Studies show that care experienced people are much less likely to be in employment, but the charity, which is looking for the first champion of care experienced talent in the finance sector, says that a project with the John Lewis Partnership shows how empowering care experienced people in the workplace can drive commercial success.

The finance industry, currently grabbling with burnout, issues with work life balance, job cuts and poor staff retention rates, should look to measures that support people with experience within the care system to create a better environment that can improve job satisfaction and reduce turnover.

Such success has been seen as a result of Who Cares? Scotland’s work with the John Lewis Partnership with over 800 people receiving trauma informed training to support the recruitment and retention of care experienced workers.

There is a distinct lack of concentrated initiatives in the finance sector that support care experienced individuals, making it an underrepresented group among the workforce and a talent pool with untapped potential.

Despite some positive developments in board diversity and ethnic minority representation, the UK finance sector continues to show significant room for improvement across gender, ethnicity and social inclusion. Critically, care experienced individuals remain effectively invisible in employment data, signalling a blind spot in current efforts to support diversity, equity and inclusion.

Ceira Thom, Head of Learning, Inclusion and Belonging at the John Lewis Partnership, said: “At the John Lewis Partnership, we have seen first-hand the resilience and talent of our care experienced Partners in the workplace.

“The Care Aware training is designed to help employers understand the unique challenges faced by those with care experience - lack of networks, mental health issues, and unconscious bias.

“We encourage other businesses to explore Care Aware training as a powerful first step to building an inclusive, high-performing workforce.”

Laurie Goldie, Who Cares? Scotland, Project Manager: Creating Communities that Care, said: “People who have experienced the care system can face additional challenges in the workplace including poor mental health, unconscious bias or lack of a supportive network. Integrating and supporting care experienced people into the workforce is one of the most effective ways a business can improve inclusion and performance. Businesses that act now can position themselves as leaders in inclusion - and gain access to a vibrant, motivated and loyal talent pool.”

Quote from John Lewis Partner: “The Care Experience awareness course run by Who Cares? Scotland I attended yesterday was absolutely spot on. It’s a raw and honest insight into what Care Experience really is, and I’ll be encouraging my peers across our region to attend. I had a great experience and felt invested in as a people manager having attended.”

Commenting on the Care Aware training, a Team Manager at Waitrose said: “Whilst studies have shown that people who experience the care system are over ten times more likely not to be in education, employment or training, the Care Aware training aims to reverse that.

“It contributes to a more inclusive workforce which in turn supports the aim to support more care experienced people into work.”