Career Matters

27/06/2025

The Thrive programme has been running since 2018 and during 2022-2024 Career Matters completed pilots across England funded by Ufi VocTech Trust. The programme continues from strength to strength with new partnerships being established across the UK.

The Thrive programme established in 2018 brings together systems around young people and adults with care experience - both in the community and in YOI/Prison settings.

Join us to share good practice, connect and support the care experienced community. Develop practice around Corporate Parenting.

The Thrive Action Group have been a pivotal part of the developments, and we are now convening our allies and partners to showcase the work and share good practice.

If you are working to improve outcomes for and and people with experience of the , then this packed event will provide a supportive space to hear about good practice, share solutions, and have discussions around key themes.

The current legislative landscape sees the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill passing through with the extension of Principles. Society broadly recognises that the outcomes for the care experience community are not progressing with the rest of society.

If you are interested in finding out more about and joining the Action Group please get in touch via our Contact Us page on the Career Matters website - https://www.career-matters.org/career-matters-contact-us/

Join us to explore how systems can work together to improve outcomes and connect into the Thrive programme.

This Action Group is a Call to Action for Corporate Parents – we share a collective responsibility to support our children, young people and adults who have been in the .

27/03/2025

We are accepting applications to the 2025 cohort commencing in June!

Register for a briefing event and find out more!

23rd April - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1276362196689?aff=oddtdtcreator

15th May - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1276484943829?aff=oddtdtcreator

Submit an EOI - https://www.career-matters.org/expression-of-interest-form-lived-experience-charter

https://www.career-matters.org/lived-experience-charter/

07/12/2024

It was a privilege for the team at Career Matters to host the December at the Crowne Plaza Liverpool City Centre!

What an inspirational day celebrating services gaining status! Employers across the country have worked so hard to ensure that their workforce is open, inclusive and representative for people with
of the and many other areas of
....

Congratulations to the 23 services who gained their status and awards! Your hard work and dedication to creating an inclusive workforce is truly inspirational!

A huge thank you to the multi-disciplinary assessment panel who worked diligently to assess and then award the services.

Thank you to the team Career Matters who worked so hard to coordinate and host the event! Sameer Iqbal, Mohan Yogendran, Ed Nixon, Liam Bowles, Trevorr Rawlins, Jon Floyd & Jess Solly.

To all of our stakeholders who attended the event - thank you for attending and being a part of this special day!

Thank you David Longstaffe for photography and film on the day!

“The Lived Experience Charter was co-designed with people with lived experience. The project has supported seventy-five organisations to review their policies, practices and environment to better support the inclusive recruitment of people with lived experience of the criminal justice system and/or the care system. It has been an incredible process that has increased job opportunities, influenced policy change and brought awareness of the barriers these communities face.”
Hannah Kirkbride, CEO, Career Matters

“Congratulations to all participants in this project. It has been a privilege to work with the services who showed courage, inclusiveness and dedication in making their workforce more equitable by employing people with lived experience. The have also demonstrated commitment in refining and adapting policies to be a more inclusive employer. I am looking forward to continuing working with these services as they become a part our community of practice which will now consist of Seventy-Five services to date. I am proud of you all and congratulations on your awards”.
Sameer Iqbal National Health & Justice & Lived Experience Charter Lead, Career Matters.

The Lived Experience Charter services :
· Demonstrated their commitment to employing people with lived experience:
· Provided opportunities for people with lived experience;
· Increased job roles for people with lived experience;
· Demonstrated that they have implemented the Lived Experience; Charter Values, Standards and Practices.

Want to find out more about the Charter? https://www.career-matters.org/lived-experience-charter/

Express Interest to apply for Charter status - https://www.career-matters.org/expression-of-interest-form-lived-experience-charter/

25/11/2024

Want to find out more about the ? Join our briefing on the 26th November - 1000-1100hrs. Sign up via Eventbrite - https://bit.ly/LECBriefing261124

Find out more about the - https://www.career-matters.org/lived-experience-charter/

Apply Now - https://www.career-matters.org/expression-of-interest-form-lived-experience-charter

23/11/2024

Want to find out more about the ? Join our briefing on the 26th November - 1000-1100hrs. Sign up via Eventbrite - https://bit.ly/LECBriefing261124

Find out more about the - https://www.career-matters.org/lived-experience-charter/

Apply Now - https://www.career-matters.org/expression-of-interest-form-lived-experience-charter

08/10/2024

Brilliant start to the morning at the Sheffield Multiple Disadvantage Conference.
Key themes for the day include:
* Racism & multiple disadvantage.
* Women and multiple disadvantage.
* The value of lived experience and co-production.

Great atmosphere and commitment to improving outcomes.

Looking forward to presenting with Sameer Iqbal and Paula Harriott this afternoon.

Thanks to Matt John & Molly Dooley (and Changing Futures team) for coordinating a fabulous event!

28/09/2024

Provided to YouTube by Mantra MusicBig and Bold · Ric FloBig and Bold℗ Ric FloReleased on: 2024-09-16arranger: Ric FloProducer: Ric FloProducer: TILLSTONE PR...

26/09/2024

Heard about the ? Want to find out more? Join us on 22nd October online 💻 👇
75 employers have now gained or working towards Charter status!

Briefing event about the Lived Experience Charter. Process to apply and gain award of the Lived Experience Charter.

30/08/2024

*** Newsletter***
Career Matters August newsletter, focuses on the and reflects on our progress over the past four years.

The is a framework that supports employers to create a more open, inclusive and representative workforce.

Discover more about our awards event held in Birmingham in March 2024, themed around Celebration and involving partners and services from across England.

Curious about becoming a Lived Experience Charter Signatory and Awardee? Learn about our next cohort launching in 2025!

Stay tuned for next month's newsletter, offering a broader view of our work as a social enterprise.



http://bit.ly/LivedExperienceCharter

Career Matters Lived Experience Charter August Newsletter
Welcome to the Career Matters August newsletter!

12/08/2024

19/06/2024

Online focus group for care experienced young people (18-25 years old) taking place 2nd July 1.30-3pm.

£40 Love to Shop Vouchers for each individual involved.

Do you want to be part of creating systems change?

Career Matters is hosting an online focus group on behalf of Ofsted. Ofsted regulates schools, children's homes, and supported accommodation. Ofsted would like to hear from you on how they can better help children in care.

Want to get involved? Then contact our friendly team - [email protected], who can help you register.

Who are Career Matters?
We support children, young people, and adults with care experience across the country. We work across policy, deliver employment programmes, and we have developed THRIVE a digital platform for care experienced individuals to access opportunity and employment.

18/06/2024

Calling all health and social care colleagues and VCSEs across Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire! Career Matters is supporting BNSSG ICB to increase recruitment of care experienced young people and adults into the health and social care workforce.

Interested in getting involved in our place-based approach? Join us at our system briefing on June 24th from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. Learn more and register here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bnssg-icb-supporting-care-experienced-young-people-into-employment-tickets-912323312587

Join us for a virtual briefing on 24th June where we'll discuss how to support care experienced young people across BNSSG ICB.