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We aim to improve the mental health of teens living in social care by improving the guidance available to support them.
Background
Teens are the fastest growing age group entering care, and the group most at risk of poor mental health. Better evidence on the ways carers can support teen's mental health is urgently needed.
Life story work is a way of promoting mental health for those living in care by helping them to understand who they are and how their experiences might have shaped them. This builds a sense of identity and belonging. It is usually delivered in a high-intensity way meaning it relies on specialist input over many months. It is therefore too expensive to provide to everyone. Understanding if life story work could be delivered in a lower-intensity way (e.g., by foster care, kinship, and residential carers) to teens, how and if this helps is vital.