Participation and engagement

ASPIRE Council

ASPIRE Council is our youth-led group for young people in care and leaving care in Haringey. As a member you will be able to meet up regularly, plan events and make the council aware of important issues affecting our care experienced children and young people.

Haringey Aspire offer a range of activities and events to all Children in Care and Care Leavers throughout the year. You are welcome to take part in the following, either on your own or with support of your foster carers, link worker, social worker or PA:

• a free monthly cinema club at VUE Woodgreen cinema with refreshments
• discussion and consultation groups where you are invited to discuss and share your views on policies relating to Care Leavers, for example, Language that Cares, Pledge for Children Looked After
• the Proud to be Me project, which takes place regularly and enables the group to explore their own identity and culture through art, cooking, and trips to the theatre.
• the chance to be involved in the recruitment of social workers, students, personal advisors as well as senior members of staff
• the opportunity to become a trainer and to facilitate the ‘Total Respect’ training package, which is a course that helps social workers, senior managers, and councillors to put themselves in the shoes of children who are looked after and care leavers
• ASPIRE members also go out on trips such as Nando’s, bowling, Toca socials and much more...

YAS Ambassadors

The Care Leavers Ambassadors group was developed in November 2022 by a group of care-experienced young people who wanted to raise awareness about their own experiences and needs to help improve leaving care services.

They have influenced improving the Local Offer document for care leavers which is designed to provide you with easy access to the necessary resources and information, and a range of service partnership protocol’s including the Haringey Housing Protocol and Pledge to improve housing services for all Care Leavers when they move into permanent housing.

The group have participated in planning National care Leavers week now month and provided consultation on the services care leavers needs and gaps analysis and our care leavers programme. As a result, the programme is underway to influence our corporate parenting council wide offer. We have had the benefits of young ambassadors sitting on our recruitment panels to ensure that we recruit the best quality staff. As a member you will be regarded as the expert as you have all the knowledge of what needs improving and can help us to do this.

The group is open to all, and you will become a valued member of our service also gaining swifter access to enjoy outings, visits and meals as and when decided by the group, these have included this year Wireless tickets, Thorpe Park and Hamilton at the theatre. You will also be compensated for your time, and travel for pieces of work.

We can provide references in relation to any involvement and participation you provide within the group. You can be referred to the ambassador’s group via your allocated worker who will introduce you to our participation officer.

Participation in society

There are important documents we all need to help us make our way through life. We will make sure you have these.

We will pay for and support you to get the following important identification documents: passport; National Insurance Card; birth certificate.

We will help you to set up a bank account.

Voting - your PA will help you to enrol on the Electoral Register so that you can vote and have your say in elections - see Elections and voting

Haringey Youth panel is a powerful platform for young people aged 11-18 (25 for SEND) YP to raise their voices, influence change and represent their peers on issues that matter most to them locally and nationally - see Haringey's Youth Panel

Access to your files

Your PA can help you to do this if you wish. You will need to send an email to your worker requesting ‘Access to your Files’ and then you will be sent a form to complete. You then email the completed form to Data.ProtectionAct@haringey.gov.uk with your details and they will get in touch with you about next steps.