Our pledge
Our pledge makes 5 promises to children and young people in our care. These cover:
- health
- education
- reaching your potential
- positive relationships
- leaving care
The pledge was written by young people and has been adopted throughout the council.
It applies to all children and young people, from birth to 18 years-old, who are in our care. Some apply to those leaving care from the age of 18 up to 21 years, or 25 years in certain cases.
The pledge applies regardless of sex, race, sexual orientation, disability, age, ability or background. It applies wherever you are placed, whether this is inside or outside Thurrock.
Our 5 promises
We promise to work to help you to develop healthily by:
- helping you to keep fit and healthy and giving you the resources and information on how best to equip yourself to continue to develop
- making sure you are given support to have regular health and dental checks
- having social workers support you in all aspects of your development and giving you every opportunity to flourish
We promise to do everything we can to keep you safe and feel important to us while in care by:
- making staff available to speak to you when you need to contact them to discuss your problems, anxieties and achievements
- involving you in decisions and plans that are made that will affect your current and future life
- not changing your social worker unless absolutely necessary
- giving you advice and support to stay safe both within your home and community
- calling you back within 24 hours
We promise to help you reach your dreams while in care by:
- celebrating your achievements and recognising your goals and helping to push you further while in care
- supporting you to attend and achieve in education
- providing you with good educational opportunities that best meet your abilities
- providing you with a translating dictionary in your language when you first come into care if your first language is not English
- giving you the same opportunities available to young people who are not looked after
We promise to support your positive relationships and social activities by:
- giving priority when you ask to stay with friends and relatives away from your normal placement
- aiding you in having easy access to libraries, youth clubs and positive activities
- giving you access to an independent visitor/ mentors
- supporting you in being heard throughout the local authority across all departments
We promise to prepare you for adult life and leaving care by:
- supporting you financially up until the time you start work or are entitled to claim benefits
- providing you with a grant to help you settle into your own accommodation when you leave care
- supporting you in higher education at university
- helping you with support to seek employment and training
- helping you with transport for attending education and looked after children appointments
- supporting you to apply for all documentation and providing you with necessary information on your rights