Updated
Updated · Essex-TV · Jun 20
Essex County Council Stages Care Leavers Exhibition for 1,100 Young People
Updated
Updated · Essex-TV · Jun 20

Essex County Council Stages Care Leavers Exhibition for 1,100 Young People

1 articles · Updated · Essex-TV · Jun 20

Summary

  • High Chelmer Shopping Centre in Chelmsford hosted Essex County Council’s “The Unseen” exhibition, where care leavers used photos of meaningful objects to tell stories of memories, milestones and turning points.
  • Five council services were showcased alongside the display—Independent Visitors, residential recruitment, fostering recruitment, employability and supported lodgings—giving shoppers a chance to ask staff how they could support young people in care.
  • The council said the event drew positive feedback from visitors and gave participating young people a public platform to raise awareness and encourage others with similar experiences.
  • The exhibition follows the release of a short “The Unseen” documentary and forms part of Essex Year of Opportunity, a countywide campaign aimed at removing barriers to work and education.
  • Essex currently supports more than 1,100 children and young people in looked-after settings, while the campaign is urging employers, volunteers and foster carers to create more opportunities for care leavers.

Insights

Beyond awareness campaigns, how are councils tackling the practical barriers like housing and ID that keep care leavers from finding work?
How does Ofsted's new 2025 framework impact the real-world support care-experienced youth receive from councils like Essex?