The young persons care project

Little is known of young people’s views of care and care work. This project signals a wonderful opportunity to both respond constructively to the future care needs for the population of the South East and to provide rewarding and meaningful career opportunities for young people.

To engage most effectively with young people, we must first listen to their views about, and experience of, care and care work. This will enable us to identify strategies that will be most effective in revaluing care and in attracting and retaining the future workforce for health and social care.

The study will involve convening a project advisory group with teacher, student and stakeholder representatives as research collaborators to guide the project and help develop the focus group activities and an online survey.

The focus groups will be conducted in three schools as will the online survey. Findings will be presented in a manner agreed with the advisory group and this could include audio-visual material, drama and an exhibition. This will be expanded to other schools in the next phase of the project.

The project aims are to:

• Have conversations with young people, teachers and other stakeholders that are open, honest and radical in a project steering group
• Find out and analyse the views of young people (age 11-19) in secondary education about care and care work
• Disseminate findings through exhibitions, visual and social media
• Develop educational and employment strategies that promote care work as meaningful, rewarding and respected career options for young people
• Replicate the study with researchers in other parts of the UK and internationally to conduct studies of young people in their areas. (We currently have interest from Yorkshire, Ireland, Brazil and Norway).