On Tuesday 17th June 2025, the Care Leavers Progression Partnership (CLPP) hosted its annual conference at the University of Greenwich at their Medway campus. This year’s theme — ‘Inter-Agency Working: How Education Providers Can Work with Other Services to Maximise the Outcomes of Care Leavers‘ — brought together education professionals, local authorities, voluntary sector organisations, and health and community services, to focus on how collaboration can transform the lives of care-experienced young people.

Inspiring Keynote and Morning Sessions

The day began with a warm welcome from Lucy McLeod, the CEO of EKC Group, followed by a powerful keynote from Paris Bartholomew, psychologist, teacher, advocate, and campaigner. Her talk, ‘Survive. Grow. Inspire.‘, set the tone for the day by highlighting both the resilience of care-experienced young people and the systemic barriers they continue to face.

Delegates then heard from Laura Charter of the Kent and Medway Progression Federation, where she explored the successful outreach work her and her team had completed through their ‘Opening Doors‘ programme, showing delegates how education pathways can be widened for care leavers. The morning concluded with the BrightFutures Society’s “Voices of Change”, where young people shared their lived experiences — an honest and moving reminder of why this work matters.

Workshops: Deep Dives into Key Issues

The afternoon workshops offered delegates a choice of seven sessions, covering diverse but interconnected themes:

  • The Virtual School and the Local Offer (VSK and the Leaving Care Service) – unpacking terminology and outlining collaborative approaches.
  • Adultification (Paris Bartholomew) – exploring the pressures of being forced to grow up too soon.
  • County Lines and Gangs (Kent Gangs and County Lines Service) – equipping professionals to spot signs of exploitation and respond appropriately.
  • Opportunities for Care Leavers in the World of Work (Social Enterprise Kent) – showcasing career pathways and addressing barriers to employment.
  • Understanding the Impact of Trauma on Care Leavers’ Mental Health (Become) – examining how adverse experiences affect wellbeing and how to respond with empathy.
  • Relational Approaches (Virtual School Kent) – highlighting the transformative impact of relationship-focused practice.
  • Mobile Phone Addiction (Luke Daniels) – exploring digital dependency and strategies to restore balance.

Delegates praised the variety and depth of the sessions. One attendee reflected:

‘The addiction to mobile phone workshop opened my eyes to a different way of looking at and understanding this. Also, the personal speeches from the care leavers gave me more understanding and insight of the very people we were there to support.‘

Inter-Agency Working in Action

The day culminated in the All-Delegates Inter-Agency Workshop, where participants shared ideas for improving collaboration across services. Suggestions included:

  • Providing wrap-around support until 21 and reducing the “care cliff.”
  • Strengthening partnerships with the NHS, schools, and community organisations.
  • Improving consistency across boroughs and breaking down barriers to data sharing.
  • Expanding ESOL provision, youth services, and contextualised entry routes to education.
  • Ensuring care leavers’ voices remain central to shaping practice.

These contributions will inform CLPP’s future work and help drive collective action.

Looking Ahead

The conference closed with final reflections from Lucy McLeod, who emphasised the importance of maintaining momentum beyond the event itself. Feedback from delegates was overwhelmingly positive:

‘I really enjoyed it. Very well organised. Thank you.‘
‘It was my first CLPP conference and I got a lot from it.‘

The 2025 conference was a clear reminder that when agencies come together, listen to care-experienced voices, and share expertise, we can create stronger pathways and better outcomes for care leavers.

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