A couple of months ago I was passing the Children's Society project in Deptford and dropped in to find out what they had been doing.  The project provides advocacy for children and young people in Lewisham's care and I've worked with them on a variety of corporate parenting things.fficeffice" />

As it turned out my visit was timely.  Care leavers (young people between 16 and 21) were up in arms and had organised a petition of their peers.  The issue exercising them was the lack of Personal Advisors, a requirement under the Leaving Care Act, and the council's decision not to priorities their introduction despite it being a statutory duty.

I organised for the petition to be presented at full council and for some of the young people to meet with the Mayor and cabinet members with responsibility for this area, along with the senior officers. 

At the meeting the young people impressed on us the importance they placed on independent advice and we promised to look at the situation and meet with them again in six weeks. 

We have now done that and they are working with us on introducing the Personal Advisors; they are meeting on a weekly basis to develop a person specification and will then be involved in the recruitment as well.