Posted on Friday 14th November 2025
Care Leavers into Employment Awards
Businesses and organisations which have enabled young people leaving care to find employment have been recognised by Staffordshire County Council.
Held at Drayton Manor Resort, the first ever Supporting Care Leavers into Employment Recognition and Awards saw 15 accolades presented across six categories.
Employers, training providers and community organisations that have provided inclusive opportunities for care leavers over the last 12 months were recognised for their contribution at the event, which was opened by Martin Murray, deputy leader of Staffordshire County Council and cabinet member for economy and skills, Martin Murray.
He said:
In Staffordshire we want to give everybody the opportunity to thrive and the people and businesses at this event are those that have supplied training, care, mentorship and placements for care leavers.
Our local businesses are doing something invaluable in enabling young people to get a foothold into work and hopefully a chosen career. They are also gaining from a fantastic local talent pool which brings value to their business and boosts their productivity. It’d be fantastic to see this event grow to twice the size it is today.
I would encourage companies across the county to find out more and get involved with the Supporting Care Leavers into Employment programme.”
WATCH: Martin Murray and the Care Leavers into Employment team explain why the awards are so important.
The event on 13 November included presentations on innovative programmes in the county, including Pathways to Success and Own Your Future, as well as celebrating the individuals and organisations that have supported care leavers into the workplace.
This year’s award winners were:
- Bronze Quality Mark - Time4Sport
- Silver Quality Mark - JG Fenns and The Stafford Arms
- Gold Quality Mark - 1 Step Beyond, Wedding Belles Love, Axia Solutions, BayNel, Converge, Cosy Direct, Liberty Jamboree and the Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Pathway Pioneer Award - Curlita Beauty, The Spark Group and Acacia Training
- Young Future Champions Award- Business Enterprise Support (BES)
- Commitment to Care Award- Reboot IT For All, Staffordshire Community Foundation, Shepherd PR and Free I.T. Stafford
- Above and Beyond Award- The Spark Group
Providing apprenticeships, work placements, mentoring and employment opportunities to young people leaving care helps boost diversity and skills as well as demonstrating a clear commitment to local social value.
Staffordshire County Council offers an expert matching service to businesses looking to support care leavers into employment, as well as the opportunity to contribute to the Care Leavers’ Bursary Fund to support them with training and employment-related costs.
To find out more, people should visit: Staffordshire.gov.uk/careleavers