Sincerly You Letter Exhibition in Preston

Leapfrog attended a preview event to launch the Sincerely You exhibition at the Harris Museum in Preston on 25 Oct 2017. The exhibition is a selection of letters written by care leavers to their younger selves, and runs from Thursday 26 October to Friday 3 November.

The attendance to Sincerely You exhibition was an opportunity to make connections with new partners, and was a familiarisation of the Leapfrog team with the audience, which the Improve It Project will be framed to work in partnership with. A close collaboration with Lancashire County Council staff, team leaders and care workers from three areas across the county (Central, East, North) has been established to improve Young people’s tools already available, in order to support the planning process of care leavers.

The Care Planning, Placement and Review Regulations requires local authorities to assess young person’s preparedness for the time when s/he will no longer be looked after. This assessment of needs is done while the young person is looked after, and a pathway plan to enable a successful transition to the responsibilities of adulthood must be completed.

A flexible and creative approach, which actively engages with young people themselves, will help ensure that the eventual plan is realistic and likely to be met. It is envisaged that the young people tools to meet this need. However, the existing tools are seen by care leavers as inappropriate for planning their future life, and for their age. The improvement of such tools to meet their needs can invigorate and help  care leavers planning processes.