A voice for care experienced children and young people

Coram Voice champions the voice of care experienced children and young people. We get young voices heard in decisions that matter to them and work to improve their lives.

Coram Voice are a leading children’s rights organisation, championing the rights of children in care, care leavers and others who depend upon the help of the state.

Coram Voice believes children and young people are the experts in their lives, so we empower them to be central in the decision-making processes that affect them.

Our aim is to make sure children and young people who are dependent on the care of the state know their rights. We support them to navigate the care system through our advocacy work; we challenge decisions taken about them wherever necessary and we ensure their rights and wellbeing are protected.

We also work to make longer-term changes to the system by listening to children and young people’s individual and collective experiences and working alongside them to address the issues that they say are important. These findings are used to work with professionals, improve practice and influence policy.

"Thank you, I really appreciate your support and teaching me how to communicate with my local authority. You're great at what you do and really changing people’s lives."
Young person who used Coram Voice's Always Heard advice helpline
"Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine when I first made contact with Coram Voice would I have so many people fighting my corner."
Young person who used Coram Voice's Always Heard advice helpline
"I really appreciate everything that you’ve done for me, I am finally getting the right support and it has really helped my mental health."
Young person who used Coram Voice's Always Heard advice helpline

In 2022

there were 82,000 looked after children in England and 75,000 care leavers

9,700

care-experienced children and young people were supported by Coram Voice in 2021/22

Over 20,000

responses to our Bright Spots surveys from care experienced children and young people on 'What makes life good for children in care and care leavers?'

Our services

  • Advocacy Helpline – Independent advocacy
  • Independent advocates  – a national network of professionals providing 1-1 support to children and young people in and leaving care to ensure their voices are heard in decisions made about them and that they know their rights
  • Independent visitors – adult volunteers who provide positive, stable, long-term friendship for children and young people
  • Complaints process support and Secure Accommodation Reviews – independent persons who ensure children’s rights are upheld during Children Act complaints and in Section 25 reviews in secure children’s homes
  • Homelessness outreach – our specialist homelessness outreach programme for young people
  • Bright Spots – our programme to improve the care system based on the views of children in care and care leavers, including the largest survey of their views and wellbeing in the UK
  • A National Voice (ANV) – the National Children in Care Council led by care-experienced people that brings together care-experienced children and young people across England to raise issues and influence government
  • Voices – the only national creative writing competition for care-experienced children and young people in the UK
  • Care-Experienced Consultants – young people with first-hand experience of the care system, who are employed to provide knowledge and expertise across a number of our projects

If you are a child or young person (aged up to 25) in or leaving care, or homeless please contact Coram Voice.

More information

For more information about the work of Coram Voice: