Young care-experienced parents build confidence in developing support networks

• Name: Ohana

• Provider: Hertfordshire County Council

Hertfordshire County Council launched the Ohana project in partnership with care-experienced parents in 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country and left many feeling alone and vulnerable. Ohana is a service which offers social activities and a support network for young, care-experienced parents, generally aged 15 to 25.

Hertfordshire County Council has increased parents’ voices and participation in the project steadily, with sessions running weekly and 40 parents actively involved. Sessions run online but mostly in person, with the service initially developing the confidence of those with heightened anxieties after Covid.

“We started online with Covid restrictions, then when they lifted we were able to hire spaces so that parents and their children could meet with each other and build relationships while doing normal activities,” says Ben Carr, lifelong links and family group conference manager at Hertfordshire County Council.

“We’ve run parenting programmes, baby first aid classes and self-defence courses, and the parents also recently presented at the East of England Social Work Conference. They are able to tell their stories to professionals and advocate for better treatment in social care.”

Recently, the parents on the project worked with Cardiff University to create the “key message” postcards for corporate parents.

Parents are involved at every stage, particularly when it comes to picking the Ohana Champions, who are volunteers who help to run the service.

“Parents have been involved in writing job descriptions, interviewing candidates and running training sessions for the Champions,” explains Carr. “Because the project grew out of listening to parents’ experiences, we knew that to make it successful parents had to be involved at every step.

“We met with some parents through other parts of the children’s services system internally, and we have also been able to promote Ohana through our partners and via social media,” Carr says. “A lot of work goes into building up a connection and relationship with parents that want to be involved. This includes home visits and phone calls, which are important to do as the parents possibly haven’t always had positive experiences with social workers in the past.”

Parents involved go on to develop their confidence and social skills in a variety of ways, with Carr recalling one young parent who went full circle and was inspired to work in social care herself.

“There’s one parent that has been involved since the beginning of the whole journey,” he says. “She was there writing the job descriptions for the Champions, and she’s now in her second year of training to be a social worker.

“Alongside this, parents generally develop friendships and support networks for life by being part of Ohana. Parents who may not have had support around them now go on holiday with others that they have met through the group.”

My view: Caitlin, 25, Ohana participant

Caitlin has been part of the Ohana group since the beginning and has a young son. Through Ohana they have made new friends, developed a support network, a sense of belonging and have even managed to go on holiday.

Caitlin’s newly found confidence was the reason she decided to speak at the East of England Social Work Conference. “I was so nervous, but this was my chance to speak out and to hopefully make a difference,” she says. “At one point I was homeless, I felt let down and unsupported. I wanted to tell my story; I wanted change. I didn’t want anyone else to experience it or feel like I had. I feel I touched the audience, there were tears and they said they would look at things differently and that’s all I ask. I was given the opportunity to raise awareness and I’m proud and amazed I did it.”