Children in care awards: celebration of achievement event 2023

We are holding our new and improved celebration event on Friday 30 June 2023 at Exeter Racecourse: 5.00pm to 7.30pm (for ages 5 to 13 years) and 7.00pm to 9.30pm (for ages 14 to 25 years)

This is our annual celebration of the achievements of Devon’s children and young people in care and care leavers. It’s a chance to meet up, say well done and celebrate the successes of all our children and young people.

There are no winners or losers, all nominees will be invited to the event and awarded a personalised certificate and £10 gift card.

The event will include plenty of food for the young people and their guests, new entertainment and activities for all ages, interactive stands and a presentation ceremony for each age group. This year we will have entertainment inside and outside the venue (weather permitting), including more activities for the older age group.

Entertainment will include:

• balloon modellers
• jugglers
• magicians
• face painters
• driving simulators
• dance machines
• virtual reality headsets
• fun photo booth
• inflatable assault course
• surf simulator
• martial arts demos
• a professional photographer

There will also be fun and interactive stands from:

• the Participation Team
• Exeter College
• Young Devon
• National Citizenship Service
• National Youth Advocacy Service
• Devon Music Service and more

In addition, we are inviting our young people to perform during the presentations part of the evening – if you know a young person who would be happy to share a talent or success, for example, singing, playing a musical instrument, performing a dance or magic trick, reading a poem, telling a joke or any other talent – we would like to hear from you.

Ideally, they would need to be happy to perform at the event in front of a large group of people, or you could film them and send it to us.

We are also looking for care leavers who may be able to share their success stories of what they are doing now and how they got there, as an aspirational boost to our young people.

Please email childrenincareawards-mailbox@devon.gov.uk with the names of young people who’d like to perform or care leavers who would like to share their successes.

Nominate a young person

This is your opportunity to nominate a young person you work with, or care for, who you think has achieved something significant for them over the last year, in one or more of the following categories:

• Kindness – showing empathy, respect for others or friendship.
• Community – taking part in community or school projects.
• Commitment – perseverance, determination, loyalty.
• Bounce-back-ability – resilience, having another go, overcoming hurdles, having a positive outlook.
• Trying something new.

Please ensure your nomination reason is concise (no more than five sentences) and appropriate to be printed on the certificate and read out at the event.

Please complete the online nomination form by Monday 12 June at 5.00 pm.

Who can be nominated?

Children and young people in care to Devon Local Authority and care leavers, aged 5 to 25 years, who have been looked after by Devon County Council for 13 or more weeks and are happy to be nominated.

Unfortunately, children in the care of other local authorities, previously looked-after children or those under Special Guardianship Orders (SGO) are not eligible to attend the event or receive a gift card – although we can have a personalised certificate printed which could then be presented to them at school or college or posted home.

Please complete the nomination form, noting in question 11 that the young person is in the care of another local authority, previously looked after or under an SGO, or contact childrenincareawards-mailbox@devon.gov.uk.

Nomination process and deadline

Complete your nomination by Monday 12 June 2023 at 5.00 pm.

As nominations are received, each young person will have their invitation posted to them and their carers at their placement address.

Each young person (or their parents or carers) will need to respond by Friday 16 June (at the very latest) to confirm their attendance, or not, and which two guests they will be bringing.

If your young person wants to attend the event but does not wish to be called up on stage to receive their certificate, this can easily be arranged by emailing childrenincareawards-mailbox@devon.gov.uk (or you can add this in question 11 of the online nomination form).

If your young person does not wish to attend the event then please let us know – their certificate and gift card will be posted to them after the event (or you can add this in question 11 of the online nomination form).

Social workers and personal advisors are invited to attend with their nominated young people (in addition to each nominee’s two guests). A calendar invite will be sent soon to all children’s social workers or personal advisors so please accept or decline in order to give us an idea of numbers or add this info in question 11 of the nomination form.

If you have any queries please contact Kate Clarke at kate.clarke@devon.gov.uk or call 01392 384786.