AN historic vote at Cumberland Council saw councillors agree to make care experience a 'protected characteristic' when the new authority takes control in 2023.

In voting to make this a protected characteristic and accepting the recommendation of a national review, the council accepts that people with experience of the care system face discrimination.

Cumberland Council will take this into account in its decision-making and policies.

It was the passion project of the council’s children and families portfolio holder, Emma Williamson.

Before holding the vote, councillors heard an impassioned speech from Terry Galloway, an 'ambassador for change', on the need for the proposal.

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Mr Galloway said: “By the time I’d left care, I’d lived in over 100 places. We were left with no voice and in the end, I did actually make a life for myself despite all the early trauma.

“However, my siblings suffered great trauma, losing their children to the care system.

"One experienced serious trauma and is still struggling against the system not designed for care experienced people.

“They cost the state £1.2 million each. People from care are 70 per cent more likely to die earlier on than other people.”

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Mr Galloway said that at 33 years old, his sister was killed by her boyfriend “two days after disclosing to statutory services that she felt she was going to die. The system’s broken.”

“So my question to Councillor Williamson is how do you think that this motion will give voice to care experienced people?”

Cllr Williamson thanked Mr Galloway for attending and "for using your experiences to improve the lives of many people with care experience".

She said: “This motion is about equality of opportunity, not feeling sorry or increasing stigma in any way for care experienced people but we are told time and time again how care experienced people are re-traumatising themselves every time they fight for change and have to tell their stories to people in power."

Cllr Williamson said that rules and decisions from authorities can unintentionally have the opposite effect, increasing inequality.

“Treating care experience as a protected characteristic will mean we check every time we design them, the impact of our policies and the accessibility of our services so we redesign them when we need to.”

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