Someone In Their Corner – Care Leavers Month and the APPG

Someone in their corner: why relationships are the safety net at 18 

This National Care Leavers Month, two major reports point to the same answer. Young people leaving care don't just need faceless services, they need people who they can develop lasting relationships with. 

November is National Care Leavers Month. Landmarks from the London Eye to Blackpool Tower will light up blue as councils across the country celebrate what care-experienced young people continue to achieve against the odds. 

The celebration matters -  time and again we've seen care leavers show real strength and determination, making the most of their circumstances. But that doesn't mean we, or anyone else in the system, can get complacent. Leaving care is still a phenomenally difficult time for myriad reasons, including the loss of a vast amount of support, known as the "care cliff." 

What the care cliff results in 

In August, a government-commissioned review looked at the deaths of 112 care leavers aged 18 to 24 in England during 2025. Their death rate is three to four times higher than that of other young people the same age. 

More deaths happened at 18 than at any other age. The review, led by Ashley John-Baptiste and Clare Chamberlain, found three recurring themes: young people being alone and unready for adulthood, a sharp drop in support at 18 and gaps in the skills of the workforce around them. 

The government responded with a simple aim: every care leaver should have someone in their corner. We agree. The question now is how we make that concept a reality. 

Relationships, not just placements 

This week, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Care-experienced Children and Young People published its inquiry findings - an inquiry we were thrilled to have been a part of. It concluded that children's social care must prioritise placement stability and make protecting relationships part of everyday practice. 

The inquiry found that frequent moves between homes and schools, often far from familiar people and places, are breaking children's connections. It called for better data on what stops children keeping their most important relationships. 

Put the two reports side by side and the message is the same. Young people are losing the people who matter at exactly the moments they need them most. 

A relationship that stays 

This is where mentoring comes in. A mentor isn't a caseworker or a placement. They're a trusted adult who chooses to be there, and who stays when other things change. 

At Goal 17, our volunteer mentors support care-experienced young people through the move into adulthood. They help with the practical things: a CV, a college application, a first tenancy. They also offer something harder to measure and infinite more important: someone who is simply there when you need them. 

We know it works. Our two-year study, What Works In Care Leaver Mentoring, tracked more than 13,800 mentor and mentee interactions. Over those two years, we saw nervous care leavers come out of their shells – regular engagement between mentor and mentee rose from 30% to 82%.  

One takeaway from our study was that quality matters. Mentoring works best when mentors are well trained, carefully matched and supported for the long term – all things we pride ourselves on. 

What needs to happen next 

• Every care leaver should be offered a trained one-to-one mentor. That relationship should start before 18, not after the cliff. 
• Local authorities need a clear way to judge mentoring quality. We're working with partners on a way that councils can assess the mentoring they offer care leavers, and we'll share more soon. 
• Businesses can do more. Corporate mentoring is growing. On National Mentoring Day, DPD UK pledged 24,000 sessions for 16 to 25 year olds. We would love to see this momentum continue. 
• You can help directly. Becoming a Goal 17 mentor takes a few hours a month and can change a young person’s entire life. Find out more about mentoring with us. 

This Care Leavers Month, join us in celebrating care leavers, then help us make sure none of them face life alone.