The government white paper Care Matters: Time for Change, launched in June 2007, fuelled Bradford Youth Service's voice and influence team into action. The team acknowledged the low numbers of looked after young people engaged with their projects, initiatives where young people exercise their voice to influence decision making processes which affect their lives.
Workers visited residential units, worked alongside foster carers and the fostering and adoption unit, and attended events in a bid to build relationships with looked-after young people. They also made a bid to develop peer-led research with the Young Researchers Network (YRN). By October 2007 Get the Life You Want (GLUW) had formed and the funding bid was successful.
The group decided to focus on the experiences of looked-after young people in education, training, support and counselling. With the support of the YRN, young people have been trained with the necessary skills in carrying out peer-led reseach. Questionnaires were sent out to all young people above the age of 11, with more than 120 being returned, focus groups and one-to-one interviews took place. A subsequent report, Making the Lives of Young People in Care Better and a supporting DVD have been produced. On 20 April the report was launched at the National Media Museum in Bradford and there was a screening of the DVD. GLUW will use Bradford and Keighley Youth Parliament to lobby for change.
For a copy of the report or DVD contact norrina.rashid@bradford.gov.uk
