New website for children and young people in care

Shropshire Council has launched a new website for children and young people in care after asking for their views on how it should look and the information it should feature. 

The website – www.safeguardingshropshireschildren.org.uk/lac/index.html – has been designed with the help of looked-after children, care leavers and the Care Council Crew. 

It aims to give children and young people in care the information and advice they need, when they need it.  The website explains what it’s like being in care, provides information about the people who can help and support them, informs them of their rights, offers information about education and health, and the support available when leaving care. 

Some comments from looked-after children and young people who were consulted with on the site, and which helped to shape it, include: 

• “A website would be cool, but I want stuff I want to read on there, not adult information” 
• “Could I help design the website?” 
• “I think the website should be split into age groups….I don’t want to read something for babies, I’m 15” 
• “Can the website have cool pictures…?” 

Ann Hartley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children’s services – transformation and safeguarding, said:

“It is vital that children in our care, and for whom we have corporate parenting responsibility, have access to information about what it means to be a looked after child or care leaver in Shropshire.  The website aims to help ensure that young people are in the best position to make informed choices. 

“This is a fantastic resource which demonstrates how we can design services which are properly influenced through hearing and listening to our children in care.” 

The website will continue to be developed and enhanced with new features and content in response to feedback from young people. 

Further information 

Shropshire ‘looked-after children’ are children looked after by Shropshire Council, including children in foster or residential care. 

The Care Council Crew is a group of young people who are looked after by Shropshire Council.