Councils consider care leavers protected status

The two councils will debate the topic during meetings on Wednesday

Two West Yorkshire councils are considering granting people who have spent time in care "protected characteristic" status.

Councillors in Leeds will be asked to recognise that care leavers often face discrimination across areas including housing, education and employment.

Meanwhile in Kirklees, local representatives are urging for pressure to be put on the government to introduce wider legislation on the matter.

According to the British Association of Care Workers, 58 local authorities including Bradford and Doncaster have already made the move.

Both Leeds City Council and Kirklees Council will consider the matter during separate meetings on Wednesday.

A national campaign led by Terry Galloway, who grew up in care, aims for the experience of the care system to join the existing characteristics under the Equalities Act, which include age, disability and race.

A report going before councillors in Leeds highlights employment as a key area, with 33% of local care leavers not in education, employment or training as of 2022.

This was three times higher than the same figure for people who had not been in care, the report said.

Data also showed that care experienced people are also much more likely to be homeless than their peers in the general population.

Kirklees councillors will be told to recognise that "councils have a duty to put the needs of disadvantaged people at the heart of decision making".

Council leader Cathy Scott will also be asked to lobby the government to introduce legislation recognising care leavers as a protected group.

'Phenomenal job'

A group of care leavers recently addressed councillors in Leeds on the issue.

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, council deputy leader, said they did a "phenomenal job" in explaining what they needed.

"We have a duty as a city to make sure those care leavers are looked after, so it's about what we can do to support them later in life," he said.

"The sort of things they may consider is extra skills training for employment or support with housing."

He added: "The report marks the start of the process and the authority will be working with care leavers to see what support they need."

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].