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Impact of Lifelong Links
We are now seeing the amazing impact of Lifelong Links, an approach Family Rights Group developed in collaboration with young people, local authorities, families and foster carers. It aims to ensure that children in care have positive and loving support networks that they can rely on into adulthood. And we have plenty of evidence to show that it works.
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How does Lifelong Links make an impact?
Lifelong Links increases the number of friends and family connections that children have:
*Based on data submitted by local authorities in England and Scotland during the three year English trial (2017-20)
As of July 2025, there are 42 local authorities offering Lifelong Links, and over 4,000 children and young people have benefited from the approach.
Watch the video to see the impact of Lifelong Links so far, and how it benefits the children and young people who take part.
Five key benefits from three independent evaluations
Independent evaluations of the Lifelong Links approach has found:
1. Improved mental health and wellbeing
A significant improvement in the mental health and well-being of young people who participated in Lifelong Links, as measured in Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ scores).
2. Improved sense of identity
78% of children and young people felt an improved sense of identity.
3. Stability
74% of children and young people remained in their foster care or children’s home after Lifelong Links compared with 41% of a comparator group.
4. Reduced risk of homelessness
Young care-experienced people who live in areas which offer Lifelong Links are 10% less likely to become homeless when they leave care.
5. Value for money
For each £1 invested in Lifelong Links there was a saving of £1.02. One local authority calculated they had avoided costs of £836,998 in one year.
See the full evaluation reports below for more detail and analysis.
Lifelong Links evaluation and reports
Evaluation of the Lifelong Links trial in Scotland
September 2024
A Lifelong Links trial was carried out in three local authorities in Scotland over five years.
The research team at CELCIS found that Lifelong Links was highly valued by children and young people, carers and practitioners.
Download
Always Hope evaluation
April 2024
The final report of the project to extend Lifelong Links to care experienced young adults in prison and on reform.
Overall, participants were very supportive of Always Hope being rolled-out and extended to other prisons and include those on remand and on longer sentences.
Download
The Impact of Lifelong Links on Housing Outcomes for Young People Leaving Care
July 2023
A study by the Policy Institute at King’s College London for the Centre for Homelessness Impact found that that the Lifelong Links approach reduces the risk of homelessness by 10%.
Download
Lifelong Links Impact Report
February 2023
An impact report by Family Rights Group, based on local authority reports and case studies.
Includes objectives and outcomes for young people.
Download
Lifelong Links: Embedding practice
April 2022
This evaluation extension explored how Lifelong Links was being implemented and embedded into practice.
It also provided an opportunity to examine outcomes over a longer time period in two local authorities.
Download
Lifelong Links: Evaluation report
November 2020
This evaluation covered the three years of the Lifelong Links trial, 2017-20. It involved 12 local authorities in England.
The evaluation was carried out by Dr Lisa Holmes at the Rees Centre, University of Oxford.
DownloadDecember 2024
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