Create
Change
We’re always working on ways to ensure that the voice of young people in care is heard loud and clear! As a young person with a lived experience of care, your voice is a powerful tool you can use to help create real change for yourself and others.
That knowledge was behind the production of an important document, ‘Show Us You Care’.
‘Show us you care’
A Call To Action From Young People
The process started with a survey sent to young people in and leaving care. It got hundreds of responses. Next came focus groups, with real conversations about what life is like in care. The feedback was gathered, reviewed, and the result is Show Us You Care – a call for real, lasting change from young people and targeted at politicians, social workers, policy makers, teachers, carers, youth workers, the media, and the public. In other words, everyone. It sets out clearly what needs to change to make life better for young people in and leaving care. You can download the full document here, but these are the 12 main points below.
Calls to Action
The 12 Main points from Show Us you Care
A single NI-wide agency for children and families
“Everyone in care and leaving care should get the same standard of support, no matter where they live.”
Family time matters
“Plan our family time with us – who we see, when, where, and how often. If we don’t want contact with family, that should be respected too.”
A safe place to call home
“We want safe, stable homes where we feel cared for, respected and comfortable… When we feel safe, we can thrive.”
A right to independent advocacy
“We want everyone to have the right to an independent advocate – someone who will speak up, with or for us as we need.”
People we can count on for support
“We want there to be enough social workers to us to be able to reach them when we need them, not just during office hours.”
Connections in care and community
“We want more ways to meet, share and support each other and to feel part of the wider community too.”
Learning, education and training
“We want to have real choices about our education, and feel confident about our futures. That means the right support at the right time.”
Leaving care to full independence
“We want to leave care when the time is right for us. That means flexible support that follows us into adulthood, no matter what path we take.”
Health and wellbeing
“We want real support for our mental health, without a long wait… Therapeutic care shouldn’t be something we have to fight for.”
Taking part – hobbies, interests, travel & more
“We want to enjoy hobbies and new interests. That means having the resources and encouragement to get involved.”
Proud of us
“We want the public to understand that care doesn’t define us and that we deserve the same chances as anyone else.”
Show us you care
“We want solid evidence that change is happening… and making things better for young people in and leaving care.”
Changing the
Language of Care
How we speak about care matters. That’s why over 150 young people with lived experience of care from across Northern Ireland gave their views, opinions and ideas and produced The A to Z of Care.
It explains some of the key terms in their world – what they mean, how to use them, what not to say and what to say instead!
The A to Z of Care
We’ve created this resource to provide you with the words that we feel need to change, and the words we’d prefer you to use.
We want to create a language of care that can be understood by people outside our world – so we can chat with our friends, teachers and families about our lives and not have to explain what the words mean.
Care Day
Care Day is the world’s biggest celebration of children and young people with lived experience of care. It’s an opportunity to get together, raise awareness and showcase your talents! Click to find out more.