Young people in care go ‘on the loose’ in Galashiels
Monday, June 4 2007
Fifty teenagers in foster or residential care went ‘on the loose’ in Galashiels recently to tell the Council exactly what they think of the care and services they receive.
The day-long event, ‘Young people on the Loose – what we really want’, was held to give youngsters in care or on home supervision a greater say in the way they are cared for and educated, and to offer them a better chance of success in later life.
The event was planned by a group of young people who are looked after and accommodated as a joint effort with the Council’s Social Work and Education & Lifelong Learning Departments, the Borders Voluntary Youth Work Forum, NHS Borders and Who Cares Scotland (an independent organisation campaigning and advocating on behalf of young people in care).
The day at the Langlee Community Complex marked the start of a new, long-term programme to redress the balance for teenagers in care, who, as a group, are particularly vulnerable to underachievement at school, depression, poor self-esteem, drug and alcohol problems, crime and social exclusion.
“It was absolutely great to be involved in planning the event,” said one of the young people involved. “We worked so well as a team and we were delighted other young people enjoyed themselves. It is a brilliant opportunity to be able to say what we think about services.”
The day opened with a poem from one teenager and a documentary from the youth film-making project VOMO (Voice of My Own), capturing young people’s views on foster care, home supervision, residential schools, through-care and after-care.
In workshops, youngsters described how they feel about living in local authority care, school, finding training and work, finding somewhere to live after moving out of care and coping with depression. Next came a question-and-answer session with Senior Management from Social Work, Education and Health.
During the afternoon, young people, carers and staff enjoyed fun activities like graffiti art, sumo wrestling, henna tattoos, beat the goalie, hip hop dance and, finally, a comedy fashion show. Students from Borders College volunteered makeovers.
VOMO set up a Big Brother diary room during the event, so that young people could express their views on the services they received in private. The footage will be transcribed with contributors remaining anonymous, and the points passed on to service providers.
VOMO also filmed the live event, including vox pop footage around the hall and interviews with Glenn Rodger, SBC Director of Education & Lifelong Learning and Stella Everingham, SBC Head of Children Services and Criminal Justice. The results will be made into a DVD.
“We hope that this highly successful event will mark the start of real change for young people in care in the Borders,” said Andrew Lowe, SBC Director of Social Work. “Young People on the Loose exemplified the right that young people in care have to express their views, and our duty to listen to them.”
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