Community Development Project

1. Community Development Project ‘Relevant Lives DVD’ How can this be used in training? Sharon Bevan, Lorna Johnson and Sarah Rayne

2. Project Brief: ‘To assist in the creation of a training package to accompany a DVD by young care leavers’ • This will include: • Setting up focus groups to collect feedback • Attending an accreditation meeting to obtain the views of the young care leavers • Shadowing the care leaving team • Research into other training packages

3. The importance of Service User Participation • Recent initiatives and policies have highlighted the need for service user choice • The initiative behind ‘Relevant Lives’ portrays the views and opinions of young people • Service user voice allows the development of services, development of confidence and skills • It is a legal right that service users participate in the care they receive

4. Leaving Care Act (2000) Aims of the Act • To provide continued support for the care leaver • Financial assistance • Support is to be provided to enable the young person to develop and sustain appropriate family and social relationships • A programme to develop the practical and other skills necessary for the young person to live independently • Contingency plans for action to be taken by the responsible authority should the pathway plan for any reason cease to be effective

5. Focus group one:Thoughts and views … Care leavers are passed around between professionals in times of need • NVQ Level 3 Health and social care students “Care leavers aren't helped enough and are not prepared for adulthood e.g. budgeting” Care leavers need assistance to be pro-active in their life choices “The DVD seemed very true to life” Care leavers are frustrated and disempowered “There are barriers between professionals that affect the services that care leavers receive”

6. Focus group two:Thoughts and views … “Where possible, care leavers should be invited to training sessions to enable an open – forum debate” • Social Workers and Personal Assistants A sequel DVD would be useful to see where the care leavers are with their lives now “Foster carers may be defensive of the messages in the DVD; but this will reinforce their good practice” Foster care needs to be respected as a profession: but you need professionals to do it. It should be made worthwhile as a career The way forward needs to be decided before the training is put in place

7. Focus group three:Thoughts and views … “We try hard to teach life skills. Social Services do the opposite and in fact hinder our work a lot of the time” • Foster carers Social services should work with foster carers and not against them (multi – agency working) The messages in the DVD are negative, but foster carers do not just ‘drop’ young people when they leave their care “I was offended by the messages about foster carers, I do not think the DVD should be used in training”

8. Focus group four:Thoughts and views … “Social workers break promises” I feel angry and distressed about the care we receive and the leaving care process • Care leavers “We are people as well as care leavers; not just numbers people can pass around” “I have felt ignored by many social workers and foster carers. I was just another problem kid to them” Foster carers should have extra training and there should be a checklist of requirements, instead of just taking anyone “Social workers should respond immediately to our needs if we call them”

9. Focus group five:Thoughts and views … • Named nurse for LAC, Staff development officer, Education advisor, and Family support manager A pathway plan and having a PA is not a substitute for a phone call or text home for help “There is a need for on – going support – young people have to rely on themselves and their peers” “Young care leavers have too much independence too soon” Care leavers are cynical about their experiences but have found the resilience to challenge the system objectively “After school cooking and life skill sessions incorporated in their payment plans would be beneficial for care leavers”

10. How can the DVD be used in training?What ideas were suggested to go with this tool to create a package? • Part of an induction package for employed workers and newly qualified staff • To improve care planning skills and listening to the voice of young people • To help other care leavers to understand what they are experiencing • Where possible, to invite care leavers to training sessions to enable an open – forum discussion • Informative information and leaflets are essential and should be produced alongside the DVD • Guidance for schools on how to support care leavers is required • DVD could be used alongside the safeguarding children training • A useful tool for anyone training in children’s services (Career guidance advisors, youth workers and the young people themselves) • The DVD could be used as it stands …. But there is an opportunity to ensure good standards of practice are maintained • To be shown to 15/16 year olds to start conversations • Make use of this DVD in foster care training • It must be backed up with research, further reading and statistics. • An example of a pathway plan and instructions for how these should be completed and put to good use • Guidance notes of the role expected of everyone working with people in care and care leavers e.g. what I the role of social worker/ foster carer/ teacher/ youth worker etc… • An example of a positive care leaving experience • A manual of how to make solutions to the problems that occurred in the DVD • A profile of the experiences of the care leavers in the DVD to accompany it; this may help people to understand why these messages are portrayed.

11. Shadowing:our thoughts and views … • Social workers and PA’s were communicating with each other regarding their care leavers • Social workers would respond to messages when they received them • There was a variety of tasks to be undertaken e.g. care leaving team meeting, visiting care leavers, negotiating with other agencies, multi – disciplinary meetings (for funding and resources) Coffee and chat! • Workers discussing pathway plans: lengthy, time – consuming and repetitive in nature • Gave us an insight into the roles and responsibilities of the various workers, similarities and differences between social workers and PA’s • Workers were going out of their way to provide efficient services and respond to the needs of the care leavers

12. Student thoughts and views on the DVD … • A thought provoking and intelligent portrayal of these care leavers’ experiences • Negativity and confusion • Background explanation required for each scene in the DVD • A representative is required at each training session to demonstrate the care leavers’ views • We feel strongly for the introduction of foster carers views for balance in this package • Included in the package we feel there should be a pathway plan, profiles of the DVD actors, detailed guidance of what is expected of all professionals and agencies. • We feel this DVD should be compulsory for everyone involved in the process, provided that background research, statistics and explanations are provided.

13. Research • Reconstruct • Rainer • Care leavers association • Connexions

14. Reconstruct • This Fit For Practice with Looked After Young People pack is a six module training manual designed to provide core training for those working with looked after children • Fit for practice is an integrated and holistic training pack which is relevant to everyone who works with lAC and care leavers • This manual cost £175 plus £10 post and packaging plus VAT • For more information follow this link: http://www.reconstruct.co.uk/index.php

15. Rainer • Building on over 200 years experience, Rainer now runs around 55 services and projects nationally, working with under-supported young people •  Many of the young people have been involved with the criminal justice system, are in or leaving care, homeless, may be young parents or are facing serious deficits in their education affecting their employment prospects • There are also partnership projects that run alongside Rainer in their work for young people • For more information, visit their website: www.raineronline.org

16. Care Leaving Association • CLA is an independent charity formed in 2000 • The CLA aims to set up support networks for care leavers • Supporting care leavers in every aspect of their lives, providing information on supportive services • Campaigning for developments and changes within the care system and provisions • Provides presentations to undergraduate and postgraduate social workers • Can provide consultancy and training to other professionals and carers who work with care leavers

17. Next steps … Please follow up these next steps • Contact Education Adviser from focus group five (please speak to CDP group for contact details) • Contact connexions adviser regarding using the DVD for training (See Lorna)