Coram Voice / University of Bristol Hadley Centre / Hadley Trust / DfE / Welsh Government · 2017
This report presents findings from 611 looked after children and young people aged 4–18 who completed the 'Your Life, Your Care' subjective well-being survey across six local authority areas in England. The majority reported moderate well-being and felt that being in care had improved their lives, with higher proportions feeling safe and enjoying school than children in the general population. However, a significant minority — around 14% overall and nearly one in five secondary-aged young people — had low well-being scores, with girls, those lacking a trusted adult, and those unhappy with their appearance particularly at risk. The report makes eight recommendations for policy and practice, including regularly measuring looked after children's well-being, improving social worker stability, and ensuring children are involved in decisions about their care.