In 2018, Drive Forward Foundation (DFF) and Camden Council joined forces to support care-experienced young people in the borough.
Building on the success of initiatives such as the Civil Service Care Leavers Internship Scheme and the Government’s Kickstart Scheme during COVID-19, Camden Council took a bold step in 2023 by launching six paid 18-month internships exclusively for care leavers. These internships, spanning various departments—including strategy, HR, refugee support, and HS2—have demonstrated how hiring individuals with lived experience can offer invaluable insights and significant benefits to the council.
This programme marks a major milestone in Camden’s journey to create more equitable opportunities for care leavers. It serves as a blueprint for how local governments can harness the potential of care-experienced young people to create meaningful, transformative careers. And we’re only just getting started. We hope this initiative will inspire other organisations across London to follow suit, offering similar pathways for care leavers to thrive.
“Camden’s first internship scheme has been a positive learning experience for all involved, helping us better understand the challenges faced by those with care experience and the actions we can take to create smoother journeys into employment. We now aim to grow the scheme and run it on a rolling basis, having seen the value our interns have brought to the organisation, as well as the impact this has had on their confidence and future career prospects. We’ll continue fine-tuning our model as we gather feedback and learn from participants, their managers, and the care-leaving service. Looking ahead, we hope to promote best practice and influence other large organisations to replicate our scheme so many more care-experienced young people can showcase their talent on an equal playing field.”
— Camden Council Apprenticeship Team (joint statement)
Creating the Camden Council Internship Scheme
DFF’s collaboration with the Department for Education began in 2016, launching an internship programme for care leavers that offered paid entry-level roles—similar to fixed-term appointments—without requiring formal qualifications. One of our young people participated in the inaugural cohort, which eventually led to the highly successful Civil Service Care Leavers Internship Scheme. Today, this initiative offers ring-fenced opportunities for care-experienced young people across the UK, with DFF supporting 50 individuals in the programme annually.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, care-experienced young people were particularly impacted by social isolation and limited access to employment. In response, the Government introduced the Kickstart Scheme in 2020, creating six-month entry-level roles paid at the London living wage, with no prior qualifications required. Camden Council was one of the first London boroughs to engage with the Kickstart Scheme, and three DFF young people gained placements within Camden Council departments, including Children’s Services and Special Educational Needs. Two of these participants transitioned into permanent contracts.
Building on these successes, Camden Council recognised the potential to create its own dedicated programme. This new initiative leverages these proven models, offering targeted opportunities for care-experienced young people. Camden Council’s role as a corporate parent means it has a unique responsibility to care leavers, and through this internship programme, it is actively investing in their growth and development.
“This project has been a win-win experience for both the interns and Camden Council. It’s fantastic to see skills, knowledge, and confidence developing before my very eyes.”
— Felix Fry, Careers Specialist with Drive Forward Foundation
“I was introduced to the Camden Council Internship through Felix, and it has been the best job I’ve had. It’s been a great experience. It’s the best opportunity I could have asked for because it’s getting your foot in the door rather than waiting for your degree to be finished. It’s a way to start climbing the career ladder. Honestly, I have nothing negative to say about the internship. The opportunity benefits care leavers, as they may have experienced certain hardships that might set them back a bit. It just gives you that boost and push forward and puts you on the same playing field as everyone else.”
— Rose, Camden Council Intern
“The Camden Council Internship allowed me to get my foot in the door and grow my career. Even though my team was small, they had a lot of experience, and I learned so much from them. From IT skills, writing emails, and answering the phone to handling face-to-face encounters with the community, this internship has set me up for what I’m going to do in the future.”
— Jamieleigh, Former Camden Council Intern
Rose’s role spans two teams: the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion team, and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. This variety of experiences, she explains, has been a “game changer” for her.
“It’s helped me figure out what I want to do and what areas I want to grow in. Right now, I feel like the world is my oyster. I just want to keep trying new things and finding my niche.”
Jamieleigh is a former intern who now holds a permanent position as Operations Coordinator with Camden Council.
The Road Ahead
As Camden Council’s Care Leavers Internship gains momentum, the hope is that other boroughs will take notice.
“I’m impressed by Camden Council’s commitment, and we’ve all learnt a lot from this pilot project for next time,” says Felix Fry. “It would be great to see other boroughs follow Camden’s example. There’s no doubt in my mind that, with Drive Forward Foundation’s support and a proactive commitment to diversity and inclusion, other London boroughs could replicate Camden’s success.”
“I definitely think it’s beneficial to have care-experienced individuals working in the Council. Many of us know the services well from going through them ourselves. I’m actually shocked it isn’t a thing in other boroughs because I can already imagine how many care-experienced people could benefit from this. There’s no better voice for people in care than someone who has lived and experienced it.”
— Rose, Camden Council Intern
The Camden Council Care Leavers Internship is not just another programme—it’s a roadmap for how local governments can offer real opportunities to those who need them most. As Camden Council looks to refine and expand this initiative, we hope more organisations will join this movement, creating a level playing field for care-experienced young people to build their futures.
