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Listening to young people
in and leaving care The views of young people, staff, and
volunteers from Carefree
Acknowledgments
The team at Research in Practice would like to
thank the young people, staff and volunteers at
Carefree for contributing their thoughts and
experiences to this research.
Authors
This report was written and edited for Research in
Practice by Oli Preston, Head of Research and
Evaluation, Susan Ridpath, Research Officer,
Karen Allen, Research Assistant, and Robin
Wooller, Product Co-ordinator.
Contact
For all correspondence on this report, please
contact [email protected]
For further information about Research in Practice
and Research in Practice for Adults, visit our
websites www.rip.org.uk and www.ripfa.org.uk
Cover image: Pictures used in the ‘photo task’
activity during the research day
© Research in Practice, 2018
Research in Practice is a programme of The Dartington Hall
Trust which is registered in England as a company limited by
guarantee and a charity. Company No. 1485560 Charity No.
279756 VAT No. 402196875 Registered Office: The Elmhirst
Centre, Dartington Hall, Totnes TQ9 6EL
4 | Executive Summary
Contents Executive summary ............................................................................................... 6
1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 8
2. Methodology ................................................................................................... 10
Participants ..................................................................................................... 10
Research questions ........................................................................................... 10
Tools / activities ............................................................................................... 10
Photo task .................................................................................................... 10
Interview questions ....................................................................................... 11
Listening to young people ............................................................................... 11
Good listening, bad listening ........................................................................... 11
Ideal support for young people ........................................................................ 11
Additional activities ........................................................................................ 12
Ethics ............................................................................................................. 13
Limitations in methodology ................................................................................ 13
3. Results ........................................................................................................... 14
Photo task ....................................................................................................... 14
Interviews ....................................................................................................... 16
What does it mean to be listened to? ............................................................... 16
What does Carefree mean to you? ................................................................... 16
What's the most important thing that Carefree does? ......................................... 16
If you could change one thing about foster care, what would it be and why? ......... 17
If you could change one thing about support for people who’ve left care, what would
it be and why? .............................................................................................. 17
Listening to young people .................................................................................. 19
Good listening / bad listening ............................................................................. 23
You said… We did… ........................................................................................... 26
4. Discussion ...................................................................................................... 28
Replicating the Carefree approach ................................................................... 31
Suggestions for Carefree ................................................................................ 32
5. Appendix ........................................................................................................ 34
Materials ......................................................................................................... 34
Photo task .................................................................................................... 34
Listening to young people ............................................................................... 35
Types of support............................................................................................ 35
Listening to young people in care | 5
6 | Executive Summary
Executive summary
1. Research in Practice (RiP) partnered with Carefree to explore how Carefree
currently supports young people and the impact it is having. This learning will be
used to produce resources for Carefree and other organisations to develop how
they support young people in and leaving care.
2. The present report is the output of a full day event with Carefree stakeholders
(encompassing young people in and leaving care and Carefree staff / volunteers),
which explored how young people like to be listened to, and how Carefree and
other organisations can improve how they listen to young people going forward.
3. The research event involved a day of short tasks around the theme of ‘listening’,
with activities which focused on understanding what Carefree meant to
stakeholders, how young people in and leaving care can best be listened to, the
types of support available to young people in and leaving care in Cornwall, and
the impact of Carefree on young people’s lives.
4. The evidence collected from these sessions suggests Carefree is an open and
supportive environment which fosters friendships and safe, supportive groups.
We conclude that Carefree provides a ‘stable base’ for many people (including
care experienced staff and volunteers) and that membership in this ‘family’ might
have a range of benefits.
5. Young people told us what they consider to be ‘good’ listening, including
respecting different views, being positive but honest, and outlining any follow-up
actions which will be taken. We have distilled these findings into a framework of
good listening which might support reflection on practice for organisations
working directly with young people.
6. There was positivity around Carefree’s current offering, with people praising the
meaningful opportunities provided, and the sensitivity of staff to non-verbal cues
and body language. Suggestions were made for some ways Carefree could listen
to young people differently. Young people also described some of the changes
they have brought about in Cornwall, highlighting the direct impacts made by
young people involved with Carefree.
7. Finally, we offer some suggestions based on the Carefree approach for other
organisations and areas where they might wish to extend the support they offer
to young people in and leaving care. We also provide some recommendations for
Carefree which might help them in the future of their support for young people,
including expanding their online presence, and offering further support in several
areas such as one-to-one work and budgeting.
Listening to young people in care | 7
8 | Introduction
1. Introduction
Research in Practice (‘RiP’ – www.rip.org.uk) are a national charity which supports the
use of evidence-informed practice in children’s social services and other services which
aim to improve the lives of children, young people and their families. This work includes
the development of resources informed by the lived experience of young people and
families, and the practice wisdom of staff; and also conducting primary research and
evaluation of services.
This report is the first output of a partnership between RiP and Carefree
(www.carefreecornwall.org.uk), a charity based in Cornwall which offers a range of
support and services for young people who are in care placements or have left care.
This research partnership is funded by The Listening Fund, a collaboration between the
Big Lottery Fund, the Blagrave Trust, Comic Relief, and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation,
which aims to:
“Invest in learning and scaling practice at an organisational level that
enables young people to be agents of change, listens to and responds
to their needs, and analyses the difference this makes.” 1
As part of their funding from the Listening Fund, Carefree intends to extend their work
supporting young people in and leaving care to influence the way the care system in
Cornwall works, and to learn from the experiences of young people and amplify their
voices in the wider care system. This work involves Carefree’s relationship with Cornwall
Council, and a research partnership with RiP.
The work in this partnership will be conducted in two phases. Phase 1 (2018-2019) will
involve scoping work and the development of resources to document and share the
Carefree approach. Phase 2 (2019-2020) will involve further evidence collection and
sharing the work of Carefree more widely across the sector to support improvements in
the care system and the impact of young people’s voices.
In this first report from the partnership, we document the findings from a research
event, held with a group of stakeholders from Carefree and researchers from RiP, which
focused on the topic of ‘listening’. In particular, the event explored the type of support
Carefree provides to the young people they work with, what is important in hearing the
views and opinions of young people, and how Carefree and the wider system can best
support them in their journeys through care and beyond.
For this work, RiP has taken a flexible approach to ensure we are able to gather the
views of young people and Carefree stakeholders in a positive, appropriate way, whilst
also retaining methodological rigour and gathering useful evidence. As such, in this
event a range of different activities were used, many of which were alternative to
traditional research methods (such as questionnaires, observations, and standard
interviewing), but which aim to capture honest, engaged feedback from participants in
the context of Carefree and their activities. These methods are described below.
1 https://www.blagravetrust.org/listening/
Listening to young people in care | 9
10 | Methodology
2. Methodology
Participants
The evidence collection occurred at an all-day research workshop with Carefree staff and
young people (including children in care and care leavers). Approximately 30 people
attended the event, including:
Children currently in foster placements
Young people who have previously been in care
Carefree staff
Carefree volunteers
Carefree management
It should also be noted that a number of the staff and volunteers had previously been in
care and therefore contributed from both viewpoints.
Research questions
Throughout the research event, RiP staff sat with groups and participated in activities,
gathering opinions and views of the attendees. The aim of this was to answer the
following research questions:
What kind of support is Carefree providing for young people in and leaving care?
What do people think Carefree is good at?
What could Carefree improve?
How young people in and leaving care could be listened to;
How Carefree can continue to improve the quality of services for young people.
Tools / activities
A mixture of individual tasks were used to gather evidence from Carefree stakeholders.
Due to the various ages of people at the event, we aimed to use short tasks (no longer
than 45 minutes each), interspersed with shorter activities, and a mixture of visual tools
to guide the activities. The aim of each activity was to encourage conversations which
might help answer our research questions, and enable us to capture evidence from a
large group. We detail the various tasks and activities from the event below.
Photo task
Young people and Carefree staff were presented with a selection of approximately 80
different postcards, each with pictures of different scenes or objects. Their task was to
choose a postcard which best represented Carefree to them, and write on the back why
they had chosen it.
This was both an interactive warm-up task for the group, as well as an opportunity for
the research team to gather evidence about the cultural and organisational factors which
made Carefree a positive group to be a part of for these people.
Listening to young people in care | 11
Once postcards had been selected, they were hung up around the room and people were
given an opportunity to go and look at other people’s cards and words.
Interview questions
Throughout the research day, young people and Carefree staff were given the
opportunity to come and answer 4 or 5 questions about Carefree and the care system
more widely.
Their answers to these questions were filmed to enable the RiP team to produce a short
film which captures the views of Carefree stakeholders and to help share the key parts of
Carefree’s approach to supporting young people in and leaving care. The questions were:
1. What does it mean to be listened to?
2. What does Carefree mean to you?
3. What's the most important thing that Carefree does?
4. If you could change one thing about foster care, what would it be and why?
5. If you could change one thing about support for people who’ve left care, what
would it be and why?
Listening to young people
In groups, attendees used a large A1 template to write down the things that Carefree
currently does and the things it could do better to listen to the views of young people.
This was laid out in a grid (see the Appendix), so that these views could be split into
three categories:
1. How can young people be listened to?
2. What are the signs Carefree should look out for (including non-verbal
communication)?
3. How can Carefree make young people’s voices heard?
Good listening, bad listening
This was a task in which young people in care and care leavers listed the components of
good and bad listening, using the metaphor of baking a cake to help them think about
the task at hand.
On two illustrations of cakes (one ‘good’ and one ‘bad’) young people listed the
ingredients to being a good or bad listener. These could then be collated by the research
team and distilled into a list of what young people believe is necessary to engage and
listen to their views effectively.
Ideal support for young people
On a visual timeline (age 11 – 25; the ages of young people Carefree supports), young
people and Carefree staff were asked to draw the different types of support that young
people ideally receive throughout their time in care and after leaving care. This support
was grouped by whether it came from Carefree, the local authority, or other
organisations.
12 | Methodology
The purpose of this exercise was to map the diversity of supporting organisations which
contribute to supporting young people in care and care leavers, as well as to show how
this support changes as young people get older.
Young people and staff used different coloured pens and post-it notes to draw on the
timeline where different organisations support them, and to make notes about the type
of support this involved.
Additional activities
As well as the above research activities, the research event included group tasks to
enable the participants to remain engaged, and to maintain attentional focus on the topic
of ‘effective listening’.
Making connections This task was an ice breaker, with the aim of encouraging the group to be comfortable
speaking to each other, and to show how people within the group are connected through
their shared interests.
A ball of wool was passed around the group. The person holding the ball said a fact
about themselves, and then the rest of the group could put their hand up if they related
to the fact in some way. The person with the wool then passed the ball onto one of the
people with their hand up, whilst holding onto the end of the wool, creating a link
between the two people. The next person holding the ball of wool then said a new fact
about themselves, and the ball continued around the room until everyone was joined
together by the links of wool.
Telephone game The aim of this task was to demonstrate the difficulty of hearing and interpreting
complex information when distracted and without the suitable conditions for listening.
The person starting the game was given a complicated phrase (such as a ‘tongue
twister’) to remember. Everyone else in the room was then instructed to start walking
around. The starter then had to whisper the phrase to someone as they passed each
other and immediately sit down where they were. The person they whispered the phrase
to then had to pass on the phrase to another person and immediately sit down. The
phrase was passed on and on around the room until there was only one person left
standing up. This person then said out loud what the phrase they heard was.
You said… We did… Young people from Carefree gave a presentation to the group documenting the work
they have been doing to influence the wider care system in Cornwall, including their
work with the Corporate Parenting Board. The research team took notes during this
presentation to capture the breadth of work occurring in Carefree, and to explore the
influence this has been having on the care system and Carefree.
Listening to young people in care | 13
Ethics
For any filming or interviewing which took place during the event, all participants gave
written permission and, if under 16, written permission was also obtained from their
carer.
All other evidence collection was anonymous, and no identifiable details have been
captured without the permission of participants. People’s direct experience of the care
system was not explored due to the open nature of the event and the absence of a
therapeutic environment in which to discuss these matters further if necessary.
A team of Carefree staff participated on the day and due to their relationship with the
children and young people in attendance we worked together to respond to individual
children and young people’s needs throughout the day. For example, if a young person
wanted an additional break, a member of Carefree staff could accompany them on a
short walk.
Limitations in methodology
This research event only included a small sample of the young people that Carefree
support, and therefore the views of participants may not necessarily be representative of
the views of the wider care population in Cornwall, or all those who are engaged with
Carefree.
It is also worth noting that Carefree staff and young people provided feedback in the
same space. Whilst people’s dialogue appeared open, it is possible that some young
people were not comfortable in providing feedback directly to staff.
Given the diversity of ages of people at the event, various alternative methods have
been used to engage young people in particular, and all efforts were made to ensure
they had the opportunity to speak their minds in an open and non-judgemental space.
We believe that this has helped capture valuable insights, however there still may be
elements of people’s experiences of the care system which do not emerge in this work.
14 | Results
3. Results
Photo task
Young people and Carefree staff were given a selection of postcards with a variety of
pictures (see Appendix). They were asked to choose the picture which best represented
what Carefree meant to them. Young people were also given the materials to draw their
own postcard in case they could not find an appropriate picture from the selection and
wanted to draw their own. They also wrote an explanation of why they chose that
particular image on the back of the postcard.
These pictures were hung up to form bunting around the room during the event, and
people were encouraged to go and read each other’s postcards. Following the event, the
research team recorded the pictures that had been chosen and the explanatory
sentences. These were then thematically coded to show the key themes in each
comment.
These themes can be seen in table 1 below. It should be noted that each comment
could be coded to multiple themes.
Table 1: Themes for comments provided in picture task
Theme of comment Number of
comments
Support 12
Friendships / being part of a group 11
Embracing differences / individual identity / acceptance 10
Opportunities 5
Activities 5
Openness 5
An alternative family 4
Positive emotions: e.g. warmth, gentleness, relaxation, sweetness 4
Create change / giving a voice to people 3
Collaboration 3
Success / reaching your potential 3
Shared experiences 2
Fun 2
Freedom 1
Continuity 1
Listening to young people in care | 15
Support was a key theme in many of the comments. People spoke about the feeling of
care and support from the organisation, and the various supporting relationships which
are there during difficult times.
“Everyone supporting each other. Everyone having an equal voice.
Everyone's ideas considered and respected. Staff and young people
working together.”
Relatedly, many people also spoke about the feeling of being part of a larger group or
network, the friendships they have gained through Carefree, and how this helped them.
“Coming together as friends and one family brought together by the
similar experiences we've had.”
Another key theme was that of diversity and openness to individual differences. Many
identified the combination of acceptance on the basis of similarities and differences,
proactive support, and self-acceptance, and hope and aspirations for the future.
“Being individual is celebrated, as well as being part of a group. Each
person can stand out and belong at the same time.”
Other key themes were focused on the opportunities to try new things and do activities
as a group – things which might not typically be accessible to young people in or leaving
care. Many of the pictures chosen included images of groups of people interacting with
each other (n = 11) and many others used objects as metaphors for group relationships.
Overall, the evidence from this task suggests that Carefree has a clear focus on group
work, where people are engaged as members of an extended family regardless of
individual differences in backgrounds. The outdoor activities that young people
participated in were a part of this; however these may be more of a tool to support
group development and not the central component of what Carefree does. All comments
detailed positive feelings about Carefree as an organisation.
16 | Results
Interviews
Young people, staff and volunteers from Carefree were given the chance to answer the
following questions on film:
1. What does it mean to be listened to?
2. What does Carefree mean to you?
3. What's the most important thing that Carefree does?
4. If you could change one thing about foster care, what would it be and why?
5. If you could change one thing about support for people who’ve left care, what
would it be and why?
Research in Practice has edited the responses together into a short film which has been
shared with Carefree. Some key themes and highlights from the film are discussed
below.
What does it mean to be listened to?
A small number of people mentioned body language and eye contact as important,
however responses in general focused on feeling ‘heard’ and ‘supported’. For example,
people wanted to feel their views were respected and their point and preferences
considered; to know the ‘listener’ was focusing on the conversation and what was being
said, without necessarily feeling the need to give feedback.
There were also comments around how listening could help to make sense of what is
happening in a young person’s life and support in understanding and processing feelings
around this.
What does Carefree mean to you?
Carefree was routinely described as a fun and accepting “family”, with both staff and
young people speaking highly of the support available. This support appears to extend
beyond young people, with one staff member noting “Carefree are really good at
recognising when I’m tired or need some time out, but also support on my journey to
develop as an individual as well as a professional”.
Staff spoke of positive relationships between themselves and young people, and how
motivating it can be to know they are making a difference in young people’s lives.
Similarly, young people spoke of the support provided by other young people who are in
similar situations, who can understand and relate to what the other is going through.
What's the most important thing that Carefree does?
Relationship building, making friends and “that sense of belonging” were mentioned
frequently in response to this question, with group work central to the activities offered
by Carefree. Activities were described as fun and varied, although not the main draw to
Carefree; as one staff member noted about the skills learned through activities, “the
main thing is they've learnt to do those with other young people that understand them
and that they grow to understand”.
Opportunities extend beyond activities, for example, to working with Cornwall Council to
improve practices for young people in and leaving care. One young person described
how Carefree had led to them visualising the world differently, through providing “a view
Listening to young people in care | 17
from everyone else’s eyes as well; from different angles of the world”. While another
young person described how Carefree had “saved me in a lot of crises I’ve been in”.
If you could change one thing about foster care, what would it be and
why?
The stability of placements was raised in response to this question, with young people
and staff wanting “placements to be for longer term” and for more support available to
preserve placements when there are challenges.
“Foster care being an alternative home for children who can’t live with
their birth parents that gives them permanence, stability and love”
Support for care leavers was also mentioned, including removing “pressure for young
people to become independent” so that they do not move on before they are ready, and
for the provision of on-going support once the young person does leave care.
“If you were at home with your family you would have them forever
and I think that's what Cornwall need to be aiming for long term”
Young people also spoke about the impact of having multiple professionals in their lives;
one young person described feeling “overwhelmed”, while another spoke of being treated
differently and wanting “to be seen as a normal child”.
If you could change one thing about support for people who’ve left care,
what would it be and why?
Staff were keen for young people to understand they can return to Carefree for support
after leaving care, but also for council support to remain in place for care leavers. One
care-experienced person noted that “when things are going well, the professional input
drops off”, whereas sometimes young people would have benefitted from on-going
support. As with the previous question, people felt there should be on-going support
available to those who have left care, regardless of age.
“The Corporate Parent has responsibility as your parent for the rest of
your life, not just till you’re 18 or 21”
There were also comments around providing more information to those leaving care,
both in terms of explaining the process and what to expect, but also in relation to more
practical areas like budgeting.
18 | Results
Across questions, a frequently mentioned point was around the opportunities Carefree
provides to form groups and develop a “sense of belonging”. Staff spoke of how working
for Carefree “doesn’t feel like work” while young people spoke of a place to spend time
with those who are in similar situations and understand what each other are going
through.
Listening to young people in care | 19
Listening to young people
Each of five self-selected groups were given a large A1 grid template to write down the
things that Carefree currently does and the things it could do better to listen to the views
of young people (see below and in the Appendix). The grid was laid out so that these
views could be split into the following categories:
Listening to young
people
Looking out for
signs (incl. non-
verbal)
Making young
people’s voices
heard
Carefree already
does this
Carefree could do
this better
We have summarised things mentioned across groups (Table 2); however this may not
capture all of the views of all attendees. Comments were thematically coded across the
three listening categories (the columns in the grid), but kept separate based on whether
these were things Carefree already does well, or things they could do better (the rows).
Table 2: Themes expressed by two or more groups in the listening task
Comment themes: What Carefree already do well Groups which
mentioned
Meaningful opportunities 5
Recognise non-verbal cues and body language 5
Collaboration in groups 4
Positive regard 3
Staff and support with shared experiences: Peer mentors /
befriending / staff with care experience 3
Give young people space when needed 2
One-to-one support 2
Comment themes: What Carefree could do better Groups which
mentioned
Give young people space when needed 4
Hearing all voices 4
Contacts / one-to-one support 4
Modern communication / using social media 2
Meaningful opportunities 2
Budgeting support 2
Recognise non-verbal cues and body language 2
20 | Results
All groups commented that Carefree’s approaches and methods create the relational and
physical spaces which allow children and young people to be heard and listened to.
Groups also highlighted areas for improvement which could build on what they are
already doing.
“Opening the space for people to be talked to and listened to”
All groups spoke about how Carefree provides meaningful opportunities which are
mechanisms for being listened to and where children and young people hold “influence”
to effect change. Opportunities included being involved in the selection and interview
process for staff and foster carers, providing training, Voice4Us, Care4Change Council,
Virtual School Board, Care Leavers’ Council, Corporate Parenting Board and videos.
Carefree’s involvement with the National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum which is run
by Catch22 was also mentioned. Related to this, Carefree’s group sessions were
described as “young person led” and “inclusive” and thus their collaborative nature
meant that people are heard.
“Listens through groups, people are given time to say things.”
Echoed later in a whole room conversation, two groups noted that Carefree could
improve on providing meaningful opportunities by ensuring participation at all stages of
a process; from beginning to end. For example, involvement in videos and the
recruitment process.
“Young people should be involved at all stages, not tokenistic
involvement for films etc. Avoid this. With more capacity, this would be
possible.”
All groups highlighted ways in which Carefree staff and volunteers ‘listened’ to what
young people communicated through non-verbal cues including body language.
“Workers support when needed – notice emotion”
The vast majority of comments were positive and included that staff notice “withdrawal”,
being distracted, changes in attitude, “loneliness, sadness and upset” with one group
commenting that they recognise when “someone is OK” too. Carefree was described as
responsive to group dynamics, for example if a young person is left out. A pre-requisite
appeared to be having positive relationships whereby staff get “to know young people”.
However, two groups added that Carefree could do more to notice feelings of sadness
and anxiety. It is difficult to know whether this reflected the viewpoints of the groups as
a whole or that of individuals, but it is positive in itself that group members were able to
be open in front of staff.
Listening to young people in care | 21
Another key theme was Carefree’s positive regard for young people and how this
supports young people to share their views, and in turn, be heard. Young people’s
comments suggested that they felt respected and accepted which was key to ‘listening’.
Positive regard is also implicit in the above themes; i.e. you need to believe in young
people and care about them in order to forefront meaningful opportunities in a service
model, facilitate successful group collaboration and to be able to recognise and respond
appropriately to young people’s non-verbal cues.
“Feeling valued – easier to talk”
“Listens and takes ideas into account; letting young people be more
involved.”
Relatedly, three groups said that the peer support and befriending which Carefree
organise and the care experiences of staff are examples of how having shared
experiences enables being listened to.
“Peer mentors are a similar age which makes it easier to talk.”
Most groups noted that Carefree could listen better by building on three areas; giving
young people space when needed, hearing all voices, and having more contacts or one-
to-one support. Although two groups said Carefree gave young people space when
needed, four groups said this could be an area for improvement.
“Worry less and trust it is OK to give people space, as young people
move towards independence, give space to take positive risk.”
This stimulated debate and it appeared that more conversation would be helpful. While
adults need to try to make sure children and young people are OK, it was a dominant
theme which touched on being given space at a single point in time but also to evidence
trust as young people take increasing personal responsibility.
Groups fed back that to hear all voices, Carefree needs to engage with more young
people. It was felt that voices of young children in care more broadly, were not being
heard.
“More young people’s voices are heard: Listening to people outside of
Carefree.”
22 | Results
To ensure more voices are heard within Carefree, groups suggested having more support
to build self-esteem.
“More support to gain confidence to vocalise our point.”
Groups asked for more contact time with Carefree staff. To complement the group
opportunities and activities, they emphasised the benefit of one-to-one support as a way
to hear young people. The Personal Adviser service for young people who were leaving
care was regarded as positive individual support. However, young people under 16 do
not have as many opportunities for individual support.
“1-2-1 sessions as they happen with 16 plus more, but needed for
under 16s”.
The requests for more contact with staff and for more children to be able to access
Carefree suggest that children and young people could be listened to more if there was
‘more Carefree’. Young people felt that social media was an important way to achieve
these goals and they wanted staff to be able to use these forms of communication.
“Contact through social media. Need to embrace text, Facebook more”
Listening to young people in care | 23
Good listening / bad listening
Using the analogy of baking a cake, young people shared their thoughts about what
makes good or bad listening.
Just like when you make a cake, you can use the same ingredients but based on the
approach you take can end up with very different results. Or alternatively, you can use
the exact same method, but different ingredients and get very different cakes. This
metaphor was used to ask young people what is important for being listened to in the
best possible way.
Pictures of a ‘good’ cake and a ‘bad’ cake on large pieces of paper helped gather the
opinions of young people. We have extracted their views to put together a list of what, in
the eyes of Carefree’s young people, makes ‘good listening’ (table 3).
Table 3: Key points related to the good / bad listening task
What is ‘good listening’?
1 Create a safe, open space to talk
2 Give your full attention, stop what you’re doing, remove distractions
3 Use positive body language – nod and make eye contact
4 Show that you care and are interested in what is being said
5 Use simple language and speak clearly
6 Use silence at times and don’t interrupt
7 Respond to what is said
8 Be respectful to people’s views
9 Hold judgement and consider different views
10 Repeat back key points to clarify
11 Give honest feedback, but be positive
12 Make an action plan, explain what you’re going to do next
24 | Results
Ideal support for young people
In groups, Carefree stakeholders were given a timeline of age 11 through to age 25 (the
ages of young people Carefree supports – see Appendix). On this timeline, the groups
were asked to draw on the different support young people would ideally receive
throughout their lives, the organisations that provide it, and the type of organisations
these were.
The aim of this activity was to show the complex environment that Carefree works
within, the types of relationships organisations need to make to effectively support
young people in and leaving care, and highlight where there might be gaps in the
support young people receive.
Each timeline was analysed and the support, organisations, and age ranges for the
support were collated into a table. This support was then mapped to show how young
people in Cornwall, in or leaving care, might receive support.
It should be noted that these organisations and support are only what could be captured
by this sample of people from Carefree, and may not necessarily capture the full extent
of services available to young people in or leaving care in Cornwall, or other areas.
Figure 1 shows the types of support that young people and Carefree stakeholders
identified during this activity and the age ranges that are the focus of this support. There
is a range of different support available, and the exercise has highlighted the mixture of
support from the local authority, Carefree, and other organisations.
We also identified the primary types of support for each of these different support
mechanisms to show what young people were able to access through different services
(table 4); however these codes do not show the intensity of each type of support
(i.e. mental health support might only come from a few places, but could be more
frequent and intensive).
Table 4: Type of support for sources of support identified in timeline activity
Type of support Number of sources
Emotional support 18
Social relationships 18
Skills development 15
Stability 13
Financial support 12
Career opportunities 11
Safeguarding 6
Signposting 6
Healthcare 5
Community relationships 4
Education 4
Advocacy 3
Mental health support 3
Access to services 3
Familial support 2
Listening to young people in care | 25
Figure 1: Different types of support for young people in and leaving care
26 | Results
You said… We did…
During the research event, some young people and care leavers from Carefree
summarised the recent impacts they have had from their involvement with the Cornwall
Corporate Parenting Board.
These findings indicate what can happen when young people’s voices are incorporated
into decisions at a local level. For all of these changes, young people from Carefree have
been consulted to some extent, or have driven changes based on their own skills and
experience:
Changed the format of pathway plans Young people described how Pathway Plans were often negative, complicated to read,
backwards looking, and focused on family details and case histories. This was not always
very pleasant for young people to read, and they felt there should be more focus on
goals and next steps. They took these opinions to the Corporate Parenting Board and
have changed the format for plans to be more strengths-based and focused on future
pathways.
Stopped ‘bin bag moves’ In response to the issue of young people moving between foster placements (particularly
in the case of last-minute moves) and having to use a black bin liner to carry their
possessions, young people from Carefree pushed for the provision of suitcases and duffel
bags for young people changing placements. Cornwall Council supported the idea and
has made a provision for this.
Free transport / family visits This is a cause that Carefree are still working on. The issue they are attempting to tackle
is the restrictions on family visits for people who live far away from their birth families
due to the cost of travel and a limited budget per child for arranging visits. They have
been discussing the idea of changing policy so that each child gets a minimum number of
visits, as opposed to as many visits as they can within a budget. One other solution to
assist with visits that the Carefree young people are discussing is free access to public
transport.
Council tax Following similar initiatives outside of Cornwall, care leavers in Cornwall now won’t pay
council tax up to their 25th birthday. This initiative came from learnings from Carefree
young people and their participation in national network groups.
‘Local Offer’ advertising materials Young people from Carefree reviewed materials used to advertise the local offer for care
leavers, updating the materials to make these more reader-friendly and relevant to
young people. This included changing the layout, using pictures, and producing different
versions for different age groups. They consulted with other young people during this
process.
Listening to young people in care | 27
Training flats Carefree was part of the group encouraging Cornwall Council to provide additional
housing support for care leavers. They encouraged the council to provide ‘training flats’
for care leavers – places for them to live rent-free in their first year leaving care, with
the option to rent them once the provision has ended. There are now 7 of these flats in
Cornwall.
Changing the name of ‘Contact’ Young people from Carefree are currently (at the time of writing this report – November
2018) in discussion with the Cornwall Corporate Parenting Board about changing the
name of ‘contact’ with birth families. The Board have agreed in principal to the name
change, and a group of young people from Carefree are consulting with other young
people in care and care leavers to find an appropriate alternative name which feels less
corporate and has more positive connotations.
Established a ‘foster carer profile’ Young people noted how they needed to produce a profile so that new foster carers could
get to know them before they met, but that foster carers weren’t required to do the
same. This was seen as unfair for young people, who would benefit from some
information about new carers, particularly when moving into emergency placements. In
response, Carefree and Cornwall Council have now developed an electronic pro-forma for
foster carers to complete which gives a profile for young people to view.
28 | Discussion
4. Discussion
Through a variety of short tasks involving Carefree stakeholders, this partnership
between Carefree and Research in Practice aimed to investigate the following points:
What kind of support is Carefree providing for young people in and leaving care?
What do people think Carefree is good at?
What could Carefree improve?
How young people in and leaving care could be listened to;
How Carefree can continue to improve the quality of services for young people.
The overall picture painted of Carefree was of a warm, nurturing environment which
involves young people being supported by each other, as well as by staff.
Opportunities and activities were described, with space for reflection and growth within
an open environment where everyone’s voice is valued and heard. Comments were
wholly positive and in many cases the themes were interlinked, which is fitting with
Carefree’s complex and varied offer.
During the photo task, people were asked to select and describe an image which
represents their experience of Carefree. Following analysis, the top three themes were
support, friendship and being part of a group, and embracing differences and
diversity. These themes are also central to one of the key aims of Carefree: to give
young people the chance to form safe, supportive groups.
It is interesting to note the overlap of themes raised in the interviews and the photo
task. In both tasks, people returned to the group dynamic as central to the Carefree
experience, and within that were opportunities, support and acceptance of
individuals exactly as they are.
One very clear theme in several of the activities was the concept of an extended
family. Young people and staff spoke about the feelings of belonging, of having a secure
group of people that they could feel a part of, and of acceptance to similarities and
differences. These concepts very much echo the University of East Anglia’s Secure Base
Model 2 (Figure 2), a strengths-based approach which aims to develop young people’s
ability to manage the outside world and complex relationships by providing a supportive
and stable base.
Relatedly, there is a body of evidence on social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979)
which also chimes with the views of Carefree stakeholders. Several studies suggest that
stable group identification and membership (i.e. being a part of the “Carefree family”) is
associated with better outcomes in health, employment, stress and wellbeing (Haslam,
Jetten, Postmes, & Haslam, 2009; Haslam & Reicher, 2006; Van Dick & Haslam, 2006).
Furthermore, there is evidence of groups of marginalised people forming strong group
identities and benefitting from the protective factors of this (Schmitt, Spears, &
Branscombe, 2003); this may apply to the experiences of feeling different to other
young people through their care experience that some people spoke about during
interviews.
2 https://www.uea.ac.uk/providingasecurebase/the-secure-base-model
Listening to young people in care | 29
Carefree might therefore be seen as a Secure Base and social group for many
stakeholders. This group is in addition to their other family networks, but one which
remains stable where other family systems might shift over time in the context of care.
There are protective factors of this membership in terms of positive individual and group
outcomes, and Carefree might be seen as providing a psychological framework for
people who would otherwise be socially isolated or lack stable relationships throughout
their childhood. Accordingly, the work that Carefree does with young people
should continue to acknowledge the family nature of their position in young
people’s lives, and act in a way which strengthens and reinforces this base for young
people throughout their childhood and post 16. However, in accordance with social
identity theory and research, there should also be care taken to ensure group members
are embracing of external ‘out groups’ and are able to expand their support networks
externally. It is evident in this report that this attitude already exists within the staff and
volunteers we spoke to from Carefree.
Figure 2: Secure Base Model (University of East Anglia)
Young people and staff suggested that Carefree are already good at providing
meaningful opportunities for young people to get involved and at recognising non-
verbal cues and body language. Areas in which young people and staff felt Carefree
could do better, involved giving young people space when needed, ensuring they are
hearing all voices, and providing increased one-to-one support. Although, when
considering increased space for young people, it is important to balance young people’s
need for independence with the duty of staff to consider the wellbeing of young people.
The photo task highlighted that support is central to young people’s experience of
Carefree. The ideal support task investigated current support available, and it emerged
that emotional support and support around social relationships were mentioned
most frequently during this task.
30 | Discussion
Through exploring support from Carefree, the local authority and other providers (such
as charities or community groups), a range of support was mapped across the ages it is
available. Understandably, the ages of 16, 18 and 21 stood out as times when the
greatest amount of support is available / required; however this is a period where the
type of support available changes greatly. Arguably, many of the support services which
are starting at 16 could be begun earlier to help young people prepare for adulthood in a
less pressured way. Additional continuity of support through these transitions
into adulthood would be valuable, and Carefree provides a unique vehicle for this
through their work with young people and care leavers.
Young people who attended also considered what constitutes ‘good’ and ‘bad’ listening.
This task resulted in a table outlining suggestions from young people around how they
like to be listened to. Verbal and non-verbal listening and communication were
considered, from ensuring there is a safe and open environment in which to talk, to the
clarity of language and ensuring open, attentive body language. The framework
developed for this task provides a useful tool for reviewing the way young
people are engaged with and listened to, and other organisations may benefit
from this.
At the end of the day, the You said… We did… session highlighted the tangible impact
young people are having through Carefree. From Cornwall adopting a more positive,
strengths-based approach for Pathway Plans, to the creation of new ‘training flats’,
young people have been supported to bring about changes which have impacted others
across Cornwall, and young people have also supported with the creation of materials to
advertise the local offer to others.
During the event, there was also a general discussion around what Carefree might do
differently in its work with young people. There was an open discussion around this, with
young people freely expressing their views, and staff open to exploring the points which
were raised.
Overall, the following points were noted from this, and other informal discussions held
over the day:
Young people were keen for Carefree to embrace social media. Both to
reach out to young people in care and also as a means of communication for
those currently involved with Carefree. Young people noted how an anonymous
forum might be a useful way to discuss problems, and how interacting online
would help to stay in contact if they ran out of phone credit. Research in
Practice’s resource on digital professionalism may be supportive in this3.
There was interest in further support around budgeting. This was raised
across the tasks as well as in the open discussion. Other areas discussed
included more support around mental health, and for preparations around
transitions to begin earlier.
Young people appreciated being involved in all areas of Carefree. A small
number of young people commented that when they have the opportunity to
participate in interviews, the invitation can be very last-minute. They advised
that this does not give adequate time for them to prepare, and can feel slightly
‘tokenistic’ to the young people, when being involved throughout the hiring
process would be more meaningful and provide learning opportunities.
3 https://www.rip.org.uk/resources/publications/strategic-briefings/social-media-digital-professionalism-and-
cpd-strategic-briefing-2018
Listening to young people in care | 31
Finally, there was some talk around opening Carefree to children under
11. However, we appreciate the current Carefree offering is more tailored
towards older children and young people.
Throughout the event, Carefree stakeholders described a supportive environment which
embraces individual differences and provides a positive space for young people to
develop individual and group relationships. For those involved, Carefree serves as a
stable base for their relationships, development, and support structures. The next stage
of the partnership will explore Carefree’s impact further.
Replicating the Carefree approach
For other areas which wish to extend the support they offer to young people in care and
care leavers, there are several key components of Carefree’s approach which might
support them:
Develop a group with a set of core, strengths-based values, including
openness, care and support.
Provide a mixture of support including group and individual support; the nature
of these activities is not as important as the opportunity to learn socially and
develop relationships.
Emphasise the stability and permanence of group membership to build a
sense of family throughout activities, and welcome new members warmly and
whole-heartedly.
Apply key listening principles throughout practice, and train staff and
volunteers in these. The principles documented above which were identified by
young people at Carefree are a valuable framework for this.
Help young people navigate the complexities of the outside world and start
preparations for adulthood early. Assess their strengths and help them to feel
supported in difficult areas like budgeting, accommodation, employment and
finance.
Build a platform for young people and care experienced adults to share their
wisdom. This could be through an established role within the local authority (e.g.
a Corporate Parenting Board) and through national groups (such as the National
Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum).
Value the experiences of young people as they grow, and keep them involved
as staff, volunteers, and advocates. Helping others is a crucial part of self-value
and continued group membership.
Be their safety net and make sure they know that their group membership and
support is available regardless of age. Ensure regular keep-in-touch opportunities
are available.
32 | Discussion
Suggestions for Carefree
Finally, we offer some suggestions based on findings throughout the research day, the
structured activities, and conversations with young people and staff which might help
Carefree to continue the support they provide:
1. Expanding online presence. Social media was seen as a way to reach out to
more young people, and an extra platform of support for those already involved
with Carefree. However an open and honest exploration would be needed about
how social media can and cannot be used and why (e.g., can staff and young
people become friends on Facebook?). Some staff also commented that the
website does not fully reflect Carefree’s offering; updating the website with clear
information about Carefree could help to reach more young people.
2. Amplify the voices of children and young people not involved with
Carefree. This could be developed alongside a revamped website and increasing
social media presence to highlight Carefree’s offering to more young people.
3. Further conversations around giving young people more space if
requested. There were discussions around whether it would be appropriate to
give space to a young person who is distressed. Young people spoke of their
desire for greater independence, while staff spoke of their concern for the young
person’s wellbeing. This is an area which is likely to vary depending on the
individual and situation; whatever is decided, it seems there is an interest in
having these conversations.
4. Increased support in certain areas. Young people suggested they would like
further support in areas including:
a. More one-to-one work with young people of all ages. While the PA
service was spoken of positively, it was noted that young people under 16
do not have as many opportunities for one-to-one support with Carefree
staff.
b. More work around budgeting. This was an area which many young
people felt would be useful to cover, and for the support to be available to
all young people, not just those who are preparing for transitions.
Listening to young people in care | 33
34 | Appendix
5. Appendix
Materials
Photo task
The photo grid below shows the thumbnails of images used in the photo task described
in the methodology section. Photos were printed in postcard size and mixed up for
people to choose from.
Listening to young people in care | 35
Listening to young people
The grid below was printed at A1 size and given to each group. People could write
directly onto the grid in pen or use post-it notes.
Types of support
The figure below was printed at A1 size and given to each group. People used coloured
pens and post-it notes to complete the activity.
36 | Appendix
Research in Practice (RiP) and Research in Practice for
Adults (RiPfA) help organisations and individuals to access,
understand and apply evidence in their work with children,
young people, adults and families. By bringing together
academic research, practice expertise and the experiences
of those engaging with services, we apply this knowledge
into a range of resources and learning opportunities.
Evaluation at RiP and RiPfA champions this evidence-
informed approach. By incorporating the voice of lived-
experience, practice wisdom and robust research
methodologies, we adopt innovative methods and aim to
improve capacity for the organisations we work with.
Research in Practice
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Totnes, Devon, TQ9 6EE
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