CLNM Conference 2024 - Developing Direction

Posted 22nd November 2024

On Thursday 14 November, the House Project community of young people, colleagues, and partners from across the UK gathered at the Mercure Hotel in Manchester for the annual Care Leavers National Movement (CLNM) Conference, ‘Developing Direction.’

This inspiring event was designed and delivered by young people, showcasing their dedication to improving outcomes for care-experienced young people. With a focus on ‘Direction,’ the day highlighted their drive to create lasting change. Attendees heard from young people and guest speakers about how they are shaping their futures, while CLNM shared updates on their Peer Recommendations.

A significant highlight was the presentation of the first Peer Evaluation of CLNM itself, which was conducted by young researchers who interviewed their peers - both current and former CLNM representatives. Matthew Walsham from Partnership for Young London and young researchers joined the stage to share their work, demonstrating the power of peer-led initiatives. This Evaluation explored their experiences as reps and identified ways to improve support and collaboration. Their insightful findings centred on three key themes:

• Creating Positive Impact
• Impact on CLNM Representatives
• Developing a CLNM Alumni Offer

These findings culminated in the creation of a practical guide for young people considering becoming a CLNM rep.  Chloe, a representative from Coventry House Project, said:

“The time we spend together as reps helps us build a community – 84% of reps agreed or strongly agreed that being a rep made them feel part of a community.”

The day featured engaging guest speakers, including John Bernard, Coventry’s Poet Laureate; Fraser McKinlay CEO, The Promise Scotland; and Dez Holmes, Director, Research in Practice. All shared their experiences of working alongside care-experienced young people and how in their respective roles they were working to change the way young people are supported. Dez Holmes reflected:

“Today I spoke at the Care Leavers National Movement conference, where most of the crowd and organisers were care-experienced young people. I presented on a chapter on #TransitionalSafeguarding that I co-authored with care-experienced young people. Utterly joyful! It was a seven-hour round trip for a 40-minute talk, and worth every second.”

The final presentations spotlighted young people discussing the opportunities available to help them ‘Develop Direction’ and their personal aspirations for the next five years. This session encapsulated the optimism and determination driving the House Project community forward. Sue Hammersley, Director NHP and Mark Warr CEO NHP were invited to the stage to share their ambitions for scaling, reach and further developing the quality of the offer to young people.  

In addition to the formal sessions, each Local House Project and partner organisation hosted creative and engaging stalls in the conference’s bustling marketplace. These stalls showcased innovative ideas and sparked lively conversations, leaving attendees feeling energised and inspired by the House Project community’s creativity and vision.

Overall, this year’s event demonstrated the power of young people’s voices and the strength of a united community, striving together to create a brighter future for care leavers. Consultant David Jackson summed up the day:

“It was a triumph. Vibrant, celebratory, enthusing, spectacular. Not a single person will have left unmoved or uninspired. What more is there to say?”

Catch the highlights and feel the energy of the ‘Developing Direction’ conference in our short film here (coming soon!).