Applications open for Care Leavers Internship Scheme 2020

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Opportunities at heart of Government open for young people leaving care

Young people working around a communal desk.

Young people leaving care will again be directly offered the opportunity to work at central government departments, as applications today open for this year’s Care Leaver Internship Scheme.

More than 500 internship opportunities for care leavers will be available at the heart of Government, including at the Department for Education and Department for Work and Pensions, among almost 20 departments and agencies.

The 12-month paid internships are aimed at helping care leavers to develop skills and competences that support them into long-term jobs. Applications will be open from Monday 7 September to Monday 5 October.

The scheme aims to address statistics that show that care leavers are more than three times more likely than their peers not to be in education, employment or training (NEET).

Children’s Minister Vicky Ford said:

At this time of global pandemic we must all intensify our efforts to support the vulnerable, and young people leaving care are among the most vulnerable in our society. Too often they do not have the same opportunities or connections with potential employers as those with stable families, they risk becoming unemployed and left behind.

We cannot let this happen, so as well as increasing support for care leavers as they become adults, Government Departments have worked to create real and practical opportunities to give care leavers a head start with a first job. This year’s care leavers internship scheme is more than double that of previous years.

Today, as we open applications to these internships, we are creating new opportunities for these young people and giving them the chance to fulfill their ambitions – no matter the obstacles they have faced.

This year’s internship scheme will offer more than 500 places, and follows the first meeting of the cross-Government Care Leaver Covenant Board, co-chaired by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove, which will continue to look at access to better housing, healthcare and employment opportunities for young people leaving care.

Last year the Education Secretary committed to expanding the Internship Scheme, which has offered more than 250 opportunities to care leavers across Whitehall since 2017.

Published 7 September 2020



Russian ambassador summoned: FCDO statement

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The Russian ambassador to the UK was summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office today.

A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said:

Today the Russian Ambassador to the UK was summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The UK Government registered its deep concern with the Russian Government about the poisoning of Alexey Navalny with a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group.

The Foreign Secretary has made it clear that it is absolutely unacceptable that a banned chemical weapon has been used, and that violence has again been directed against a leading Russian opposition figure. There is a case here for Russia to answer. This took place on Russian soil, against a Russian citizen. They have international obligations to uphold. This is nothing short of an attack against the rules based international system which keeps our societies safe.

Russia needs to conduct a full, transparent criminal investigation into Mr Navalny’s poisoning. We will work with our partners, including through action in the OPCW, to hold the perpetrators to account.

Published 7 September 2020



OTS celebrates tenth anniversary with online conference



Islands policy introduced to travel corridors

  • England introduces new targeted approach to add or remove a country’s islands to the travel corridors list
  • the approach aims to closely manage health risks while maintaining international travel and supporting the economy
  • seven Greek islands to be immediately removed from exemption list to protect public health in England – but travel corridor remains open to mainland and other Greek islands

The Transport Secretary has today (7 September 2020) announced the introduction of a more targeted approach to travel corridors by separating some islands from mainland countries. This means an area that presents a higher or lower public health risk to UK travellers can be assessed separately to the rest of the country.

The existing country-based approach to travel corridors has protected lives by reducing the risk of importing new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases into the UK.

The Joint Biosecurity Centre has now been commissioned to assess the most popular island destinations for British tourists.

The first changes under the new process were also made today, with 7 Greek islands to be removed from exemption list:

  • Crete
  • Lesvos
  • Mykonos
  • Santorini
  • Serifos
  • Tinos
  • Zakynthos

People arriving in England from those islands from 4am Wednesday 9 September will need to self-isolate for 2 weeks. Data from the Joint Biosecurity Centre and Public Health England has indicated a significant risk to UK public health from those islands, leading to ministers removing them from the current list of travel corridors.

At the same time, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel advice for Greece to advise against all but essential travel to Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Mykonos, Crete, Santorini and Zakynthos. The rest of Greece remains exempt from the FCDO’s advice against all non-essential international travel.

The new, more targeted process will allow government to continue to respond quickly to threats of imported cases while minimising wider disruption to passengers and the travel industry.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Our top priority has always been to keep domestic infection rates down, and today we’re taking the next step in our approach. Through the use of enhanced data we will now be able to pinpoint risk in some of the most popular islands, providing increased flexibility to add or remove them – distinct from the mainland – as infection rates change.

This development will help boost the UK’s travel industry while continuing to maintain maximum protection to public health, keeping the travelling public safe.

Announcements on which islands and countries will be added or removed will continue to be made as part of the current weekly process.

It is not considered safe to implement a fully regional system for international travel corridors – there is too much movement between high risk and lower risk regions within single countries and regional health information is not sufficiently reliable. However, when a region has natural boundaries – like an island – the risks reduce.

Any changes will only apply to land that has a clear boundary or border where there is robust, reliable and internationally comparable data available. The island must also have direct flights to the UK or at a minimum, transport must have taken place through exempt territories.

The government has made consistently clear it will take decisive action if necessary to contain the virus, including removing destinations from the travel corridors list rapidly if the public health risk becomes too high.

Holidaymakers may find they need to self-isolate on return to the UK and are advised to consider the implications of self-isolation on them and their families before making any travel plans. It is very important that people with symptoms of or a positive COVID-19 test and their household members stay at home. Staying at home will help prevent the spread of the virus to family, friends, the wider community, and particularly those who are clinically extremely vulnerable.



PM call with President Macron: 7 September 2020

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron.

The Prime Minister spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron earlier today.

They discussed the shared challenge of illegal small boat crossings from France to the UK. The Prime Minister set out that the UK’s aim is to stop the smuggling operations and prevent boats arriving on our shores, and they agreed to work together in a spirit of cooperation to address the issue.

The Prime Minister and President Macron expressed their outrage at the attack on Alexey Navalny and reiterated that Russia must urgently explain how the opposition leader was poisoned with Novichok.

They also discussed UK-French cooperation on tackling coronavirus and on other international issues, including the crises in Libya and Lebanon and the Middle East peace process. The Prime Minister offered his condolences for French casualties in Mali this weekend.

On the negotiations to reach a trade deal with the European Union, the Prime Minister and President Macron agreed on the importance of making progress this month and reaching a conclusion on talks quickly.

Published 7 September 2020