Service User Perspectives: The care system from the inside
Learning Objectives
After considering this resource, you should be more aware of the frustrations that looked after children may feel and how they may deal with these.
Chris and his twin brother went into care at the age of fifteen after their mother died of cancer. In this video, he talks about the stigma associated with being in care, and shares some of his frustrations with the system.
Between August 2012 and August 2013 the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) co-ordinated a project to record video oral histories of people whose lives have been affected by experiences in residential and foster care. Four volunteer interviewers, themselves formerly in care, were trained in oral history interviewing techniques and conducted the interviews. This video is an extract taken from a fuller interview with Chris now lodged with the British Library.
To find out more about the Care Leavers' Stories Project and to view further films visit www.scie.org.uk/socialcaretv.
Reflective Questions
- Chris never felt that his foster placement was 'home' but he did want to be able to lead a normal life as a teenager. As his social worker, would you condone how he sought to achieve this?
- How valid are Chris's criticisms of service provision more generally in your view?