Businesses recognised for care leavers support
Staffordshire County Council has presented a series of awards to businesses and organisations across the county which have enabled young people leaving care to find employment.
Held at Drayton Manor Resort, the first ever Supporting Care Leavers into Employment Recognition and Awards saw accolades presented across six categories at the event.
Employers, training providers and community organisations that have provided inclusive opportunities for care leavers over the last 12 months were recognised for their contribution at the event, which was opened by Deputy Leader of Staffordshire County Council and Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills, Councillor Martin Murray.
He said: “In Staffordshire we want to give everybody the opportunity to thrive, and the people and businesses at this event are those that have supplied training, care, mentorship and placements for care leavers.
“Our local businesses are doing great things, and we’d like to see this event grow to twice the size it is today.
“I would encourage companies across the county to get involved with the Supporting Care Leavers into Employment programme.”
The evening included presentations on innovative programmes in the county, including Pathways to Success and Own Your Future, as well as celebrating the individuals and organisations that have supported care leavers into the workplace.
This year’s award winners were:
Bronze Quality Mark - Time4Sport
Silver Quality Mark - JG Fenns and The Stafford Arms
Gold Quality Mark - 1 Step Beyond, Wedding Belles Love, Axia Solutions, BayNel, Converge, Cosy Direct, Liberty Jamboree and the Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Pathway Pioneer Award - Curlita Beauty, The Spark Group and Acacia Training
Young Future Champions Award - Business Enterprise Support (BES)
Commitment to Care Award - Reboot IT For All, Staffordshire Community Foundation, Shepherd PR and Free I.T. Stafford
Above and Beyond Award - The Spark Group
Providing apprenticeships, work placements, mentoring and employment opportunities to young people leaving care helps boost diversity and skills as well as demonstrating a clear commitment to local social value.
Staffordshire County Council offers an expert matching service to businesses looking to support care leavers into employment, as well as the opportunity to contribute to the Care Leavers’ Bursary Fund to support them with training and employment-related costs.
To find out more, visit: Staffordshire.gov.uk/careleavers
