Partnership Report reveals nearly £3m raised and more than 400 roles offered to care experienced people

The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) has today launched its third Building Happier Futures (BHF) Impact Report, revealing it has raised nearly £3m for charities supporting the care experienced community and has offered more than 400 roles to care experienced people since the programme began in 2022.

The report, released to mark National Care Leavers Month, confirms the BHF employability programme is now accessible in every John Lewis and Waitrose shop.

Part of the John Lewis Partnership Foundation, the BHF fund awards grants for UK projects to provide education, connection, experience and fun for care experienced people and to date has raised £2.8m and supported 26 charities.

In addition, the John Lewis Partnership and the Open University have jointly funded 22 scholarships for care experienced people.

Foster carers and kinship carers from the Partnership met Josh MacAlister, Minister for Children & Families and Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner, to discuss how employers can better support carers and accelerate employment opportunities for the care experienced community. The Partnership is using its voice to call on the Government to strengthen support for kinship and foster carers during the ongoing review of the parental leave system.

As the largest accredited Fostering Friendly organisation, the Partnership offers an additional week of paid leave to its Partners who are foster and kinship carers, helping them balance work with their vital responsibilities.

To further the cause, the John Lewis Partnership is calling for businesses to introduce tailored recruitment and employability programmes to support people leaving care to explore the world of work, as well as policies that offer employees the flexibility they need to provide support to children and young people coming into their care.

Children and Families Minister, Josh MacAlister, said: “We need more of our big employers to do their bit to support some of the most vulnerable children in our society. Whether that’s helping young care experienced people with a leg up on the career ladder, or supporting employees who are kinship or foster carers.

“The John Lewis Partnership is a great example of what employers can do in this area. This Care Leavers Month I am issuing a call to action to the great British business community to step up to the plate and deliver for young people in care.

“I would also encourage employers to sign up to the government-funded Care Leaver Covenant. We are driving the largest ever reform of children’s social care through our Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, backed by £2 billion to break the cycle of crisis for children, and businesses have a vital role to play in that.”

Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner, said: “I want to pay testament to the incredible people who selflessly open their homes and families to children across England and to the John Lewis Partnership which is leading the way when it comes to supporting employees who decide to take up these vital roles.

“We must ensure that we value our foster and kinship carers as experts in children’s lives, providing them with strong support, good training, and fair allowances. By doing so, we can encourage more people, including younger adults and professionals, to consider fostering and give more children the stability and care they need.”

Sarah Thomas, Chief Executive of The Fostering Network, said: “The Fostering Network is proud to partner with the John Lewis Partnership and values their leadership as our biggest Fostering Friendly Employer. We are calling on the Government to strengthen support for foster carers during the ongoing review of the parental leave system and for employers to follow the John Lewis Partnership’s lead in this space.

“As a charity, we are grateful for the generous support provided to our charity and local fostering causes through the Community Matters funding. This funding helps the whole community to continue to champion foster care across the UK.”

Now accessible in every location the John Lewis Partnership operates in, from the 317 Waitrose and 36 John Lewis shops to distribution centres across the UK, BHF aims to offer employability support to care experienced people, including CV writing and interview skills.

The BHF Impact Report, released today, reveals the milestones achieved since the programme’s launch in 2022, including:

Employability

• 402 roles have been offered to people from the care experienced community.
• 1,442 care experienced people have attended welcome tours, introducing them to the opportunities in John Lewis Partnerships’ shops, offices and supply chain.

Education

• 22 scholarships have been awarded to care experienced people, jointly funded by the John Lewis Partnership and the Open University.
• More than 1,000 people who work in the John Lewis Partnership have completed care experienced learning with Who Cares? Scotland to deepen their understanding as allies.

Fundraising

• £2.8m has been raised for charities supporting the care experienced community through product sales and other customer fundraising initiatives.
• Of this, £271k has been raised for the BHF Fund through the sale of Made by Care products, designed by care experienced aspiring designers.
• 26 charities have been supported by the BHF Fund, part of the John Lewis Partnership Foundation.

Foster & Kinship Carers

• The John Lewis Partnership has been accredited as a Fostering Friendly organisation by The Fostering Network (the largest business to receive this) and as Kinship Friendly by the Kinship charity, since 2023.
• Partners who are foster and kinship carers receive additional paid leave, giving them the flexibility to attend appointments and training.
• During Foster Care Fortnight, the Partnership hosted coffee mornings at John Lewis shops across the UK, offering a welcoming space to connect.
• The John Lewis Partnership Community Matters charitable giving scheme that runs throughout John Lewis and Waitrose shops dedicated its funding to causes which support fostering and children’s activities in May, June and July.