YOUNG people who have been in the care system in Carmarthenshire have told councillors just how valuable personal advisers are to them.

The subject came up when a group of five young people – Tyler Parton, Joshua Escott, Shannon Jones, Jo- Anne Griffiths and Rhian Thomas – answered questions about their experiences at an education and children scrutiny committee.

One of them said: “A personal adviser is like a parent. They help with our education. They encourage us to try new activities.

“They do everyday life skills with us to make sure we’re ready when we leave care. They nag us, in a good way.”

Another said that parental advisers were allocated when young people in care reached the age of 16, and that “they are always there”.

She said this level of support was lacking when young people first entered care.

“You don’t always have a social worker to fall back on,” she said. “They’re busy with other people, or are part-time.

“You struggle getting through the days.”

Another member of the group said social workers allocated to younger children often changed.

“You have to tell your story over and over again,” she said.

That was not the case, she added, with personal advisers.

Councillor Shahana Najmi said the group were brave to share their views at the meeting, and said that she had worked in the care sector in Swansea.

“One of the big things they (young people) used to say was their social workers changed so often, and that they didn’t get to meet them as much as they liked,” said Cllr Najmi.

“There is too much change in the care journey. You can’t build up that relationship.”

Another of the group said the support she received at college was less than at school, “so you tend to fall downhill.”

And another said he felt there should be more support for care leavers who suffered from depression and anxiety.

The group also said how much they had benefited from a two-day sailing course on the racing vessel Challenge Wales.

One said: “We got a qualification in teamwork, learned how to work a boat, and how to cook.”

Carmarthenshire’s corporate parenting service manager, Bethan James, said it was working closely with Coleg Sir Gar, and that cared-for young people did have a named mentor at the college.

Ms James said the council had the second lowest proportion of looked-after children – currently 198 aged under 18 – out of Wales’s 22 local authorities.

A total of 51 of the 198 looked-after children are over 16, while 38 are under four. Ms James said Welsh Government initiatives such as Flying Start and Families First were linked to the relatively low numbers of younger children entering care.

She also said young people in care in the county did better at school and college than the national average, and that Carmarthenshire had 12 care leavers at university, and another 12 doing an apprenticeship.

She added that the numbers who were not in education, training or employment aged 19 were again much lower than the Wales average.

The report before the committee said young people in care wanted more housing options, more wellbeing support at school while not being singled out as different, and more work placement opportnities, among other things.

Ms James said councils had to monitor care leavers these days up to the age of 25.

“We need to have a bit more financial investment,” she said.