Packed house for launch of care experience champions' board
There was standing room only when the Moray Community Planning Partnership launched the local champions’ board at the Elgin Youth Cafe.
The purpose of the initiative is for senior officers to listen to and work alongside care experienced young people and to learn from - and improve upon - their care experiences.
At the launch, Councillor Tim Eagle, who chairs Moray Council’s children and young people’s services committee, presented a range of Saltire certificates to the core young people who have volunteered their time since 2016 to develop the priority themes.
A total of 14 certificates, amounting to 580 hours of input by the young people, were presented.
Councillor Eagle said: “Personally, I am very impressed by the young people.It is encouraging that they share their experiences and needs.We’ll only know how to do things better if they share this.”
Laurence Findlay, the council’s director of education and social care, said: “It was great to see so many people attending the first champions’ board and engaging in such powerful conversations with our young champions.
“The young people displayed such confidence and commitment and as corporate parents, we should all be very proud of them.Everyone left with the feel good factor and the hard work starts now in terms of turning some of our aspirations into realities for our care experienced young people”.
The partnership was successful in obtaining funding from the Life Changes Trust for three years to progress the themes and an officer hosted by Who Cares? Scotland has been appointed to support the young people.
Moray Council area stretches from Tomintoul in the south to the shores of the Moray Firth, from Keith in the east to Forres in the west. The council and its 4,500 employees respond to the needs of 95,510 residents in this beautiful part of Scotland, which nestles between Aberdeenshire and the Highlands.
Famous for its colony of dolphins, fabulous beaches and more malt whisky distilleries than any where else in Scotland, Moray is a thriving area and a great place to live.
Headquartered in Elgin, the administrative capital of Moray.