Funding from the Department for Education Innovation Programme enabled a three-year trial of Lifelong Links (2017-20). 875 children benefited from the trial in England. The trial initially involved seven local authorities, and this grew to 12 in the third year.
Funds from the KPMG Foundation, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, RS MacDonald Charitable Trust and The Robertson Trust have enabled a trial (until 2023) of Lifelong Links in Scotland. Lifelong Links is now being offered to children and young people in care in five local authorities in Scotland.
The trial was carried out to determine whether Lifelong Links is effective in improving outcomes for children in care. It focussed on working with children and young people under the age of 16 who had been in care for less than three years (five years in Scotland) and for whom there was no plan for them to live within their family or be adopted. The evaluation of the trial in England was conducted by the Rees Centre, University of Oxford. It concluded that Lifelong Links had a significant positive impact on young people, with 74% living in their foster care or children’s home a year later, compared with 41% of young people who did not receive Lifelong Links. Lifelong Links also improved a young person’s sense of identity and increased the number of family and friends connections. The report is available to read in full here.
The trial in Scotland is ongoing and is being conducted by CELCIS, University of Strathclyde. To read more about the impact of Lifelong Links visit here.
Family Rights Group is now working with local authorities interested in offering Lifelong Links to all children in care. We are also working with partners to explore how Lifelong Links could benefit:
- Children and young people in care and care leavers;
- Children and young people in custody;
- Young people at risk of exploitation.
We would like to thank KPMG Foundation, The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, The Department for Education Innovation Programme, The Robertson Trust, The RS Macdonald Charitable Trust, The Dulverton Trust and The Rayne Foundation for investing in Lifelong Links.