Martin Hazlehurst has been working with and on behalf of young people since 1980, originally as a youth worker then in supported housing projects. He became interested in the particular issues for care leavers whilst managing supported accommodation in the late 1980s.

In 1994 he joined First Key, the leaving care policy and practice development agency and worked closely with Government, local authorities and other organisations to improve the policy framework and services for care leavers. He contributed to Me, Survive, Out There that led to the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 and co-wrote the Department of Health training manual that followed the Act. He led on the formation of A National Voice, the organisation for young people in care, led by young people in care

In 2003 he managed the creation of the National Care Advisory Service within Rainer, now Catch 22 and remains the National Manager. NCAS manage the DfE funded From Care2Work programme that works with local authorities and national employers to improve young people’s employability and provide work opportunities.

He has written extensively on leaving care in books, journals and magazines and has contributed to many national and international conferences, most excitingly at the China National Social Work Conference in Beijing in 2004.