3.1. Evaluate the impact of support care on children and young people

This guide will help you answer 3.1. Evaluate the impact of support care on children and young people.

Support care plays a major role in improving the lives of children and young people. It can refer to a wide range of services and interventions put in place to help them in their daily life, education, emotional wellbeing, and social development. These services might be offered by schools, social workers, health professionals, voluntary organisations, or family support teams.

Support care can come in many forms, such as counselling, access to safe housing, mentoring schemes, practical assistance with schoolwork, or medical management for ongoing health needs. The quality and consistency of these services can have lasting effects on a young person’s development and life opportunities.

Positive Impacts of Support Care

When support care is provided well, it improves physical, emotional, and social outcomes for children and young people.

Improved Emotional Wellbeing

Support care often includes emotional support such as counselling or regular meetings with a trusted adult. A young person who feels valued and heard is more likely to develop resilience and self-worth.

Examples of impact include:

• A child in care feeling less anxious about changes in placements.
• A young person developing healthy coping strategies for stress or trauma.

Having someone they can trust provides security and helps them feel safe, which is often the first step towards positive change.

Better Educational Outcomes

Support care can lead to improved school attendance and performance. Workers may coordinate with teachers to provide extra tutoring, arrange learning resources, or create a stable learning environment.

Benefits here can include:

• Higher grades and better exam outcomes.
• Greater engagement in learning activities.
• Improved literacy and numeracy skills.

Education is a significant factor in giving young people better life chances in the future.

Strengthened Social Skills

Social development is often supported through group sessions, youth clubs, or activities led by mentors. These provide safe spaces to learn how to communicate, solve problems, and resolve conflict.

Examples of benefits:

• More positive friendships.
• Reduced isolation.
• Confidence when interacting with different groups.

Physical Health Benefits

Children with ongoing medical issues receive consistent care. Support might mean regular appointments, advice for parents, or help following a treatment plan. Over time, this can keep health conditions under control and prevent long-term complications.

Physical health outcomes may include:

• Better nutrition and physical activity habits.
• Timely management of illnesses.
• Reduction in hospital admissions.

Increased Safety

Support care can actively reduce risks for children and young people. This can mean safeguarding from abuse, neglect, criminal exploitation, or unsafe living conditions. Regular contact with a support worker helps spot early warning signs and act before serious harm occurs.

Potential Negative Impacts or Limitations

While the intention of support care is positive, there can be issues that limit its effectiveness or even create challenges.

Over-Reliance on Services

If a child becomes too dependent on support workers to solve problems, they may not develop problem-solving skills on their own. This could impact their independence in adulthood.

Poor Quality or Inconsistent Services

Changes in funding, staff turnover, or poor training can lead to inconsistent care. Young people may lose trust in adults if they repeatedly have to work with new workers who know little about their background.

Stigma

Some young people may feel embarrassed about receiving support care, particularly if peers do not understand the reasons. This can result in teasing or isolation in school and community settings.

Privacy Concerns

Support care always involves record keeping. If information is shared inappropriately, it may damage trust and cause harm to relationships between the young person, their family, and professionals.

Short-Term Funding

Many support programmes are limited in duration, meaning children may lose access just as they start to make progress. This can cause setbacks in emotional and academic development.

Factors That Influence the Overall Impact

The effect of support care varies depending on the child’s circumstances, the type of care, and the way it is delivered.

Relationship with Care Provider

A strong, trusting relationship between the child and their support worker can make a big difference. Children are far more likely to engage when they feel their views are heard and respected.

Stability

Regular and predictable contact builds a sense of security. Constant changes in personnel can undermine this and limit long-term impact.

Involvement of Family

When families are involved in the support process, results are often better. Learning together as a family can help to reinforce positive routines and problem-solving strategies.

Cultural Sensitivity

Support that respects cultural background and identity can help a young person feel understood and accepted. If care ignores their cultural needs, it may create barriers.

Accessibility of Services

Some children cannot benefit from support care if they live in remote areas or if service providers schedule sessions at impractical times. Transport, language barriers, and digital access can all influence effectiveness.

Long-Term Impacts

Support care can have lifelong benefits if done well. Some examples include:

• Increased chances of stable employment.
• Improved mental health into adulthood.
• Stronger relationships with peers and future partners.
• Reduced risk of involvement in crime or substance misuse.

Children who have experienced stable, supportive care may become more confident and independent adults. They are often better equipped to set and achieve personal goals.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Support Care

Evaluating impact involves looking at short-term progress and long-term change. Feedback from the young person, their family, and other professionals is key.

Ways to measure success include:

• Monitoring school attendance and grades.
• Recording changes in behaviour and emotional wellbeing.
• Reviewing health outcomes such as fewer hospital visits.
• Gathering the child’s own views on whether they feel safer or happier.

Evaluations should be ongoing so that care can adapt to meet changing needs.

Barriers to Positive Impact

Several barriers can prevent support care from achieving full potential.

• Lack of trust in professionals, especially if the child has been let down in the past.
• Limited resources that make it hard to offer consistent help.
• Poor communication between agencies, leading to gaps or duplication in services.
• Family resistance to outside involvement.
• Unrealistic expectations about the speed of improvement.

Recognising these barriers early can help workers find ways to reduce their impact.

The Role of Multi-Agency Working

Support care often works best when health, education, and social care agencies work together. Sharing information appropriately can prevent duplication and make support more effective.

Examples of multi-agency benefits:

• School staff noticing early signs of distress and alerting the social worker.
• Health workers sharing medical updates to support school attendance.
• Youth workers reinforcing learning goals through community activities.

The Role of the Child or Young Person

A young person’s own involvement in the process matters. If they feel included and are given some choice in the type of care, they are more likely to engage. This can mean taking part in setting personal goals or choosing activities that interest them.

Encouraging them to give feedback ensures the support stays relevant and useful.

Improving Support Care Impact

To make a positive difference, support care needs to be flexible and responsive.

Steps to improve impact include:

• Providing consistent workers wherever possible.
• Investing in proper training for all staff.
• Building genuine partnerships with families.
• Reviewing and adjusting care regularly.
• Encouraging peer support so children can help one another.

Final Thoughts

Support care can change a young person’s life. It can help them feel safe, valued, and capable. It can shape their confidence, their education, and their physical and emotional health. The quality of relationships, the stability of the service, and the involvement of the young person all play major roles in the outcome.

Problems such as inconsistent staff, lack of funding, and limited access can reduce the benefits. Yet, when done well, support care equips children and young people with the skills and confidence they need for adulthood. The key is regular review, good communication, and respect for the individual needs of each young person.

This evaluation shows that effective, stable, and respectful support care can provide both immediate improvements and lasting benefits for children and young people. When those delivering care listen, plan well, and follow through, the chances of positive life outcomes increase greatly.