The initiative, led by Joel Hanna, Head of Services for Corporate Parenting at Kirklees Council, aims to bring together local businesses and community organisations to raise awareness of the links between people with care experience and a variety of poor social outcomes. It will also broaden opportunities for those involved to help tackle such issues through employment, training, health offers and more. 

Andi was recently asked to deliver a keynote speech to stakeholders from those institutes at a Kirklees Care Leavers Ambassadors Network event. During his talk, Andi explored how the poor outcomes of many people with care system experience are often linked to relational poverty, and how those safeguarding children can help put them on a path to success by creating positive and trustful relationships. He reflected on his own childhood lived experience of the care system, and shared insights and expertise from his research and expansive 16-year career in youth justice, during which he has become the author of three books covering topics including crime, justice and care.  

Andi has also recently filmed with Kirklees Local TV to discuss how Kirklees-based businesses and community organisations can support the Council with their corporate parenting responsibilities. The footage will be used on social media and sent to businesses and employers in attempt to encourage support of the initiative. 

Andi Brierley said: "As a person with care experience who had personal challenges in early adulthood, I take a great deal of pride to be able to contribute to conversations about how we can all support better outcomes for other care experienced children. I am honoured to be involved with this initiative and to help provide much needed support to those requiring it." 

Joel Hanna said: “I thank Andi for providing such powerful input at our recent event. He delivered an insightful and tremendously valuable message to a broad range of partners who previously had little understanding nor experience of how they might help us build our community of support.  

“Andi was able to relay through his lived experience, combined with current evidence-based theory, just how important it is to ensure those with care experience have access to a community network of support. His talk had a big impact on those in attendance and has helped us take our first steps in creating that community.” 

More information about Andi, his background and work at Leeds Trinity is available on the University website.