BY KATIE POTTER – PROGRAMME MANAGER (YOUNG PEOPLE IN CARE)
LEARNING | INNOVATION

Leap provides inspirational conflict management and personal development training for young people who are struggling with conflict and the adults who work with them.

Under Our Roof is our programme supporting young people in care and the adults around them to better manage conflict and to build and maintain safe, supportive and stable relationships.

Over two years we have delivered training to carers and looked-after young people, building partnerships with residential care homes, foster care agencies and local authorities from across Cambridge, Devon, East Anglia, Somerset and London. We have supported foster carers, residential care workers, social workers and young people from local authorities, independent fostering services and other charities.

“UNDER OUR ROOF HAS ACHIEVED A SOLID ‘PROOF OF CONCEPT’ STAGE THAT HAS BEEN CO-PRODUCED WITH CARE EXPERIENCED YOUNG PEOPLE.”

To summarise the key findings from the report:

  • Participants improved their understanding of conflict, their knowledge about skills and tools to manage conflict as well as their confidence to manage conflict in challenging situations.
  • Applying conflict management skills led to improved relationships between care workers and young people. More care workers felt able to communicate their needs to children and more said they have a good relationship with them following the programme.
  • Care workers demonstrated a significant improvement in the perception of feeling valued by children in care. Participants also improved in their wellbeing overall, including feeling more optimistic about the future and feeling less anxious about dealing with difficult situations.

What does the future hold for Under Our Roof?

Over the next three years, we plan to:

  • Build on our pilot to offer a more engaging, integrated and locally delivered service
  • Introduce dedicated offers for young people, foster carers and social workers
  • Build strategic and long-term partnerships with organisations
  • Co-produce creative resources to amplify the voices of young care leavers
  • Influence key stakeholders to address conflict within the care system and improve their policy and practice.

If you are interested in finding out more about the programme, please get in touch with Katie Potter Programme Manager (Young People in Care)

Click to read the Tavistock report