Coram Voice calls on government to end mental health negligence

Over 300 care-experienced young people have written to the Children’s Minster Janet Daby MP asking her to better use her powers for good.

Though the accurate number of care leavers in the UK remains unknown, the latest estimates suggest there were 48,050 aged 17 to 21 in 2022/23. With this statistic in mind, It’s no wonder children in care and care leavers are rallying for better mental health support.

And calling they are. This week it was revealed 325 care-experienced young people sent an open letter to the government which outlined their top three priorities for the new Children’s Minster.

The demands, which were collected as a result of a consultation run by National Voice – the children in care council for England hosted by Coram Voice – include:

• Care-experienced children and young people need better mental health support
• They require professionals to listen to them in decisions about their lives
• Better support is a must to help create stronger, better relationships

On the subject of being heard, 45% of respondents said listening to care-experienced individuals was the most important thing.

‘The decisions made about our lives are often out of our control,’ one young person said. ‘It creates chaos and fear in young people which lasts a lifetime.’

Alongside the three main objectives, young people are likewise calling on the new minister to visit children and young people regularly, rather than simply guess what their needs are, keep young people informed on progress, commit to a long-term vision and deter from making false promises.

‘You have the power to transform lives,’ one young person said while responding to the consultation. ‘For children in care and care leavers like me, the system can be the difference between struggling to survive or findings the confidence to thrive. Your decisions can create a future where every child in care feels valued, supported, and capable of achieving their dreams.’

‘We are not just statistics,’ they continued. ‘We are future leaders, entrepreneurs, teachers, artists, and innovators – but we can only reach our potential if the system lifts us up instead of holding us back.’

Brigid Robinson, managing director of Coram Voice, added: ‘This is a powerful message from care-experienced children and young people that they need more and better support – particularly around mental health. 2025 is the 50^th anniversary of Coram Voice, the charity that was set up to make sure their voices are heard.

‘We’ve made huge progress in the last 50 years, but it’s clear that we need to respond to the challenges children and young people still face. We look forward to working productivity with the Children’s Minster and the new government to make life better for children in care and care leavers.’

Photo by Zahra Amiri via UnSplash

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