Lifelong Links.

What do Lifelong links do?

They do detailed searches are carried out to identify an extended family for children in care where they want to know more about their wider family members and other key people are invited to a family group conference to discuss ways they can offer lifelong support to the child

There is evidence the approach improves placement stability and other key outcomes

There are lifelong links pilot schemes happening in different areas of the country.

ACTION

Feelings of detachment and isolation can have a major impact on the wellbeing of children in care.

The aim of Lifelong Links, currently being trialled in parts of the UK by the Family Rights Group (FRG), is to identify relatives and other key adults willing to offer the kind of lasting support that can make all the difference.

The approach draws on the family-finding model developed in the US and family group conferences, which were introduced to the UK from New Zealand by FRG and have since become an established part of safeguarding practice.

It involves trained co-ordinators researching a child's family history. They go on to convene a family group conference with those relatives and adults willing to commit to a "lifelong support plan" that is incorporated into the child's care plan.

The hope is that increasing the number of safe and supportive relationships in children's lives will help them flourish, leading to fewer placement breakdowns, improved emotional and mental health, increased engagement in education and better long-term prospects.

"There is lots of good research showing the importance for those who have been most isolated of having healthy relationships and a support network around them," explains FRG chief executive Cathy Ashley.

"It is also about understanding identity and self and safety - as we know lots of youngsters are doing this searching behind the back of their social worker rather than in full view."

Clandestine searching is not only dangerous from a safeguarding point of view but also because the emotional fallout from being rejected can be huge, she adds.

The trial, funded by the Department for Education's Children's Social Care Innovation Programme, will see seven local authorities in England test Lifelong Links. FRG is raising funds for formal pilots in Glasgow and Edinburgh - where the approach is already established - and also hopes to trial it in Wales.

Evaluation evidence from the US suggests the approach is most effective for children who are relatively new to care so the trial will focus mainly on those aged under 16 who have been looked after for three years or less and are in residential or foster care with no plans to return home or be adopted.

Social workers at Edinburgh City Council started doing "extended network searches" to trace family members for children in care in October 2015 but the authority has since honed its approach.

Presenting a child with a comprehensive family tree and information about people's lives and jobs and other achievements is powerful in itself, explains Stuart Graham, family group conference co-ordinator with responsibility for Lifelong Links.

"For a kid where their only knowledge of family is drug addiction, alcohol and violence, that has a massive impact," he says. "They start seeing themselves differently."

This has led to a shift in perceptions among social workers and managers about the capacity within families previously characterised by a "narrative of failure", adds Gillian Christian, family group decision making team leader.

The project is not about finding relatives to come forward and offer placements to children. It may lead to regular face-to-face contact but even something as simple as sending a child a birthday card every year can give them a sense of belonging.

Bringing the wider family together to discuss their capacity to support a child is different from a standard family group conference and meetings tend to be "more emotional", explains Graham.

"Normal family meetings are driven by a crisis and a decision has to be made quickly but this is a different, longer-term approach," he adds.

It is also vital children are supported and prepared. "It has to be led by the young person," says Graham. "Sometimes the process has to stop because the young person can't deal with it and that's fine - it can be revisited later on."

IMPACT

Evaluations of the family-finding model in the US have shown it leads to children being more connected with the wider family. In North Carolina, an average of 34 undiscovered family members were identified for each child. At least one family member agreed to ongoing contact in 63 per cent of cases.

There is also evidence the approach leads to greater stability for children. In San Francisco, children recently taken into care were offered family finding. Half had a stable foster placement with no changes compared with just 33 per cent in a control group.

Evaluation is in its early stages in Edinburgh but an internal review in January found the authority had worked with 32 young people and carried out 30 detailed searches with an average of 40 family members found per child.

Christian and Graham say they have seen a remarkable difference in some children. For example, one boy who previously experienced numerous placement breakdowns is now "more stable than he's ever been" after contact with an aunt.

The UK PILOT SCHEMES

In Devon, the pilot is being delivered by a lead co-ordinator and four others trained in Lifelong Links. The authority has held 11 conferences for young people so far and the results are “very exciting”, according to Marks. “We feel confident it has made a difference to their sense of identity, self-esteem and sense of belonging and all those things have to be positive,” she says. When it comes to the practicalities of delivering the model she admits the authority had not anticipated the amount of travel and time involved in reaching out to far-flung family members and in working with the young person at their own pace – checking in with them all the way through the process.

However, none of this has proved “insurmountable”. Co-ordinators in Devon report bringing carers and wider family together has helped children feel more settled and “increased their sense of belonging in their foster family”. It has also provided extra support for foster carers who now have the backing of biological families. “There is more communication and things are more joined up in general,” says Marks. Key issues include an understandable reticence on the part of some social workers, managers, carers and parents worried about the emotional impact and potential risk of destabilising placements. What happens if no one comes forward? How do you prepare already vulnerable young people to deal with potential disappointment? The fact is many young people are already searching for relatives in ways that may be unsafe or make it more likely for them to experience rejection, says Ashley. She gives the example of one young offender taking part in the scheme who had previously turned up on the doorstep of a family member unannounced and proceeded to be quite aggressive. “The response was to completely push him away,” she says. Ashley suggests the desire to protect young people may even put them at more risk in the future if they emerge from care rootless and without people they can turn to for help. Another theme that has emerged is a tendency to assume “we’re a good authority so we do this anyway”, she says. However, all pilot sites are reporting finding family members and other key contacts that had not previously been known about or even considered as important in a young person’s life. “We have been surprised at just how many fathers as well as wider paternal relatives have been found and connected through this process,” says Ashley. “We knew about fathers too often being pushed out from decision making but were surprised at how many children had absolutely no connection with their father for a very long time and how many fathers didn’t even know their children were in care.” Forging positive relationships Some did not even know whether they were the father or not.

The Lifelong’s Links process has led to several DNA tests being done, which has lifted a huge burden of uncertainty for children and dads alike and led to positive relationships being forged. Ashley recounts the story of one young man in Scotland who was keen to know his father. All he had was a photo of his mum and dad’s wedding with dad’s face cut out. “So this child was holding on to this photo without a face,” says Ashley. “In that case – although it wasn’t the primary aim at all – it looks like the child will end up moving in with the father.” In cases where it is harder to trace people or get them involved, there is evidence the process itself can help young people make sense of their family history and muddled childhood memories. Far from destabilising placements, it appears to help even those with the most complex needs to settle down. Where there are concerns – especially if a young person is involved with the child and adolescent mental health services – then these need to be worked through, explains Margot Thomson, team leader for family group decision-making in the northeast of Glasgow. Her team of four Lifelong Links trained coordinators hope to work with 25 children for each year of the pilot. “We would not want to destabilise a placement and recalling family members or feeling bereft of family can upset children,” she says. “But it’s not the case that we wouldn’t go ahead – we would look at how to support that child and foster carer.” Ensuring robust support for young people going through the process and that they are properly prepared is key. This includes preparing young people for the fact the people they want to see may not be in a position to come forward. “It is about helping the young person understand it not about them per se but maybe about the other person’s own personal circumstances,” says Hertfordshire’s Ben Carr. At the same time, it is important not to give up too easily when it comes to tracking people

Lifelong Links for families with disabled children in care Lifelong Family Links works in partnership with children, young people and adults with a disability, their carers, relatives and community-based service providers to deliver flexible services within the community designed to improve the lives of disabled people. We were established in 1982. Our key aim is to ensure young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to live, learn and
work within their local community, achieve sustained progression, resulting in better life outcomes disabled people achieve their full potential, to enjoy a rich and full individual and family life, and one in which they engage with, and contribute, to the local community. This includes accessing voluntary and paid employment. down and getting them involved, says Devon’s, Debbie Marks. “Persistence is one of the things we have learned from the other sites and our own experience,” she says. “It is about really knowing – not just thinking you know – whether one of the identified links is interested or not. “We tend to think ‘We have tried this, tried that and haven’t had a response so they’re not interested’ but that isn’t always the case. Sometimes families don’t know how to respond.” When children enter care ties with their parents may be severed and often that means relationships with wider family are severed too. So going back to people some time down the line to see if they have anything to offer the child “is a big ask in some respects”, points out Glasgow’s Margot Thomson. “It is about opening up that dialogue with people but certainly not putting pressure on anybody,” she adds. Extended family contact Often extended family members believe they are not allowed to have contact. Thomson gives the example of one boy who had multiple placements before ending up in a residential school. Through Lifelong Links, two of his sisters were located with one caring for an older brother with learning needs. Despite the fact they had been through the care system themselves and stayed in touch with each other they didn’t think they would be allowed to see their brother but “absolutely jumped at the chance” when approached. Eight months down the line and they are now regularly meeting up and the hope is the boy, who is nearly 16, may now have other options when he leaves care.

“We feel confident it
has made a difference
to their sense of identity,
self-esteem and sense
of belonging””

Challenges for those involved in the pilot include looking at ways to ensure no child is excluded from taking part, including those with severe disabilities who may be non-verbal and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Ashley admits the high turnover in social work departments has also proved problematic and has had an impact on referrals. Key lessons learned include the importance of consent –

INCLUDING CONSENT FROM PARENTS WHO MAY NOT BE HAVING CONTACT WITH THEIR CHILDREN – AND THE NEED TO CONSULT, INVOLVE AND SUPPORT FOSTER CARERS, WHO IN TURN HAVE A KEY ROLE IN SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE.

It is also important independent reviewing officers are on board as they oversee children’s care plans and can ensure the Lifelong Links element is incorporated. Anecdotal evidence and case studies from pilot authorities suggest the process has the potential to transform young lives. The project is also having a wider impact. Prompted by Lifelong Links, Glasgow now has an administrator in place who undertakes extended family searches for children in the trial but also for those who are the subject of standard child welfare family group conferences, including those on the edge of care, and to inform life story work for other children in care. So far searches for 199 children have resulted in an additional 3,962 family members being found – alongside the 1,257 already known about. As part of the project, the FRG worked with the Rees Centre in Oxford to develop a way of measuring key relationships in young people’s lives after discovering there wasn’t really a suitable evaluation tool already out there. It is clear the Social Connections tool – which prompts questions about who young people have to turn to, who looks out for them and takes pride in their achievements – may prove important in social work practice in general, says Ashley. The project has also had an influence on foster carer recruitment in some councils who are now placing more emphasis on finding people who understand they have a key role in helping young people stay connected with wider family networks and don’t feel threatened by that. Interim findings from the pilot in England are due to be published in March 2019 with a final evaluation report in March 2020. Interim findings from Scotland are due in autumn 2019 with a final report in summer 2020. Perhaps in the future, the Lifelong Links process will be something offered to all children when it becomes clear they need a long-term care placement, suggests Hertfordshire’s, Katie Jolly. “In an ideal world this would be work done with them then and not something separate that happens afterwards,” she concludes

‘The single factor most closely associated with positive outcomes for children is meaningful, lifelong connections to family.’

Family Rights Group developed Lifelong Links in collaboration with key stakeholders including local authorities, young people in care and care leavers, parents and foster carers. Lifelong Links aims to ensure that a child in care has a positive support network around them to help them during their time in care and into adulthood.

In January 2021 the report of the independent evaluation into Lifelong Links was published. The evaluation covered the three years of the trial, 2017-20, which involved 12 local authorities in England. The evaluation was carried out by the Rees Centre, University of Oxford. To read the full report click here.

From April 2020 Lifelong Links has been funded in England by the Department for Education’s Innovation Unit; The KPMG Foundation; The Dulverton Trust and The Rayne Foundation.

The funding from the Department for Education Innovation Unit has helped Family Rights Group build on the significant interest from local authorities interested in implementing Lifelong Links. For local authorities who are willing to invest in Lifelong Links then, thanks to the funding from Department for Education Innovation Unit, the training and consulting support from Family Rights Group can be provide free of charge up to April 2021.

If you are interested in benefiting from this funding and exploring how Lifelong Links could be introduced to your local authority then please get in touch. Alternatively, if you are interested in implementing Lifelong Links post April 2021, please contact us for details of our training and consultancy package.

For all enquiries please contact: Lucy Hutchinson (lhutchinson@frg.org.uk).

In Scotland a five year trial of Lifelong Links is ongoing involving five local authorities. The trial in Scotland has been funded by The KPMG Foundation, The Robertson Trust, The Esmee Fairburn Foundation and RS Macdonald Charitable Trust.