Care leavers in Harrow are set to benefit from a new, dedicated app co-produced with the council, designed to provide easy access to essential information and support. The initiative was discussed at a Corporate Parenting Panel meeting on Monday, 30 June 2025, as part of a broader update from the Participation Service.
The app, slated for launch during National Care Leavers' Week in October, will include sections promoting local jobs, help with budgeting, health information, and social events, aiming to help young people stay connected. The app will be publicly accessible.
The app is being developed in collaboration with care-experienced young people and a specialist company, ensuring it meets their specific needs and remains up-to-date. During the first drop-in session, young people shared ideas for the app's design and functionality. Suggestions included naming the app 'Futures', ensuring it has a welcoming feel, and making it clear that the app was created by care leavers for care leavers. Sessions in June included a demo and discussion of the app, as noted in the Leaving Care Service report.
The app is part of a wider effort to improve support for care leavers in Harrow. The council launched a new Leaving Care Service on 31 March 2025, with a vision to create an accessible, welcoming, and responsive service for all care leavers. As part of this, weekly drop-in sessions have been established at a local community centre, co-hosted with partners such as Housing, the Department for Work and Pensions, Xcite, the Shaw Trust, and the Care Leavers Covenant.
The council is also working to maximise employment opportunities for care-experienced young people. The Participation Service and the Early Careers Manager are collaborating to offer work experience and apprenticeships within the council and its partner organisations. In June 2025, they attended the Manager's Forum to encourage local authority staff to create meaningful opportunities for care leavers.
In addition to the app and employment initiatives, the council is modernising its post-18 Information Pack and planning social activities for care leavers, including kayaking, horse riding, and trips to Go Ape and Thorpe Park.
The council's commitment to care leavers extends to those in custody. Young people in custody receive a weekly allowance for personal items, and upon release, they are supported with accommodation. The council is also working with the Shaw Trust to introduce an employment and training project in July, targeting those aged 16-21 to help them engage in and maintain work or training, according to the Leaving Care Service report.
The Corporate Parenting Panel also received an update on the Virtual School, which supports all children looked after with their education. Data from 2023-2024 shows that Harrow's CLA performed above the national average in Attainment 8 and Good English and Maths GCSEs. Harrow's Attainment 8 score is 19.9%, above the national average of 18.7%, and the percentage of CLA achieving Good English and Maths GCSEs is 20%, compared to the national average of 18%, according to the Virtual School Summer Term Report. 84% of CLA in Key Stage 5 participate in education, employment, or training, and 15% of care leavers attend university, both higher than the national averages.
The council's efforts to support care leavers are reflected in its performance data. Compared to its statistical neighbours - Redbridge, Hillingdon, Barnet, Ealing, Waltham Forest, Reading, Hounslow, Merton, Slough, and Milton Keynes - Harrow is in touch with a higher proportion of care leavers, a higher proportion are in suitable accommodation, and a higher proportion of those aged 19 to 21 are in education, employment, or training, according to the Information Report Activity and Performance presented at the meeting.