Building Happier Futures for Care-Experienced People

“The majority of businesses and organisations do not have care-experience on their radar, despite the growing number of both care leavers and children in care, and the unique challenges our community faces. I am pleased that John Lewis is taking meaningful action to redress the deep social inequalities faced by our community, and hope that this work will be an example to other businesses to step up, speak out, and act on their social responsibility.”

About Rebekah

Rebekah Pierre is a care-experienced writer and campaigner with a background in child protection social work, who currently works at the British Association of Social Workers. She has written extensively about the care system, and has appeared in publications including The Guardian, The Independent, and on BBC Radio 4 among others. She is currently editing Free Loaves on Fridays, an anthology of care-experienced stories and reflections.

Rebekah has drawn upon her lived experience to expose wider policy failures. Her peer-reviewed journal, 'Revisiting Diary Entries from Care: An Exposition of the Challenges of Unregulated Placement Settings', is the first-known auto-ethnographic paper to feature childhood diary extracts written while in the care of the state.

Before beginning her career in social work, Rebekah was a music graduate and dancer. The arts were a lifeline within care, which is why she is passionate about providing creative opportunities for expression to marginalised groups. These ideas inspired her first book Gymtherapy. She has also co-edited a book on social work in disasters, which sought the stories of survivors from Grenfell, Hillsborough and other disaster settings to shine a light on the injustices faced by such marginalised groups, and how best to support survivors of future disasters.

Rebekah is passionate about seeking the voice of those who have been historically marginalised and others, and centring their perspectives in meaningful, value-driven ways.

“I am delighted to be joining the John Lewis Partnership’s Building Happier Futures Advisory Group. As Children’s Commissioner for England, I have heard first-hand the challenges that young people face leaving care and taking their first steps into the world of work. I want children in care and those leaving to aspire as high and have ambitions as large as any other child. I look forward to working together to drive positive change and to ensure all care leavers have equal opportunities.”

About Dame Rachel

Dame Rachel de Souza is the Children’s Commissioner for England.

Dame Rachel is a nationally recognised educator and advocate for improving the life chances of disadvantaged children. Before her appointment as Children’s Commissioner, she led two schools from failing to outstanding, before founding and leading the Inspiration Trust, a family of fourteen schools in East Anglia. The Trust was twice ranked as the nation’s top group of comprehensive schools based on pupil progress at GCSE. She was made a Dame in 2014 for services to education. Dame Rachel was appointed Children’s Commissioner in 2021. In this role she has unique legislative powers, is an advocate for children across the country, and represents children’s needs across Government.

In role, Dame Rachel has completed the largest-ever survey of children ‘The Big Ask’ with over half-a-million responses. This work led to a commission from Government to look at representing children’s voice in the Online Safety Bill, an ongoing piece of work into driving up Attendance in schools, and she has been asked to complete the Family Review by Government.

“I am incredibly honoured to have been appointed to the Building Happier Futures Advisory Group formed by the John Lewis Partnership to guide their work in improving the opportunities for children who have grown up in care and supporting them to build happier futures.

Having been adopted as a child at 3 months old and through the delivery of my educational programme ‘Little Chicks Life Lessons’ aimed at developing the confidence and aspirations of primary school children in the UK, I have seen first-hand the positive impact on young people when they are given the right support, tools and opportunities to thrive.     

“I am delighted to be one of the voices on the Advisory Group that will help to ensure that the Building Happier Futures programme delivers on its objectives and makes a real difference to the future prospects of young people and children leaving the care system.”

About Alison Delaney

Alison Delaney is the Founder of Little Bird People Development and creator of the acclaimed education programme ‘Little Chicks Life Lessons’.  

Alison has over 26 years’ experience of working with corporates, SME’s, schools and charities to deliver cultural and behavioural change through values based executive coaching and award-winning leadership development programmes.  Through corporate partnerships, her education programme and her public speaking appointments, Alison has supported over 15,000 professionals along their career paths and over 10,000 children and teachers both in the UK and Africa.

Alison Delaney has been shortlisted as a finalist in The Great Businesswoman Awards 2022 in its ‘Social Enterprise’ category for ‘Little Chicks Life Lessons’.

About Linda, in her own words

A care experienced child; I left home at 16 to be a dancer in a working mens club in Liverpool. My ambition, though, was to dance on Blackpool Pier.

Then. A Kind of Loving was on my telly-box; it was the first time I had heard a northern accent, apart from Coronation Street, on the TV.

A perspective shift. I would be an actor.

My bestie and I plotted and planned, we got The Lady magazine and found a bedsit in Balham. We packed our case, bought duvet covers in Woolworths, then headed off to Lime St. Station. We took pictures of ourselves in the photo booth, the selfie of that era. Here it was, the big day, we were off to find the streets that were paved in gold.

Except…

I got on the train. She did not. I was about to turn 17.

Fast forward: An audition to drama school, an audition to play Mary the Punk in EastEnders, Auditions for the West End, auditions for regional theatre, film, and much more telly. All of which I Did.

Shift Happens.

I was happily resting; whilst writing for a BBC science programme. The engineers were making ones and zeros communicate across the heavens; it was something called a website. The potential for global communication, to tell stories in different ways, to democratise knowledge was all just mind-blowing. I had a career change. I left behind the actor rogues and vagabonds and joined a new tribe.

That was almost 23 years ago. I have worked at the BBC, launched E4 for Channel 4, delivered over 100 TV channels and streaming services in 26 languages for Discovery. Back to Channel 4 to launch their data management platform, To Jamie Oliver as director of Digital, Information & Technology and now Group M as SVP Operations and Transformation. A girl with no Maths or English.

I have been mentoring and tutoring young apprentices for over ten years now. Mostly young people who, like me, don’t have a school shaped brain. I help them find ways to succeed, be heard and counted.

I am proud of myself. I have worked hard. I LOVE what I do.

“As someone who grew up in care, any chance to support care experienced people is a must for me. I think it's clear to see that social purpose is a significant factor in what drives the John Lewis Partnership; and I am deeply optimistic about the potential of this advisory group.”

About Ashley

Ashley John-Baptiste is an RTS nominated BBC broadcast journalist and Digital Senior Reporter for BBC News. 

Ashley began his BBC journalism career as a reporter for BBC2's Victoria Derbyshire programme, covering the Grenfell disaster and making original BBC films on issues including interfaith foster care and racism on UK university campuses. He is now a frequent reporter for BBC News, BBC London News, Morning Live, Sunday Morning Live and The One Show. 

He fronted the BBC Three documentary Care Home Kids: Looking For Love (produced by Special Edition Films). Other recent BBC films presented by Ashley include My Life In Care and My Life Without Skin, as well as BBC Three documentary Split Up In Care: Life Without Siblings. He has also made a film with Mo Gilligan for the brilliant virtual event Be Inspired UK, which seeks to inspire care experienced young people. In June 2022 Ashley was the lead reporter on The Mall for the four days of The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations on BBC One and the BBC News channels. 

Ashley grew up in South London, where at the age of four he was taken into care. He grew up being shuttled between foster families and children's homes and moved primary school three times. A bright student, he attended a comprehensive school which had three times the number of children from deprived backgrounds than the national average. There, he battled to win a place at Cambridge University where he graduated with a 2:1 in History. Whilst at Cambridge, Ashley acted as a mentor to other students who grew up in care. 

Ashley is an ambassador for The Fostering Network charity and was shortlisted for the RTS Young Talent Of The Year 2018 award. 

"Become's vision is that care-experienced children and young people have the same chances as everyone else to live happy, fulfilled lives so it is fantastic to see the John Lewis Partnership's commitment to making a difference for this community. Care-experienced young people do not have the choices and opportunities that their peers do and consistently tell us they face disadvantage and stigma, the impacts of which can last a lifetime. That's why we are so excited about partnering with such an important British business and joining the Advisory Group so we can work together to create the monumental change so urgently wanted and needed by care-experienced children and young people."

About Katharine

Katharine is the Chief Executive of Become, the national charity for children in care and young care leavers. 

Katharine has a background in politics and campaigning and has worked in the charity sector trying to make positive change for the last 15 years. Before joining Become, Katharine was Chief Executive of Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk. Prior to that she led policy and campaigns at Crisis, the national charity for homeless people.  She has written and spoken extensively on disadvantage and inequality including across the media and has sat on and chaired government advisory groups.  

Katharine is a trustee of Little Village and Children England. Most importantly of all, she is mum to two lovely small people. 

“I am delighted to join the advisory group. Every child in the UK should feel equal, loved and respected and we know that, so often, this isn’t the reality for Care Experienced people. There is only so much we can do within our own organisations to demand the right to better lives for Care Experienced children and young people. This advisory group brings together significant expertise, huge potential and, most importantly, real commitment to work together to make a difference.”

About Louise

Louise is Chief Executive at Who Cares? Scotland, the national membership organisation in Scotland for Care Experienced people. For over 40 years, Who Cares? Scotland has held relationships with Care Experienced people across Scotland, working alongside them to make sure their voices are heard. 

Louise has worked across the public and voluntary sectors for the past 20 years, with a focus on social justice and equality. Louise has held a number of board positions including with homelessness and disability organisations, and currently with the Scottish Refugee Council. Louise has also held a number of advisory committee roles, most recently with the Police Scotland equality and diversity strategic advisory group; the Scottish Government careers review programme board; and the strategic implementation board for the national care service.

Louise is an adoptive parent to a wonderful and busy 7 year old boy, and is owned by a 12 year old West Highland Terrier. They spend rest time together on some of the beautiful Scottish beaches, in all weathers!

"To be part of the John Lewis Partnership Advisory Group is a great opportunity to support the further development of their offer to care experienced young people and to ensure that people who are care experienced see the Partnership as a choice of career.  The offer will change care experienced lives".    

About Mark

Mark Riddell left local authority care in 1984 and spent years working with a range of organisations to campaign for better support for care leavers before training as a social worker in 1990. He was the Service Manager for children in care and leaving care at Trafford council until 2017. In 2015 Ofsted rated the Trafford’s quality of care leaver provision at the council as ‘outstanding’. Trafford was the first in the country to achieve this. In 2017 he received an MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours list for his outstanding contribution to children in care and care leavers.

He was appointed as the National Implementation Adviser for Care Leavers within the Department for Education. Previous to this he worked informally alongside the Children’s Minister Edward Timpson on the Care Leavers Strategy – Keep on Caring and the Children and Social Work Act that introduced a new set of Corporate Parenting Duties, the consultation and publication of the local offer to care leavers and the Personal Advisor duty to 25 years for all care leavers.

Mark also penned a book called The Cornflake Kid which about his time in the care system and subsequent travels around the world – including a chance casting in one of Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo movies.

About Tim

Professor Tim Blackman became Vice-Chancellor of The Open University in October 2019. He was previously Vice-Chancellor of Middlesex University in London. Tim was Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Scholarship and Quality at the OU between 2011 and 2015. 

After a year at sea as a deckhand, Tim studied Geography at Durham University and, following a spell as a community worker in Belfast, returned to Durham to complete a PhD. He went back to Northern Ireland as a Lecturer in Social Policy at the University of Ulster, where he met his partner, Roberta Woods, who many years later became MP for the City of Durham after they had moved back to North East England, Tim initially as Head of Research at Newcastle City Council. 

Tim returned to higher education in the mid-1990s, first as a Deputy Dean at Oxford Brookes University and then as Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law at Teesside University in Middlesbrough. In 2004 he took up a Chair in Sociology and Social Policy at Durham and over eight years served as Head of the School of Applied Social Sciences, Director of the Wolfson Research Institute and Dean of the University’s Queen’s Campus in Stockton-on-Tees. 

Tim has held a large number of other positions on company, public services and charity boards mainly in the housing, health and community sectors, He has reviewed for research councils extensively and was an assessor for the UK Research Excellence Framework exercise in 2014. He worked for several years as an advisor to the UK government on neighbourhood renewal and currently advises government on skills policy. He has taught and researched across social and urban policy, writing on housing, planning, health, social care, research methods and higher education. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and Royal Society of Arts.

“We are thrilled to be working with the John Lewis Partnership, a much-loved British brand on this groundbreaking initiative to support children in care and care experienced young people. At Action for Children, we want to give every child across the UK the best start in life, especially those whose lives and schooling have been disrupted by abuse, neglect and family breakdown.  We work with at least 40,000 children and young people in, or with experience of, the social care system every year, and we know the challenges and inequalities they face.  We believe this partnership will enable us to support and empower more children and young people as they make the transition from care to into the adult world.”

“I am also delighted to be working with the John Lewis Partnership on the Building Happier Futures Advisory Group to start a national conversation on improving the lives of those in care and the life chances of those leaving care into adulthood and work. With our collective expertise and passion, I am confident that we will be able to make a step change in the way care experienced young people are supported.”

About Melanie

Melanie is Chief Executive at Action for Children since March 2020. She was previously Interim Managing Director Corporate Shared Services at the charity.

Melanie began her career with KPMG in Manchester and Frankfurt and is a qualified Chartered Accountant. She went on to join Cadbury Schweppes, where she pursued a successful 18-year career in a variety of senior finance roles across a number of countries and at business unit, region and group level.

Following the Kraft takeover of Cadbury, Melanie decided to take her career in a different direction. Keen to follow her values, she moved into the not-for-profit sector, first as Finance Director with London Business School, then later as Executive Director Finance, Legal and Audit at Macmillan Cancer Support.

Drawing on her breadth of experience of both operational delivery and strategic change, at Action for Children, Melanie has guided the organisation through the challenges of the pandemic and created with the senior leadership team a pathway towards growth and delivering more safe and happy childhoods.

Melanie lives in Amersham with her husband and son, both of whom are sports mad – so Melanie is a frequent spectator at various sporting events. She also likes getting out and enjoying the beautiful Chilterns countryside.