Understanding the health and wellbeing needs of looked after children, young people and adoptive families

The content of this Healthwatch Norfolk report follows an initial period of six month’s “mobilisation” which saw them increase our work with and on behalf of children, young people and families. In setting our areas of focus for this mobilisation phase of work we looked at those groups of children and young people for whom health and wellbeing outcomes were significantly worse than their peers across Norfolk. The group for whom health and wellbeing outcomes remains consistently low is those children and young people who are classed as looked after or who have spent time in the care system (before being adopted or returning to their birth families). They wanted to understand how effectively the needs of looked after and adopted children, young people, foster carers and adoptive parents, are met by services in Norfolk. I

Key themes 

•  The voice of looked after children and young people in care. 
• Children with disabilities and additional needs in the care system – the foster carers’ perspective. 
•  Meeting the needs of adopted children and their families.