Family & Community is an online “Community of Practice” resource hub that aims to provide resources that can help to support families and communities. ExChange: Family & Community was commissioned by the Welsh Government and developed in conjunction with an advisory group from Families First and Flying Start teams. These articles provide regular insight into our Community of Practice by providing updates on project news and highlighting recently added materials. User contributions are welcomed and encouraged. If you would like to contribute an article detailing your own experiences or views, please get in touch with us.
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New book: The Children of Looked After Children
A new book by Dr Louise Roberts, The Children of Looked After Children: Outcomes, Experiences and Ensuring Meaningful Support to Young Parents In and Leaving Care, provides some much-needed evidence about children born to young parents in and leaving care and explores the support available when young people become parents…
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Community-based digital maternal and child health
The Co-Designing Community-based ICTs Interventions for Maternal and Child Health in South Africa (CoMaCH) Network brings together researchers and practitioners from South Africa, the UK, and beyond…
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Care experience & culture: a digital archive
This new digital archive will be a one-stop accessible site with information about care-experienced characters in fiction and on-screen, as well as care-experienced writers, artists and actors…
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Taking Hold of Our Heritage: the digital book
This book project gave the narrative power back to care experienced young people so they can tell the stories they want heard about their lives. Care experienced young people are often required to talk about their traumatic past to professionals, support services…
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Care review in England: wonder and rigour turn despair into hope
The long awaited review into children’s social care has finally been launched and as might have been expected is already subject to “debate” as various stakeholders seek to ensure their views are listened to and heard…
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School meetings: be prepared!
Many foster carers attend meetings with schools as part of their role. The below list is a reflection of all the things that I have found useful over the years, from the meetings I’ve attended…
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Self harm and foster carers’ role
December’s ExChange workshop was a collaboration between Colin Turner from The Fostering Network, Dr Rhiannon Evans and Stephen Jennings from DECIPHer…
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Trawsnewid: A new LGBTQ+ youth project (16-25)
The project is called Trawsnewid and is going to be focused around the theme of transformations. Throughout this project we will be exploring trans and gender non-conforming figures in Welsh history and…
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Pathways to University: the Journey through Care
Our second Findings Report from the ‘Pathways to University’ project puts forward 20 recommendations aimed at Local Authorities, Government and Policy Makers – urging them to accelerate support and promote achievement for all those with care experience…
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Mental health and young people and the pandemic
During the pandemic, young people have reported a range of issues including increased anxiety, loneliness and isolation, loss of support networks, and more limited access to mental health and other services they usually rely on. A Mind Cymru survey found that…