A NEW documentary series giving an in-depth look at children and their families in the Coventry care system is set to air on Channel 4.
KIDS will feature an unprecedented look into those in care and the people working to support them.
To deliver the show, Channel 4 producers worked closely with Coventry City Council’s Children’s Services (CCCCS) to delve into the issues faced by those involved and to shed light on the struggles and triumphs of people in care.
The number of young people in the care system is set to reach a record 100,000 in the next decade, increasing pressure on the measures put in place, the staff and ultimately the children.
Legal restrictions and the risks around reporting on or sharing the lives on young people in care means their voices are rarely seen or heard.
BAFTA-winning Prison director Paddy Wivell and executive producer, Colin Barr of Superkids: Breaking Away from Care are trying to change that by giving viewers an insight into the lives of people shaped by the care system.
The first episode, launching May 10, introduces Xorin who, after being exploited as a young teen, is returning home to Coventry from a children’s home in Wales to rebuild his life with mother Kelly.
Other episodes will feature Byron and Bayley as they negotiate leaving the security and support of their carers to start a life living on their own.
The show will also feature 16-year-old Havana as she longs to find her biological father who she has never known, whilst taking on her first tenancy in a step towards independence.
Child in care, Kane, wants to understand what led to him being in care as a young child, asking his social worker for access to his case files to better understand his past.
John Gregg, director of CCCCS said: “There’s never been a more important time to hear from young people – and their families. Too often, they’re talked about, but not talked to.
“We wanted those people to have a voice and for the work of our staff to be seen as it really is: challenging but incredibly rewarding.
“The series captures that completely and we’re incredibly proud of it and of the young people who’ve taken part.”
Paddy said: “In this series the young people are rightly front and centre.
“Many children in care feel they are treated differently to their peers because of their circumstances.
“Rules and restrictions designed to protect also prevent them from having a public voice, making them invisible at a time when they need to be heard.”
Colin said: “Too often we look at young people in care as if they are victims, or that they should be pitied in some say, which is just not how they live their lives.
“There is an energy and spirit to them which is just a joy to witness.”
The series, coming just months after Ofsted rated the city’s Children’s Services as ‘good’, runs on Wednesdays from May 10 to 24.
