Cumberland Council's work to support care experienced people has been recognised in a prestigious European-wide awards scheme.
The project, A Council that Cares: Including Care Experienced Young People in Local Democracy, has been chosen as a finalist in the Democracy category for The Innovation in Politics Awards 2025.
This award highlights the Council's commitment to supporting care experienced individuals and fostering their inclusion in local democratic processes.
Chosen by a Europe-wide jury of over 1,000 citizens, the project stood out among hundreds of submissions as an inspiring example of political innovation. The awards celebrate ground breaking initiatives that demonstrate excellence in political work and have a positive impact on communities across Europe.
Cumberland Council were trailblazers in adopting Care-Experienced as a protected characteristic at its foundation, and this initiative has now been adopted by a further 90 Councils around the UK. The council has since sought to empower cared for, care experienced children and young people by consistently giving them opportunities to have a voice, be heard and providing access to good housing and education.
This approach has provided opportunities to gain experience and develop qualifications with some sixteen care-experienced young people now attending university, with a further 28 benefitting from trainee apprenticeships leading them to secure permanent employment.
Cllr Emma Williamson, Deputy Leader and Children's Services, Family Wellbeing and Housing portfolio holder, said: “We are thrilled to be recognised for our efforts in supporting care experienced young people.
"This recognition underscores the importance of our work and shows how Cumberland Council is at the forefront of taking an innovative approach to services and helping people have a voice. Most importantly this work embodies our commitment to help and support everyone in our communities."
As a finalist, Cumberland Council's project will be showcased at the Innovation in Politics Awards Conference & Gala, taking place on 17 September 2025, in Vienna, the current European Capital of Democracy. This event will bring together political innovators from across Europe to connect, exchange ideas, and celebrate their achievements.
The Council's project will be featured in the Best Practices Hub, where outstanding initiatives from the current and previous editions of the Awards are showcased. This platform provides an opportunity to raise the project's visibility and share its success with a broader audience.
For more information about the Innovation in Politics Awards and to explore all finalist projects, visit the website.