Do you know a young person in care who’s been affected by loss, who would be interested in taking part in a creative and exciting first of its kind project – and having their work published?
The Centre for Youth & Criminal Justice is working with young people in care to explore their experiences of loss, using photography, storyboards and photo-interviewing techniques.
Supported by a professional photographer, the project explores with individual participants the extent, nature and experience of loss in their lives and identifies the practice implications for professionals working with this vulnerable population.
What do we mean by loss? In this study we are hoping to learn more about how a wide range of losses affect young people in care. These losses could include: family separation, loss of identity, bereavement, loss of possessions and many other things that a young person might miss or lose out on while in care.
Results will be published in a research paper and a comic book for young people, and a free seminar for practitioners and carers will also be held later this year to share the findings and discuss the practice implications.
Who is eligible? We are looking for eight young people aged between 12 to 17, in residential or foster care who have had previous or current involvement in offending or challenging behaviour (no matter how minor) to participate. If you think you know a young person who might be interested, please contact nina.vaswani@strath.ac.uk to find out more in the first instance.
The project, which is funded by the Carnegie Trust For The Universities Of Scotland, continues the important work that CYCJ is undertaking into bereavement and loss. A study with vulnerable young men at HMYOI Polmont was published in 2014 and found that young people can benefit from participating in research and sharing their experiences.
Pulled quote from the HMYOI Polmont study.