Voices Making Choices

VMC is made up of young people who have various experiences of the care system.

VMC is made up of young people who have various experiences of the care system.

​Voices Making Choices (VMC) are Northumberland’s Children in Care Council.

All local authorities are expected to make arrangements to set up a children in care council to ‘give children in care a forum to express their views and influence the services and support they receive…’ (Care Matters: A Time for Change, DCSF, 2007)

Northumberland’s Children in Care Council was set up in 2009 and they have called themselves Voices Making Choices.

Who are we?

VMC is made up of young people who have various experiences of the care system.

They are from different backgrounds and have different experiences including:
  • residential homes
  • foster care
  • some have disabilities
  • some are from families who foster children
  • 14+ service
  • Leaving care
VMC meet regularly and invite guests to come to their meetings to discuss issues and get their views. VMC also meet at other times to work on projects together.

If you as young people have any issues you would like VMC to take up for you, please contact VMC by emailing advocacy@northumberland.gov.uk or you can call/text 07966332280. 

Care Matters

The government wants to make things better for young people in care and to have a bigger say in what happens to them. They wrote about their ideas to make things better for young people in care in a booklet called "Care Matters: transforming the lives of children and young people in care".

They asked young people and people who work with them what they thought about our ideas and then made plans to make things better for young people in care. They picked seven main things which would help make things better for young people in care:
  • More help for families that are having problems.
  • Good, settled care in a place that is right for the young person in care.
  • Places in schools that will help them to do their best.
  • More support out of school to help them to do well.
  • Giving young people a say about when they move out of care, and what support they need.
  • Listening to what young people say they need.
  • Making sure every young person in care has one adult they can always go and talk to. This could be a carer or a social worker.
For more information about what the government will do to make sure these seven things happen, click here.

How to get involved

You can contact staff who support VMC by calling or texting 07966332280 or you can email:
advocacy@northumberland.gov.uk

 
All council employees, service areas, departments, directorates and elected members must consider cared for  children and young people as if they were their own children and provide services for them accordingly.

All council services will work together, with partner agencies such as health, housing and leisure to achieve the best possible outcomes for children and young people looked after by Northumberland County Council.

This involves having the best educational and leisure opportunities, ensuring that their health and welfare is taken care of, and that they receive encouragement, praise, support and preparation towards independence.

 

Safeguarding and corporate parenting group

Elected members (councillors) have an important role to play in overseeing the services provided for cared for children and young people to make sure that the services are improving their outcomes.

They must ensure that the services would be good enough for their own children.

Northumberland County Council has a safeguarding and corporate parenting group which meets regularly. Please click here for more information about the group and its members.

Click here to view the cared for Children and Care Leavers Strategy 2019-22.
Northumberland County Council has made some promises to all cared for children and young people. This is called ‘our promise’ and it sets out the help and support all looked after children will get, and what they should expect.

For more information on Our Promise, click here.

Find out more information below.

Regional Children in Care Council (RCICC)

Young people also have the opportunity to participate in the regional children in care council which brings together young people from across the North East to discuss and look at issues affecting young people that are cared for.

 

What is advocacy?

Advocacy is when someone helps you to have your say or speaks for you, if you are struggling to be heard. Advocates support you to be involved in decisions that affect you.

For more information on advocacy for cared for children and young people in Northumberland please click here.

 

The following information tells you about foster care. If you have any questions, please let us know.

What is a foster care?

Foster carers are people who want to help care for you, while you are unable to stay with your family. They will do all they can to help you feel safe and cared for while you are away from your family. They will listen to what you want and help you stay in touch with your family and friends.

Everyone in children’s services will help your foster carers to care for you properly.

The foster care team prepare, train and supervise our foster carers so they can look after you properly. They and your social worker are part of children’s services and will work with you and your family to give you the best care that they can.

For more information on support for children and young people in foster care click here.

 

A young person who comes to live in one of the homes in Northumberland County Council children’s homes can expect to be well looked after in a homely and safe environment.

Northumberland County Council offers a range of residential services for children and young people who cannot live at home, either for long or short periods. 

Our secure children’s home facility, Kyloe House, is available to support children and young people from across the UK.

More information about Northumberland's residential services can be found on their pages here.
Our Virtual School is the champion of good education outcomes for Northumberland's looked after children.

Please click here for more information about our Virtual School.