For too long, services responding to the needs of young people leaving care have not been a big enough focus for children’s services, or wider councils as their corporate parent. This is starting to change, but I believe there is a need nationally to transform how we support these people.

In Wolverhampton, our role as a corporate parent doesn’t end when a child reaches 18. It could be argued that when a child reaches young adulthood, or leaves the stability of a placement at 18, there is no greater time to have a ‘parent’ to fall back on.