sixteen25, a non-profit which supports young people, has launched the Mind of My Own app to support the 65,000 young people who are in or leaving care.

Through a series of Q and As, the self-advocacy app helps young people to interact with relevant services, change their care plan or build a complaint. It is available from tomorrow for free on iOS and Android, while providers, like advocacy, childrens and leaving care Services, are charged between £999 and £1999 to use the platform.

Mind of My Own has been designed by a team of young people, youth advocates and digital designers, and has been tested by 14 young people in Bexley and Surrey. The app has been funded by the Nominet Trust’s Digital Edge Programme, designed to help entrepreneurs use tech for social good. Its launch coincides with National Care Leavers Week.

Sixteen25’s director Yvonne Anderson said that the apps launch comes at a crucial time, as Government cuts to advocacy and social care budgets start to affect the most disadvantaged in society.