Culture, leisure and community learning and development services

What we do outwith education or work makes us into confident individuals and effective contributors to our communities and can help us to learn throughout our lives. Access to play, sport and other leisure activity can be difficult for looked after children and young people and care leavers for a variety of reasons such as practicalities like transport and cost of clothes or equipment, and less tangible issues like lack of confidence, low self-esteem, feeling excluded, not having experience of participation in earlier life, fear of the unknown.

As corporate parents, councils are privileged to have leisure facilities and cultural facilities at their disposal. What parent would not encourage their own children to use their swimming pools, tennis courts or theatres? Engagement in sport, the arts and other similar activities can provide a foundation for lifelong learning, build friendships, promote active citizenship, promote physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Participation in the arts and cultural boosts confidence, fulfilment and contributes to young people leading happier lives.

It is an important function of the corporate family, then, to encourage looked after children and young people and care leavers to take up hobbies and interests and to make sure that culture and leisure services are accessible to them, including those children with disabilities.

Libraries can be the only source of access to the internet for some looked after children and young people and care leavers, and may be their principal source of support for homework.

Some councils have already successfully promoted better use of culture and leisure services by providing smart cards, equipment, and transport for looked after children and young people and care leavers, and their carers. Access to cultural facilities can be encouraged through holding informal meetings in art gallery cafes, for example, or foster care recruitment in museums.

Carers and professionals working with looked after children and young people may themselves be unaware of the significant benefits to young people of taking part in culture and leisure activities, of what is available locally, or lack confidence in taking children to them. Raising awareness amongst carers is essential to ensuring that young people are supported to take part in cultural and leisure activities, and education officers will have a key role in promoting engagement with their facilities and developing approaches which reach looked after children and young people and care leavers, and carers, including those with disabilities.