Young people from our care experienced groups draw on their lived experiences for powerful creative projects

Young people from our care experienced groups across Oldham and Tameside have drawn on their lived experiences to produce powerful creative pieces of work as part of the Shaping Care project.

The aim of the project, commissioned by the Greater Manchester Regional Care Cooperative and Salford CVS, was to listen to the voices of care experienced young people to better understand what changes would make the most positive impact on their lives.

GMYN’s young people were able to express themselves, share their experiences, connect with their communities, and advocate for their needs through the project. 

Shaping Care Monopoly board game – ‘United We Growopoly’

GMYN’s 10-16s care experienced group in Oldham, collaborated with the Children in Care Council (CICC) to create a Monopoly-style board game as part of the Shaping Care project.

Initially, the group imagined and created their own dream neighborhoods. One young person designed a skate park to represent the freedom they would have. A common theme throughout was the importance of safe green spaces, where young people could play, be themselves, and feel at ease.

The group then joined the CICC to explore why care is so important to young people. One young person shared: “Care saved my life… I don’t think I would be here today if it

The young people then created their very own Monopoly-style board game and came up with the slogan, “Play if you care,” to reflect its purpose.

When creating the game, the young people highlighted what they valued in the care system, ensuring that all the locations on the board represented real and meaningful places to them.

In later sessions they brought their board game to life using air-drying clay to create miniature monuments for the game. They also designed the ‘perfect’ social worker and discussed the qualities young people value most — kindness, compassion, and being down-to-earth.

They named the game ‘United We Growopoly’ to illustrate how social workers, youth workers, foster carers and young people stick together. The game reflects the positive aspects of the care system while emphasizing the importance of unity and growth.

Stunning three-meter silk flag

In Tameside, GMYN’s 10-16s care experienced group worked with Cabasa Carnival Arts to create a stunning three-meter silk flag with a design that represents their experiences, stories, hopes and dreams.

For some, it was their first time speaking openly about their journey and the group played games and took part in fun activities to help them express their feelings about the care system. One thing was unanimous – everyone wanted to change the care system for the better.

The group’s ideas and experiences were put on paper in a creative writing workshop before being symbolised on the silk flag through powerful imagery. 

One thing that the young people expressed in the sessions was that they would like to explore more in nature and they feel as though green spaces aren’t for them. To represent this flowers feature on the flag as well as trees containing photos that signify the importance of family.

An emotive story shared by one of the young people of running away from foster care and being alone and scared in a dark wood is represented on one side of the flag. 

The same young person also shared a story of a cat he meets each day on his way to school and says hello to. The cat features on the flag as a friend on a path leading the way. The path illustrates that life is a journey and there is always a way home.

During the gathering of stories another young person shared a lot about his journey in care and his hopes for the future – including his dream to visit New York. The New York skyline is therefore at the top of the design representing hope and future adventure after leaving care. 

The young person also shared his thoughts on how important he thought family was and the significance of still having contact and receiving photographs and family news. He also reflected on the importance of holding onto memories and things that he identifies as his own.

At the bottom of the flag there is a chicken that is a reference to a toy that a young person wanted to include. The toy chicken was a gift given to him by his birth mum. It is the only thing he has from his childhood and has been a constant throughout his life of changing social workers and foster carers. For him, it’s a symbol of continuity amongst the instability of the care system. 

Snakes & Ladders board game

GMYN’s care leaver group aged 16–25 in Tameside also used creative methods to explore and share their experiences within the care system.

This materialised in the creation of a Snakes & Ladders board game that represents their journey through care and into independence, as well as making suggestions on improvements for children in care in Greater Manchester.

Over the course of eight sessions, the group identified key challenges (‘Snakes’), and positive events (‘Ladders’) encountered during both their time in care and as care leavers. 

Their conversations also led to the creation of ‘Point of View’ question cards that see players reflect on their experiences and propose improvements to placements and services for young people in care across Greater Manchester.

Through the project, the young people not only shared their experiences but also created a tool for raising awareness and fostering discussions about the realities of the care system.

Their Snakes & Ladders game serves as an engaging and insightful resource to help others understand the challenges and opportunities within the care experience, while also advocating for meaningful improvements to the system.