Children and young people's experiences

As we've been putting together this website, and particularly this area of it, we've included stories and opinions written by looked after young people. These first-hand accounts, seen alongside the information we're providing, help to show the importance of supporting looked after children and young people and care leavers, and where more work may be required. Second best is not enough.

Understanding the lives and experiences of looked after children and young people shows where the system is succeeding and where it's failing. This will help us improve our services, and will make life better for children who are looked after in the future.

We have drawn on various sources to gather the opinions of looked after young people. Two reports - the Debate Project Recommendations and 'Having Your Say: Burning Issues in Education' - have provided lots of information. A group of looked after young people wrote their own very personal accounts of what they felt about the looked after system, and another group met up and debated various aspects of being looked after. We've quoted their exact words and we are hugely grateful to every single person who contributed to any of these projects.

If you would like to comment on the site, tell us what you think of any of the issues we're discussing, or share your own experience of being looked after, please get in touch and we'll include your views wherever possible.