Young people in care join council board after saying ‘decisions were being made for them’
"Extra parenting" strategy lets youth in care take charge of decision-making
North Northamptonshire Council says young people in care will now help chair and run key decision‑making meetings, after many said they previously felt that “decisions were being made for them”.
Its after the council unveiled its new Corporate Parenting Strategy for 2026, which outlined a commitment to “doing things better” for children in care and care‑experienced young people. The council say the strategy has been directly shaped by young people themselves and sets out a vision that every child in care is “safe, supported and empowered to thrive”.
The council now refers to councillors as “extra parents” – a term they say is preferred by young people – reflecting their shared responsibility to provide the love, support and opportunities every child needs.
Young people to chair meetings
Councillor (Cllr) Elizabeth Wright, the council’s executive member for children, families, education and skills, said the changes were driven by strong feedback from young people who felt excluded from decisions about their lives.
“We can’t have a room full of adults deciding young people’s futures,” she said. “They told us they felt that decisions were being made for them, not with them.”
“Our corporate parenting board is now made up of young people in care alongside councillors.”
Under the new approach, upcoming meetings of the council’s parenting board will be held in environments chosen by the young people themselves, such as residential homes – and the meetings will be chaired by young people in care.
Councillors will still attend, but in a listening role. “They will be running it. We will be there to hear their voices and take that forward,” Cllr Wright said.
Priorities set by young people
Young people in care have also identified several priorities they want the council to focus on, including access to free bus passes and better housing options as well as improved access to NHS Dentists. The councillor says work on dentistry access has already “considerably improved”, and discussions on transport support are under way.
“It’s probably the first time we’ve truly heard those children’s voices, and now we can take that forward and work with them to make it happen,” Wright added.
A new housing model is also being developed to allow groups of care leavers to live together with support workers on hand, helping them settle into independence.
Cllr Wright said a key aim of the strategy is to rebuild trust with young people who have not always felt heard.
“Some felt they were being told what their future would look like. This strategy turns that on its head,” she said. “We’ll meet them where they feel comfortable – in their own environments, on their terms.”
She said the success of the new approach would ultimately be judged by whether young people themselves feel listened to and see real change in the support they receive.