Supporting young people to stay connected to the people who matter: Video learning resources
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These videos and resources share learning from the Bright Spots programme. They present the views of children in care and care leavers about staying connected to the people who are important to them, and principles and tools for developing practice in this area.
These videos and resources present the views of young people in care and care leavers about staying connected to the people who are important to them. They include principles and tools for developing practice in this area.
There are different ways that children in care can stay connected to the people who are important to them. Supporting this can help children to manage loss, understand identity and make sense of the past, as well as maintain and build on relationships which may continue throughout their lives (Watts, 2022).
The Bright Spots Programme has been working with children in care and care leavers since 2013 to explore their views and experiences of what makes life good for them. They have found that some children in care feel that they are well supported to stay connected with family and friends, but that many are unhappy with how often they see important people and how this is arranged.
This series of excerpts from a webinar present the findings from the Bright Spots report and examples from local authorities who are changing practice in this area.
A note on language
In different places there are different names for supporting children to stay connected with their families. There is no perfect language. We would prefer that it did not have a name and instead conversations would focus on children keeping in touch with the people that are important to them. Labels can make young people feel different to their peers […]
We would encourage the people who work with individual children to continue to ask them what works for them and use this language in their practice.
Lewis et al., 2022, p. 2
The resources
In this short film, young people from A National Voice, the National Children in Care Council, share their views about staying connected to the people that matter to them.
In this video, Dr Shirley Lewis presents the research findings from the Bright Spots programme, summarising children and young people’s views about staying connected. Children’s views were identified through surveys, developed in partnership with young people. This video summarises some key messages that young people shared about seeing their family.
Bright Spots’ Staying Connected report presents children and young people’s views about staying connected with their family and friends. You can browse the full report, or read the summary 'key findings and recommendations'.
Reflective questions
- Many young people wanted to do everyday activities with their family, in a venue with space and privacy, and at a time that suited both them and their family. How could decisions be made and reviewed in your local authority to support high quality family time?
- Many young people wanted to see their extended family, friends and pets. How could young people in your local area be supported to build meaningful relationships with a range of important people?
- Children may want explanations for decisions made about their family time. How do you prepare for this, and what tools do you use to explain decisions to children?
In these videos, Jonny Hoyle explains the approach being developed in North Yorkshire, which aspires to prioritise relationships between children in care and their networks. Jonny is a care leaver from North Yorkshire. He is also a social worker and manager in addition to being a trustee of the advocacy charity Coram Voice and an ambassador for the charity Comfort Cases UK who aim to ensure no child in care moves with their belongings in bin bags.
- Practice principles: What if we did this differently? Toward a different model for family time.
- Practice principles: ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ Who can be involved in supporting children?
- Practice tool: Questions to review and assess family time arrangements.
- Practice tool: A visual tool to evaluate family time arrangements with children and their families.
Linda Briheim-Crookall summarises seven key areas to improve policy and practice. Linda is Head of Policy and Practice Development at Coram Voice. She has worked in policy, research and practice improvement for two decades, specialising in children in care and care leaver issues since 2008. At Coram Voice she leads the Voices Improving Care Team, giving children and young people a voice in the services that they receive.
Conclusion
What can you do?
If you want to learn more, read the full report or browse the chapters. Find more practice examples within the Bright Spots Resource Bank. Bright Spots continues to work with individual local authorities to conduct surveys. Email brightspots@coramvoice.org.uk if you are interested.
These Research in Practice resources may be useful as you respond to these messages into your practice:
Making decisions about family time:
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Care planning for children in proceedings: Frontline Briefing (2022) includes sections on family time and on the role of parents.
Supporting brothers and sisters:
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Brothers and sisters in public law proceedings - assessment, placement, permanence and contact: Frontline Briefing (2020) provides support on assessing sibling relationships, supporting ongoing relationships between brothers and sisters, and making decisions about relationships between brothers and sister post-adoption.
Involving young people:
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Enabling and embedding creative participation in child and family social work: Practice Tool (2022) considering the degree to which children can actively take part in decision-making processes that affect their safety and security, and practice ideas for practitioners to facilitate participation.
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Life Story Work: Practice Tool (2022): resources to help practitioners support young people to understand their history, life story and family.
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Using genograms in practice: Practice Tool (2021), which includes a section on drawing genograms with children and young people to explore their views about important people in their lives.
Professional Standards
PQS:KSS - Relationships and effective direct work | The law and the family and youth justice systems | Effective use of power and authority | Shaping and influencing the practice system | Designing a system to support effective practice | Lead and govern excellent practice
PCF - Values and ethics | Intervention and skills
The wellbeing of children in care and care leavers - learning from the Bright Spots Programme: Strategic Briefing (2022)
This briefing provides an overview of the key messages from the Bright Spots Programme. Although it is aimed at strategic leads and senior managers, the contents are of relevance to anyone working with children in care and care leavers.
10,000 voices Bright Spots report: What is important to children and young people in care?
A new report by Bright Spots highlights what children in care have said about what is important to them and their wellbeing.
References
Lewis, S., Selwyn, J., & Briheim-Crookall, L. (2022) Staying connected: The views of looked after children and young people on their contact arrangements. Coram Voice & Rees Centre.
Watts R. (2022). Care planning for children in proceedings: Frontline Briefing. Research in Practice.