Big Voices, Bold Ideas and a Brighter Future: Our Fourth CLNM Conference

Posted 30th October 2026

The fourth annual Care Leavers National Movement (CLNM) conference brought together 200 people from local authorities, Local House Projects and National House Project partner organisations to discuss how young people can be better supported as they move from care into adulthood. 

At the heart of the event were the care-experienced young people themselves. Rather than simply being part of the conversation, the Care Leavers National Movement (CLNM) representatives played a leading role in shaping and delivering the conference. CLNM is made up of a group of young people who have been elected to represent the young people in their Local House Project community. They helped develop the agenda, prepared speeches, invited guest speakers and presented their own evaluations of the support available to young people leaving care. 

Their contributions brought valuable lived experience directly to the professionals and organisations working alongside them, ensuring that young people's voices, experiences and recommendations were central to discussions throughout the day. 

Turning young people's recommendations into action 

One of the key outcomes of the conference was the announcement of a new National House Project Community Fund, developed in response to young people's recommendations about the importance of building stronger connections with the wider community. 

The fund will support Local House Projects to bring care-experienced young people together across local authorities, creating more opportunities to build friendships, develop relationships and strengthen their sense of belonging. 

Strong relationships and community connections are an important part of the House Project approach. Having a home of their own is a significant milestone for young people, but feeling connected, supported and part of a community is equally important in helping them build fulfilling adult lives. 

The Community Fund is an example of how listening to young people can lead to meaningful action and positive change.

 

Young people shaping the future of leaving-care support 

The conference took place at an important time for the leaving-care sector. Recent findings from the independent review into the early deaths of care leavers have highlighted the challenges faced by some young people, including isolation, reduced support after the age of 18 and the need for better preparation for adulthood. 

The Government's strengthened Staying Close Programme has also placed greater emphasis on housing, relationships and emotional wellbeing - areas that are central to our approach at The National House Project. 

Through CLNM, care-experienced young people are helping to influence practice, evaluate Local House Projects and advocate for improvements to support for care leavers more widely. 

Their involvement demonstrates the importance of giving young people a meaningful role in evaluating the services designed to support them and shaping what those services should look like in the future. 

Building better futures together 

The National House Project works in partnership with local authorities and care-experienced young people to support the transition from care into adulthood. Through a combination of preparation, practical skills, housing and ongoing relationships, young people are supported to move into their own homes and build the foundations for independent lives. 

Today, the National House Project works with 22 local authorities and around 1,225 young people, with 812 young people having moved into their own homes through a House Project, and the number of local authorities working with us in the future is growing.  

The annual CLNM conference is an important opportunity to bring together young people, professionals and partners to share learning, celebrate progress and identify where more needs to be done. 

Most importantly, it reinforces the belief at the heart of CLNM: care-experienced young people should have a say in the decisions that affect their lives, and their experiences and ideas should help shape the support available to them. 

By listening to young people and turning their recommendations into action, we can continue to build a future where every care-experienced young person has the opportunity, support and connections they need to thrive.