Children Looked After

Islington Lifelong Links is a new and exciting project for looked after children and care experienced young people aged 14–25. It’s a great way of creating a positive, lasting support network to help children and young people during their time in care and into adulthood. 

Lifelong Links aims to find family members and other people who care about the child/young person such as former foster carers, teachers, or family friends. These people are brought together in a meeting called a family group conference. At this meeting they can talk with the young person about what support they are able to offer, both now and in the future. This is written down into a plan so that everybody knows exactly what they are doing. The plan should be agreed by the young person’s worker providing it is safe.

A trained independent Lifelong Links coordinator works with the young person to find family members and other people who care about them, such as former foster carers, teachers, or family friends. 

The coordinator searches for these people, using a variety of tools and techniques, and then brings them all together in a Lifelong Links family group conference to make a plan of support with and for the child or young person. This plan is then embedded in their care or pathway plan.

For more information, please email LifelongLinks@islington.gov.uk

You can also read more about Islington Lifelong Links. 

“The ‘Lifelong Links’ service is enabling children to rebuild relationships with family members as they get older. There are no international boundaries to this work. This means that children are developing a greater sense of identity, security and support networks into adulthood, and risks of isolation are reduced”.

Ofsted: LB Tower Hamlets 2022

“We can’t believe we found her, all this time our sister was only 3 miles away and never knew she existed”

Hear about the work of Lifelong Links from co-ordinator Paulette Tajeh-Bell

A young sister and brother asked their foster carer to find their dad. I got to work as their Lifelong Links private detective.

I was led by the young people they are my new boss. Ready to get to know them, support their journey and discover lasting relationships, which they can depend on in the future. Along with the foster carer and social worker the young people were supported every step of the way. It was an emotional journey for everyone involved.

Although Dad was found, he was not ready to form a relationship at that time. This was really challenging for the young people to take on board. I increased my visits to ensure they had the support they needed at this difficult time.

Dad mentioned a sibling that no one knew anything about. Going at the young people’s pace. Liaising with their social worker and foster carer, we talked through a safe plan to ensure the young people were prepared.

I found their sister who was overjoyed. She could not wait to meet them.

They were over the moon that we had found their new big sister who wanted to be a part of their lives.  

It started with an exchange of letters and pictures ….

then building a relationship

“OMG she is just like me! I found my sister! It was the best Christmas” 

We asked Paulette why she chose to help develop our Islington Lifelong Links Service?

This is such a unique service for care experienced and care leavers to link with family, friends and more that provides a positive and lasting support network in a safe way.

It’s been developed with the support of our Islington care experienced young people and led by the young person referred. Just to play a small part in bringing a network together that sees the young person through to adulthood and beyond is truly a privilege. 

What do you enjoy about working with the family network?

I love building relationships with young people and their families/carers and seeing the growth in the young person during the work together. To see the immense joy when a young person finds a new connection or reconnects with a long-lost family member cannot be put into words, its compassion at its best!

Our Islington Lifelong Links service is open to referrals.

If you are supporting a care experienced or looked after young person, please offer our service and we can help you complete a short referral form.

For more information contact Lifelonglinks@islington.gov.uk

Read more on Find  Your Islington | Islington Lifelong Links and/or watch a video of young person’ sharing their experience, here.

As a Corporate Parent, the Council recognises that it is crucial to support and promote the education of children looked after and to encourage children and young people to aspire and achieve in order for them to realise their potential.

Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to make sure that they promote the educational achievements of the children they look after, regardless of where they are placed. This means that local authorities must consider the educational implications of every decision taken about a child’s care and placement. This reflects their wider role as a Corporate Parent – local authorities must strive to offer all the support that a good parent would give in order to make sure that the children they look after reach their full potential. Having a virtual school is one of the key ways in which a local authority can demonstrate that it is discharging its statutory duty.

In July 2014, new statutory guidance was issued by the Department for Education setting out the framework through which local authorities should discharge their statutory duty to promote the educational achievement of looked after children. This guidance included the appointment of a Virtual School Head (VSH). This duty has therefore strengthened the role of the local authority with regards to prioritising and supporting Looked After Children’s education and achievements. The duty also made changes to the frequency of Personal Education Plans (PEPs) and has linked the allocation of Pupil Premium funding to completed PEPs; with management of the funding to be held and overseen by the Virtual School Head.