackling homelessness, but also for creating places where young people can feel safe, connect with their communities, belong and thrive. This informed the theme of our advocacy campaign for this year’s National Care Leavers Week: A Home of My Own.

By combining the lived experience of our graduates with the learned experience of our team, our aim is to amplify the issues impacting young people and identify ways we can prevent young people leaving care from becoming homeless.

We asked some of our forum members why they joined and what it means to them. Here are some of their reflections:

Fran: “The advocacy group is where young people can come together and speak about their experiences and improvements that can be made in their community, especially for care leavers. We’ve been talking a lot about finance, housing and issues relating to young people with different needs, and we’ve also spoken about mental health.

I joined the group because I wanted to advocate for others and share my ideas. The forums have been interactive, and not too formal, which I like. They let us be ourselves.”

Veronique: “I believe it creates a safe space to actually deal with the things that are impacting care leavers and those with poor living conditions. We’ve been talking about the quality of housing, and that when you leave the care system you’re left to figure things out on your own.

On a personal level, it has made me more confident at articulating myself and my thoughts.

If the system was doing its job, we wouldn’t have a need for advocacy groups, and that’s where we come in. I hope I’m able to see the change that the group can make in the future.”

Aziza: “The reason why I joined the advocacy group was to draw upon my own lived experience, because I'm a very firm believer that despite the adversity that I have faced, it wouldn't have been without a greater reason, and I firmly believe that greater reason is bettering the lives of other care experienced individuals.”

Aaliyah: “I think a big part of my motivation for participating in advocacy was being able to give back and use my lived experience to support systems and people to do better for other care experienced young people, and to be able to collaborate meaningfully on that.

A big part of what I've gained is being able to meet and work with some of the other Settle Graduates. It's been really great to meet them and feel a bit more like part of a community.”

Isatu: “I find it a privilege to be able to have my voice heard, or just take part in something that could help other people as well, like those who might be going through what I have been through. I think it’s a good way to spend my time - to take part in something that is meaningful. It’s interesting, I have definitely learned a lot from listening to others. I learned that a lot of these experiences are universal, that we’re actually not alone.”

Amy: “I decided to join to do some good and make sure it’s actually an advocacy group for young people. I know these sorts of groups can be effective if they are run in the correct way, in a way where it is for the young people, rather than a space for staff to talk at young people and tell them what’s happening.”

--

Across National Care Leavers Week, Settle is sharing the voices of our community around topics like:

📦 What was it like when you moved into your first home?
📣 What support would you like to see for care experienced young people?
💬 What’s a tip you would give a young person living independently for the first time?

Make sure you’re following Settle on Instagram or LinkedIn to keep up with the campaign.