Kay Jay has worked with The Who Cares? Trust to design and deliver bespoke workshops for social work students and professionals. He is very professional, reliable and a talented facilitator. Kay-Jay is able to use his own experiences and that of others to put together workshops that encourage learning, challenge and manage to keep people laughing, even when the subject matter is difficult. Kay Jay is able to speak from his own experience, whilst making wider comments about how the care system could improve. He is passionate about improving the care system for children and young people and this brings energy and dynamism to his work.

Emma Corbett - Participation worker, The Who Cares? Trust.

At the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) conference - ‘Making the Transition – three years on’ - held at The Abbey Centre in Westminster on Thursday 9 February 2012 and attended by HRH The Princess Royal, Patron to NIACE - several young adult care leavers spoke of their experiences of learning and work and what made a difference for them in moving forward. Kay-Jay Simmons, a young man who spent his childhood in 14 different foster placements and finally a children’s home, spoke passionately about how he has overcome a difficult start in life by being involved in the arts; music and drama and how aspiration plays an important role for young adult care leavers moving into learning and employment. Kay-Jay’s work as an actor and musician enables him to share his experience of growing up in the care system and to inspire other young people leaving care. Kay-Jay also spoke about taking an active role in the Children in Care Council at his Local Authority in London to represent the needs of young adult care leavers trying to find employment and how this model, led by care leavers themselves, should be replicated across all local authorities.

Linda Dixon - Project Director, NIACE.